206 DE CRESPIGNY ON BORNEO. [Nov. 10, 1856. 



He was of opinion that the character of both Malays and Dyaks had 

 not been fairly reported upon. He knew ihem to be hospitable 

 and honest, and did not think the Malays had a fault. The Dyaks 

 certainly were addicted to taking heads, but upon the whole they 

 were an inoffensive race, and he felt confident that he would be 

 well received by them. 



With regard to the means, he proposed that the Society should 

 use their influence with the Admiralty, to have him placed upon full 

 pay on the books of one of the guard-ships in this country, to pro- 

 vide him and his servant a passage to Labuan, and to lend him a 

 few instruments and a small medicine-chest from their stores, and 

 provide him with one or two other necessaries. Should this appli- 

 cation fail, it would make no difference in his resolution, but it was 

 absolutely necessary that he should be found a passage to Labuan. 



He then pointed out the curious fact, that the north-west coast, 

 which has been visited by so many of our ships, and which is the most 

 important part of the country, is not known beyond a hundred j^ards 

 in the jungle, with the exception of a few places, three of which, viz., 

 Eejang, Bruni, and Tampanak, he had seen.* 



The President said, when they considered the vast extent of country pro- 

 posed to be traversed, no less than 600 miles in length and ten or eleven 

 degrees of longitude in breadth, the nature of the climate and the reputed 

 character of the natives — considering, too, that Lieutenant DeCrespigny desired 

 no assistance, no companions, that he intended to travel alone — he could not 

 but admire his courage and enterprise. There was, besides, a further inde- 

 pendence about this undertaking : the Lieutenant sought no aid from the 

 Government or from that Society, or any Society, beyond that which the 

 Admiralty might reasonably grant, which was, his full pay and a free passage 

 to the site of his proposed adventures. When he looked at the vast extent of 

 the route which he proposed to traverse, the opening out of a coimtry said to 

 abound in minerals and other valuable productions, and promising to be of 

 great commercial importance, he could only hope that the project might be suc- 

 cessfully earned out ; that the Admiralty would listen to the proposal, and that 

 the Society might have the happiness and advantage of reading in this room 

 the relation of the successful performances of his enterprising and gallant friend. 



Mr. John Crawfurd, f.r.g.s., trusted that Lieutenant De Crespigny would 

 have the support of that Society — he thoroughly deserved it ; and that the 

 Society would strongly recommend his case to the patronage of the Govern- 

 ment. Previously to Mr. Wallace, whose journey had just been described to the 

 Soc^'ety, two travellers had already gone in among them, one from the north- 

 west side, and the other from the south side — Mr. Dalton and Mr. Burns, a 

 grandson of the poet. Borneo was nearly five times the extent of Great 

 Britain, and nine times the extent of Ireland. It was inhabited by a rude 

 people. There were upwards of 100 different tribes at the least ; he had him- 

 self counted upwards of 50 ; and every one of these had a totally distinct and 

 separate language. In fact in this respect, as well as in some others, Borneo 

 far more resembled a huge block cut out of tropical America or tropical Africa, 

 than any other country in the world. Now, as to its productions. It was not 



♦ See preceding paper by Mr. ■Wallace. — Ed. 



