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X., XI.
Journal of Researches
INTO THE NATURAL HISTORY AND GEOLOGY OF THE COUNTRIES VISITED DURING THE VOYAGE OF H. M. S. BEAGLE ROUND THE WORLD.
BY CHARLES DARWIN, M.A., F.R.S.
2 vols. 12mo, Muslin, extra gilt, $1 00.
This is another most valuable contribution to the cause of popular education, issued in Harper's New Miscellany; a series that bids fair to surpass even their Family Library in the sterling excellence and popularity of the works which it renders accessible to all classes of the community. The work contains, in a condensed and popularized form, the results of the British Exploring Expedition, which Mr. Darwin accompanied at the special instance of the lords of the Admiralty. The voyage consumed several years, and was performed at a very heavy expense on the part of the British government. Yet here we have its most important results, divested of all scientific technicalities, and presented in a form at once attractive and accurate. The work is entitled to secure a very wide circulation. It contains an immense amount of information concerning the natural history of the whole world, and is superior, in point of interest and value, to any similar work ever published.—New York True Sun.
A work very neatly issued, and has the interest of a leading subject well developed, the unfailing secret of producing a book of character. In the present state of the world, when new countries are opening every day to the great conqueror, Commerce, such publications are of unusual importance. Perhaps no information, just now, can be of more consequence to us than that which puts us in possession of the movements of English discovery.—News.
This is a most valuable and a most interesting work; one which combines true scientific worth with the graces of style suited to render it popular, better than almost any similar work which has recently come under our notice. The voyage of the Beagle was, in truth, a scientific exploring expedition; and Mr. Darwin accompanied it at the special request of the lords of the Admiralty. Its results have been published in several very elaborate, extensive, and costly volumes in England; but as these were entirely beyond the reach of the great mass of the reading public, Mr. Darwin prepared these volumes, in which all the important results of the expedition are fully, clearly, and distinctly presented, interwoven with a most entertaining narrative of personal incident and adventure.—N. Y. Courier.
This is a work of remarkable interest and value. The author, in circumnavigating the world, under commission of the British government, for scientific and exploring purposes, visited nearly every country on the globe, and preserved in this brief, simple, but beautiful narrative all the singular facts of a scientific, social, or geographical nature which are of general interest. The amount of information condensed in these volumes is incredible; and the skill with which the useful and interesting is selected from that which is unimportant or well known is admirable. We admire the style, the straightforward sincerity of the writer, the apparent candor, and the erudite research which he uniformly exhibits. Without one quarter of the bulk or pretension of our famous exploring expedition, the present work is hardly inferior to it in value and interest. This series is gaining a fine character, of which we hope the publishers will be jealous.—New York Evangelist.
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XII. CONQUEST AND SELF-CONQUEST; OR, WHICH MAKES THE HERO?
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THE COUSINS. A TALE OF EARLY LIFE.
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XIV. PRAISE AND PRINCIPLE; OR, FOR WHAT SHALL I LIVE?
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NOTES
[1] Gunong, a mountain, part of a chain.
[2] Pronounced short, for (properly) Bandhara; a treasurer, chief steward.
[3] The old name for the town of Sarawak.
[4] Aloes wood, Lignum aloes.
[5] The Malay name for the betel, the aromatic leaves of which are chewed along with the pinang or areca nut, a little pure lime, and various spices.
[6] The banks of the Boyur and Quop are Nepa palm.
[7] fines—J.H.
[8] Western as regards Polynesia.
[9] Also, vol. iv. of the Bengal Asiatic Researches.
[10] Canto xv., stanza 55, 56.
[11] The following is an extract from an equally sapient proposition, published in the Chinese state-papers on the 14th January, 1840; it is headed, Memorial of Toang Wangyen to the emperor, recommending plans for the extermination of barbarians: "Your minister's opinion is this: that we, being upon shore and they in their ships, it is not at all requisite to order our naval forces to proceed out a great distance to contend with them in battle. When the commercial intercourse of the said barbarians shall have been entirely put an end to, and their supplies grow scanty, it will be impossible for them to remain a long time anchored in the outer seas, and they will necessarily, as formerly, enter the inner waters in order to ramble and spy about them. We can then, by means of our naval vessels, tempt them and cause them to enter far in; and a previous arrangement having been made, we can summon the people who live along the coasts, such as are expert and able swimmers, and those who possess bravery and strength, to the amount of several hundreds of men: we can then cause them, during the night, to divide themselves into companies, and silently proceeding through the water, straightway board the foreign ships; and overcoming the crews in their unprepared state, make an entire massacre of the whole of them."
[12] I need hardly remark on the singular courage and disregard of personal safety and life itself evinced by my friend on this occasion. At issue with the rajah on points of great temptation to him, beset by intrigues, and surrounded by a fierce and lawless people, Mr. Brooke did not hesitate to dispatch his vessels and protectors, the one on a mission of pure humanity, and the other in calm pursuance of the objects he had proposed to himself to accomplish; and with "three companions," place himself at the mercy of such circumstances, regardless of the danger, and relying on the overruling Providence in which he trusted, to bring him safely through all his difficulties and perils.—H. K.
[13] Now called Samarang.
[14] This I found on inquiry, to be strictly true—a most amiable trait!—B.
[15] I am happy to say that the Lords of the Admiralty have since been pleased to promote Lieut. Wilmot Horton and Mr. W. L. Partridge, mate, who commanded the pinnace, for their gallantry on this occasion.—H. K.
