together with a costly library, was burned.

It was a gloomy morning which succeeded the night of this catastrophe.
Though he did not doubt for a moment the ultimate suppression of the
rebellion, what ruin might not be wrought in the few days or weeks which
should elapse before that event! And where, now that he had been driven
from his capital, he should find a base of operations to which he might
gather the scattered native forces, was the perplexing question of the
hour,--when, joyful sight, he beheld a merchant steamer sailing up the
river! He hailed her, went on board, and with a sufficient force steamed
up to Sarawak. With his appearance the last vestige of hope for the
insurrection disappeared.

Meanwhile stirring events had taken place. At first the natives were
stunned. They were roused at dead of night, to find the Chinese in
possession of the town, their Rajah's house in flames, the Rajah
missing, while the rumor was that he had been killed. For a time they
wandered about listlessly, vacantly staring each other in the face, and
it seemed as though they were about to submit without a struggle. In the
midst of this gloom and uncertainty, up spoke a Malay trader, whose
veins, despite his peaceful occupation, were full of the old pirate
blood: "Are we going to submit to be governed by these Chinese, or are
we going to be faithful to our Rajah? I am no talker, but I will never
be governed by any but him, and to-night I commence war to the knife
with his enemies." This broke the spell. Both Malays and Dyaks, in city
and country alike, rose _en masse_, and after a severe fight, prolonged
till the reappearance of Mr. Brooke, drove the Chinese to the forests,
and pursued them with unrelenting fury. Many of the insurgents perished
by the sword. Many more wandered about till they died of starvation.
Some threw themselves down in their tracks, expiring from fatigue and