The haunts of the Sarebus and Sakarran pirates are included in the new
limits; and these once-dreaded freebooters have learned the habits of
honest industry. Indeed, during the days of the insurrection the state
found no more faithful or courageous defenders than they, although their
old corsair blood was visible in the relentless tenacity with which they
tracked the flying foe. Sir James Brooke, with increasing years, has
retired somewhat from the active care of the government, leaving the
conduct of affairs very much to his nephew, Captain Brooke, whom he has
designated as his heir and successor, and who is represented as being
also heir in a large degree to his uncle's principles, courage, and
sagacity.

Rajah Brooke sought persistently for many years to give perpetuity to
his life's work by placing Sarawak under British protection. He made
repeated offers to surrender to the Queen all right and title which he
had acquired, on any terms which would secure the welfare of the
natives. But these offers have been definitely rejected; the seeming
protection which Sarawak enjoyed through the position of its ruler as
Governor of Labuan has been withdrawn, and the little state left to work
out unaided its destiny. What shall be the final fate of this
interesting experiment, whether there shall arise successors to the
founder wise enough to maintain the government so bravely established,
or whether the infant state shall perish with the man who called it into
existence, and become only a memory, it is impossible to foretell; but,
living or dead, its annals will always be a noble monument to him whose
force of character and undaunted persistency created it.

* * * * *

The earlier portraits we have of Rajah Brooke depict him as a man of a