Sir Henry Keppel’s narrative of the H.M.S. Dido’s operations in Borneo during the 1840s documents one of the Royal Navy’s most celebrated anti-piracy campaigns in Southeast Asia. Working alongside James Brooke, the future Rajah of Sarawak, Keppel led British forces against Dyak and Illanun pirates, establishing British influence across the region.
Written with the directness of a serving naval officer, the account combines adventure, ethnographic observation, and imperial strategy. It remains an important primary source for the history of British naval power and the early stages of British engagement in Borneo. Download the free EPUB for this vivid record of Victorian seafaring and empire.