1830年,在詹姆士揚帆前往中國時,他發現了馬來群島,此時的歐洲人並未來到這裡。在他的父親還未離世之前的1835年,詹姆士回到英國並在芬德利進行了一次失敗的貿易之旅[10]。由於受到他父親生前服務的公司東印度公司和斯坦福·萊佛士的冒險旅途及故事啟發,詹姆士用他的生父留給他的3萬英鎊購買了一艘多桅縱帆船,詹姆士為它取名為「保皇號」。在1838年10月27日正式揚帆前往遠東之前的1836年,他招募了幾位船員,並在地中海上訓練他們。1839年7月,詹姆士來到了新加坡地區。在那裡,他遇到了文萊蘇丹奧馬爾·阿里·塞夫丁二世(英語:Omar Ali Saifuddin II)(Omar Ali Saifuddin II)的叔叔彭堅然·拉惹·穆達·哈欣(Pengeran Raja Muda Hashim),並在哈欣的幫助下找到了一名遇難的英國水手。
詹姆士原本計劃航行至婆羅洲西北部的馬魯杜灣(Marudu Bay),但是英國駐新加坡總督要求他到婆羅洲西南部去為他們感謝哈欣。接下來的一個月,詹姆士到達了目的地婆羅洲西南部,並在1839年8月14日將他的帆船停泊在砂拉越河畔,會見到了哈欣,並傳達了謝意。哈欣告訴他,他來這裡是為了控制因皇室近親彭堅然·印德拉·馬哥達(Pengiran Indera Mahkota)所頒布的壓迫政策而反叛的民眾。馬哥達早前被蘇丹派去壟斷該地區的銻,但這直接影響了當地馬來人的收入。土著達雅族和比達友人被壓迫得更甚,他們往往在礦山中被迫工作十餘年。據稱,文萊的叛亂得到了鄰國桑巴斯王朝(英語:Sultanate of Sambas)和荷屬東印度政府的幫助,他們希望能得到開採銻礦的經濟利益。儘管哈欣盡力阻止這場叛亂,卻都無濟於事,這導致了哈欣向詹姆士求助。
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