The Dutch authorities hearing of the rebellion in Sarawak sent round a steamer with a party of soldiers to the assistance of the authorities, but fortunately by that time all danger was passed, and as soon as possible after the receipt of the news, Sir William Hoste, who has always shown so intelligent an interest in Bornean affairs, sailed for Sarawak in H. M. S. _Spartan_. The news of the insurrection reached me after a very long delay, as the first intimation I had of it was through a letter from Mr. Ruppell, dated Singapore, as he had left Sarawak after the failure of the Sunday attack, and I was kept in suspense for above a week, when a more rapid sailing-vessel brought me the news that Sir James Brooke had triumphed. I went down to Sarawak by the first opportunity, and reached it in July, to find everything proceeding apparently as if no insurrection had occurred. Though the Malay town had been burnt down, yet the inhabitants had soon recovered their energy, and had built their houses again, which, though not so substantial as the former ones, still looked very neat. Some things were missed in the landscape, and the handsome government house with its magnificent library, had disappeared; Mr. Crookshank’s and Mr. Middleton’s houses were also gone, and, with the exception of the rajah, they were the principal sufferers, as the Chinese had had no time to destroy either the church or the mission-house, or the Borneo company’s premises, and although they all suffered losses from pilferers, yet they were comparatively trivial, when placed in comparison to that noble library, which was once the pride of Sarawak. I found, as I had expected, that the loss of worldly goods had had little effect on the ruler of the country, who was as cheerful and contented in his little comfortless cottage, as he had ever been in the government house. His health, which before was not strong, had been wonderfully improved by his great exertions to endeavour to restore the country to its former state, and I never saw him more full of bodily energy and mental vigour than during the two months I spent at Sarawak in 1857. Everybody took their tone from their leader, and there were no useless regrets over losses, and it was amusing to hear the congratulations of the Malay chiefs, “Ah, Mr. St. John, you were born under a fortunate star to leave Sarawak just before the evil days came upon us.” Then they would laughingly recount the personal incidents which had occurred to themselves, and tell with great amusement the shifts they were put to for want of every household necessary. There was a cheerfulness and a hope in the future which promised well for the country.