WCP3793

[1]

Sarawak—

18. Feb[ruar]^y 1855.

My dear Charlie¹

Thank you for your kind letter of the 12^th ins[tan]t²— I understand your feelings and they are so in accord with my own that I think you judge rightly— I am proud of you dear Charlie as my pupil and you know my friendship for you without [2] my expressing it— You are proud, and very justly, of your work at Lundu and without doubt your position there enables you to confer a great benefit on the people under your charge. That you should desire to enhance your work is quite right and quite just, and so far as you are concerned, there can be [3] no objection whatever to your returning after you have paid your visit to Scotland. We need not anticipate the feelings of your parents on your ^the point, but we may be quite sure they will be reasonable, and in accordance with your reasonable wishes. There is however another view on the subject and that is your own feelings [4] and views after you have been some time at home — You may find that the life which pleases you so much now, may under altered circumstances appear less attractive, and that other duties of equal importance may supersede those which now engage your attention— I desire therefore to keep you free from all engagements.— Judge and decide for [5] yourself after your return here, and believe me if your wishes lead you to return ^{come back to Sarawak}, you shall ever be welcome to share good, as you have heretofore shared, evil fortune & the other side of your wishes as your duty incline you to remain in Scotland[.] I shall postpone your ink report, but with the consciousness that you are acting [6] rightly—

I need not revert to your loss but you will cherish your brother[']s memory³, and do your best to supply his place — but the best life is but a troubled dream or a stormy conflict, and you have tasted its bitter portion early — And now I will say farewell for today.—

[7] 19^th You ask me whether I am well and happy — I answer — Yes! We passed a pleasant week at Santobong — riding and strolling five or six hours daily spite of the rainy weather— It did me a great deal of good mentally as well as bodily — and I can now say that I am more cheerful and more healthy than I have been for the last seven years— I am roaming about all day — [I] take great pleasure in my fowls — stay in the jungle and carry my gun to kill vermin — tikus⁴ especially— On Friday next I go to Seafar Cottage⁵ and on the following Thursday visit the Chinese [8] at Bow during their new year festivities— On the 1st March I shall launch the omnibus and about the 15^th get to Santobong where I shall pass a few days and where you may meet me— Afterwards I shall proceed to Satang and Sampudin island & look after the copper reported by the Sibyou Dyak named Si Nigi — son of Pa Niyanti if you have the guides— Then we will visit Lundu — than waterfall — the Pangara’s place — Samatan — Sira — Poé — and the small river towards Datu— I do not think Brooke⁶ or S^t John⁷ will be of the party but Low⁸, who [9] is shortly to pay us a visit will most likely accompany me and very probably Wallace who is at present somewhere between Santobong and Matang but unable to get to Lundu with his Chinese Sanpāng⁹— This will make a very pleasant trip of a fortnight or three weeks which we can prolong at pleasure— By that time the sea will be smooth and before it would not be pleasant for you to be knocking about in a small boat — heed however should you go out without me that you do not venture [10] in a very small boat and be careful about being well armed and ready for flight as well as for fright— You shall know more about the exact time of my starting as it approaches— We have decided (as nearly as we can decide without being acquainted with the views of the British government) that Brooke shall go home in October next— It is no use procrastinating longer and it will be agreeable for you both to proceed [in] company— Make all [11] the expenses I wrote you, closed Re copper — I enclose a copy of Crookshank’s¹⁰ memo — on the subject— The discovery would be of immense importance and besides the place mentioned it was said formerly to have been found by a Sambas man in a small river between Sisu and Telok Surbau — and Jawa, the Javanese man brought specimens of some sort per Satang— You might get information on these points— We have invited St John’s brother Jacques¹¹ to enter the service of Sarawak — and it is possible that Fox¹² [12] may do so likewise— Besides this I have written to Templer¹³ to choose two young gentlemen likely to suit us who we can educate and who coming out young would acquire the language and habits of the people— There was an excellent account from Sakarran a few days since and everything progresses famously. The weather has stopped all the trade along the coast but the people are stirring — I regret to hear of the state of poor little serang — the OK’s¹⁴ son — — Tell him how sorry I am but we shall all die soon and our Religion teaches us that we shall meet again with those we love— Will not this [13]¹⁵ hope turn the old man to the Christian faith? M^r Dodd¹⁶ still missing — This is the 4^th letter I have written you and which you will receive together[.] My kind regards to Gomes¹⁷ and

believe me | ever Your aff[ab]^le friend | J Brooke [signature]

[14] P.S. By the accounts you give of the O.K.’s son I should think the disease lay in the mesenteric glands and if this conjecture be correct after germination of the symptoms you might try the remedies for [15] that fatal disorder—