[16] Piratical habits are so interwoven with the character of these Sarebus people, that the capture at sea of a few prahus would have but small effect in curing the evil; while a harassing duty is encountered, the result is only to drive the pirates from one cruising-ground to another; but, on the contrary, a system which joins conciliation with severity, aiming at the correction of the native character as well as the suppression of piracy, and carrying punishment to the doors of the offenders, is the only one which can effectually eradicate an evil almost as disgraceful to those who permit it as to the native states engaged in it.
[17] It had never been known so quiet as during the days we were up their river.
[18] I have lately heard, with much regret, of the death of this valuable officer.
[19] Leonard Gibbard made his first trip to sea under my charge in 1834, when I commanded the Childers in the Mediterranean, and at that early age gave promise of what he afterward proved himself to be—a gallant officer and thorough seaman. Poor fellow! he was always a general favorite wherever he went—H. K.
[20] Anglice, run-a-muck.
[21] See Prichard's Researches, 1826, which, meager as they must have been from the want of data, tell us in two or three pages nearly all we know on the subject. That able investigator states that the Dyaks of Borneo resemble the Taraj of Celebes.
[22] With regard to the Arafuras, or Haraforas, it is stated that they are termed in some districts Idaan, in others Murut, and in others Dayaks. See Raffles' Java. And Leyden assures us that all these varieties were originally called Idaan.
[23] A singular contrast to preceding accounts, which represent the north and northeastern population not only as pirates, called Tiran or Zedong, but even as cannibals. Near them there appear to be the piratical nests of Magindano, Sooloo, &c.
[24] There are several rivers, Meri, Bentulu, &c., the inhabitants of which, says Mr. Brooke, I class under the general term Millanow, as their dialects show a very close connection, and their habits are the same. Evidently from language they are civilized tribes of Kayans.
[25] Leyden concluded that the language was allied to the Batta and Tagala, and the whole derived from and varieties of the primitive tongue of the Philippine Islands.
[26] Probably a Dyak phrase for levying exactions on the oppressed people. It is not Malay.
[27] The utter destruction of a village or town is nothing to the infliction of cutting down the fruit-trees. The former can be rebuilt, with its rude and ready materials, in a few weeks; but the latter, from which the principal subsistence of the natives is gathered, cannot be suddenly restored, and thus they are reduced to starvation.
[28] The grounds for this opinion are an estimate personally made among the tribes, compared with the estimate kept by the local officers before the disturbance arose; and the result is, that only two out of twenty tribes have not suffered, while some tribes have been reduced, from 330 families to 50; about ten tribes have lost more than half their number; one tribe of 100 families has lost all its women and children made slaves; and one tribe, more wretched, has been reduced from 120 families to 2, that is, 16 persons; while two tribes have entirely disappeared. The list of the tribes and their numbers formerly and now are as follows:—Suntah, 330—50; Sanpro, 100—69; Sigo, 80—28; Sabungo, 60—33; Brang, 50—22; Sinnar, 80—34; Stang, 80—30; Samban, 60—34; Tubbia, 80—30; Goon, 40—25; Bang, 40—12; Kuj-juss, 35—0; Lundu, 80—2; Sow, 200—100; Sarambo, 100—60; Bombak, 35—35; Paninjow, 80—40; Singe, 220—220; Pons, 20—0; Sibaduh, 25—25. Total, formerly, 1795—now, 849 families; and reckoning eight persons to each family, the amount of population will be, formerly, 14,360—now, 6792: giving a decrease of population in ten years of 846 families, or 7568 persons!
[29] Sir Edward Belcher has since surveyed Labuan in her majesty's ship Samarang, and finding an excellent harbor, named it Victoria Bay.—H. K.
[30] Vide Mr. Wise's Plan (p. 362,3) for accelerating the communication between Great Britain and China, viz. the conveyance of the mails from Hong Kong to Suez (via Ceylon) direct. Submitted to her majesty's Government, 14th September, 1843; adopted 20th June, 1845.
[31] The Borneo coal-mines would also serve to keep the Hong Kong, Singapore, and Pinang stations supplied with fuel for Steam Vessels carrying the Mails between Hong Hong and Suez direct.
[32] Receiving at Ceylon the Outward Overland Mail from England, and returning therewith to China.
[33] Date of submitting the above proposed route and estimate to her majesty's Government for consideration.
[34] The MS. having been under water in the wreck of the Great Liverpool steamer, this name and some others are illegible.
[35] A sort of gong.
[36] Tumbawong is a place they have deserted, or been forced to quit.
[37] A head-house.
[38] Gadong is a small Malay village on the Sadong, considerably nearer the sea than the Bandar's village.
[39] This occurred during Seriff Sahib's time; the Dyaks were frightfully oppressed.
[40] The goods brought down by Mr. Williamson were on a public trial confiscated, and the parties concerned fined. These Dyaks from their distance and timidity, were afraid to complain, but will in future not be imposed upon. It would be a hopeless task trying to prevent the Malays playing their tricks on the Dyaks; and the only chance of freeing the Dyaks from these exactions is by inspiring them with confidence. In Sarawak this has been done, and may easily be extended; for the Dyak, though greatly depressed by a course of persecution, I have always found ready to state his complaints whenever he has a hope of redress. The Orong Kaya Pa Jampat of Mang-garut was freed of the debt claimed by the Samarahan Pangara; and the other complaints referred to my decision have been either rectified, or steps taken to do justice, and to render the Dyak tribes of Sadong happy and easy.—Note by Mr. Brooke.
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