en. iv.] The Kadyans. 67 



one travels in such a lovely island, however, as Borneo 

 undoubtedly is, it is extremely difficult to believe half 

 the tales told of the native tribes, and altogether the 

 proportionate number of robberies and murders is not 

 more than takes place in the most enlightened centre of 

 civilisation in the world. The total population of the 

 island is supposed to be from 3,000,000 to 4,000,000, 

 and when we consider that all these un christianised 

 natives (excepting those in Sarawak and the Dutch ter- 

 ritory) live together with no law — -nothing in fact but 

 their own sense of right and wrong, and public opinion 

 to keep them in order — the wonder is that, even according 

 to our own standard, crime is so seldom heard of. 



The Kadyans are a tribe of peaceable and well-disposed 

 aboriginals, who, living along the coast near to the 

 capital, have mixed a good deal with the Malays and 

 speak their language. It is not uncommon, however, to 

 find the older and more intelligent men of this tribe well 

 acquainted with several dialects of the interior, such as 

 Murut, Dusun, and the Brunei dialect, used by the 

 common natives of the capital. They are mostly Maho- 

 medans, and so are more respected by their Malay rulers 

 than are other of the aboriginals. They form thrifty 

 little colonies on most of the rivers near Brunei, and 

 many have settled in Labuan, where they cultivate their 

 rice fields, and occasionally bring fruit or fish to the 

 markets. They are for the most part a clean and healthy 

 race, and form a great contrast with their neighbours who 

 live in a more irregular manner, and are often troubled 

 with skin diseases, this being in a measure owing to 

 the want of cleanliness and of a regular diet. There 

 cannot be any doubt but that Islam is a great blessing to 

 many Eastern races, especially so far as cleanliness and 

 temperance are concerned. 



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