viii Preface. 



modern Eden, primitive in habits and numerically in- 

 significant ; he has scarcely begun his battle with things 

 inanimate, or his struggle for existence as it is known 

 to us. At home we have man as in some sort the master 

 of Nature, but in the Bornean forests Nature still 

 reigns supreme. Here with us man wrests his suste- 

 nance from her — there she is lavish in the bestowal of 

 gifts unsought. 



The immediate future of an island larger in area than 

 Great Britain cannot fail to be of interest to political 

 thinkers, especially to those who belong to the " scientific 

 frontier" school. Malay Government is weaker now 

 than it was even at the time Sir James Brooke received 

 Sarawak, and the aid of our own Government is now 

 being sought in favour of the cession of the whole of 

 Northern Borneo — from Gaya Bay to Sabuco — to a 

 public company ! Unaided by England, Borneo seems 

 likely to suffer in two ways — either to be annexed by 

 the Government of Manilla, or else to fall into the 

 hands of the promoters of public companies. The Sulu 

 Archipelago has already thus lost its independence; 

 and the question which now suggests itself is, What 

 will England do with her foster -colony, Borneo the 

 Beautiful ? 



Borneo offers to the student of nature an ever-interesting 

 field for research and study. The local government is 

 very peculiar and interesting. Every village of any 

 pretensions has its " Orang Kaya," or head man, and his 

 house is at the service of the passing stranger. In any 



