It is as well that I should publish another letter, to show that Mr Gladstone bore me no ill-will on account of the vigorous way I had attacked him whilst defending the policy of my old chief. I had applied to Lord Granville to be sent out as Special Envoy to renew relations with the Republic of Mexico, and the following is his Lordship’s reply:— FOREIGN OFFICE, _May 28, 1883_. MY DEAR SIR SPENSER,—Many thanks for your note. I have availed myself of your offer, mentioning it to Gladstone, who highly approved (notwithstanding the hard blows you once dealt him), and I have submitted your name to the Queen, who, I feel sure, will sanction the step.—Yours sincerely, GRANVILLE. It is pleasant to place on record this generosity of feeling in one of our greatest statesmen, whose career has now been closed. CONTENTS PAGE PREFACE, xi CHAPTER I BROOKE’S ANCESTORS AND FAMILY—HIS EARLY LIFE—APPOINTED ENSIGN IN THE MADRAS NATIVE INFANTRY—CAMPAIGN IN BURMAH—IS WOUNDED AND LEAVES THE SERVICE—MAKES TWO VOYAGES TO CHINA—DEATH OF HIS FATHER—CRUISE IN THE YACHT ‘ROYALIST,’ 1 CHAPTER II EXPEDITION TO BORNEO—FIRST VISIT TO SARAWAK—VOYAGE TO CELEBES—SECOND VISIT TO SARAWAK—JOINS MUDA HASSIM’S ARMY—BROOKE’S ACCOUNT OF THE PROGRESS OF THE CIVIL WAR—IT IS ENDED UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF HIS ACTIVE INTERFERENCE—HE SAVES THE LIVES OF THE REBEL CHIEFS, 11 CHAPTER III THIRD VISIT TO SARAWAK—MAKOTA INTRIGUES AGAINST BROOKE—VISIT OF THE STEAMER ‘DIANA’—HE IS GRANTED THE GOVERNMENT OF SARAWAK—HIS PALACE—CAPTAIN KEPPEL OF H.M.S. ‘DIDO’ VISITS SARAWAK—EXPEDITION AGAINST THE SERIBAS PIRATES—VISIT OF SIR EDWARD BELCHER—RAJAH BROOKE’S INCREASED INFLUENCE—VISIT TO THE STRAITS SETTLEMENTS—IS WOUNDED IN SUMATRA—THE ‘DIDO’ RETURNS TO SARAWAK—FURTHER OPERATIONS—NEGOTIATIONS WITH BRITISH GOVERNMENT—CAPTAIN BETHUNE AND MR WISE ARRIVE IN SARAWAK, 43 CHAPTER IV SIR THOMAS COCHRANE IN BRUNEI—ATTACK ON SHERIF OSMAN—MUDA HASSIM IN POWER—LINGIRE’S ATTEMPT TO TAKE RAJAH BROOKE’S HEAD—MASSACRE OF MUDA HASSIM AND BUDRUDIN—THE ADMIRAL PROCEEDS TO BRUNEI—TREATY WITH BRUNEI—ACTION WITH PIRATE SQUADRON—RAJAH BROOKE IN ENGLAND—IS KNIGHTED ON HIS RETURN TO THE EAST—VISITS THE SULU ISLANDS—EXPEDITION AGAINST SERIBAS PIRATES, 71 CHAPTER V ATTACKS ON THE RAJAH’S POLICY—VISITS TO LABUAN, SINGAPORE AND PENANG—MISSION TO SIAM—THE RAJAH’S RETURN TO ENGLAND—DINNER TO HIM IN LONDON—HIS REMARKABLE SPEECH—LORD ABERDEEN’S GOVERNMENT APPOINTS A HOSTILE COMMISSION—THE RAJAH’S RETURN TO SARAWAK—COMMISSION AT SINGAPORE—ITS FINDINGS, 103 CHAPTER VI