An Account of Borneo. 337 



have been in, (for thw obvious reason, that the sultaiin has 

 entirely the power of appointing the great othcers of stale, 

 and of course can ahvays influence the public councils,) 

 yet, however, each pangaran has the entire sway over his 

 particular dependents, whose cause they never fail to espouse 

 even where he may stand in opposition to the sovereign au- 

 thority. 



They have no particular laws against treason ; murder is 

 capitally punished, except in the case where the master kills 

 the slave ; polygamy prevails, as in all other Mahonmiedau 

 countries, but they seldom intermarry with foreigneis : the 

 original law in cases of adultery required the parties to be 

 instantly strangled; but for want of it being properlv en- 

 forced, and the difficulty there would be found in punistiing 

 such as have a number of adherents, people in power often 

 pass with impunity, whilst towards the middle or inferior 

 rank of people it is extended with the utmost rigour. Theft, 

 according to the degree of the crime, is punished with death, 

 or the loss of the right hand. I found in the course of my 

 transactions with them, they have as yet no institutions of 

 a commercial nature; which may be attributed to the want 

 of communication with other nations, the Chinese excepted, 

 who make presents to the head men in lieu of duties. Those 

 of that nation settled here, reap, without molestation, the 

 fruits of their industry ; but the casual traders suffer many 

 losses from there being no law which obliges the debtor to 

 discharge his debt, and the necessity they are under of com- 

 plying with cverv unreasonable request of those of any con- 

 sideration in the place. 



Having thus communicated what I know of the charac- 

 teristics and policy of the Bornevans, it will not be improper 

 to observe, that from the plenty and goodness of the tim- 

 bers found here, the Chinese have been induced to adopt 

 the scheme of building junks, and have found it by expe- 

 rience turn out to advantage, although necessitated to 

 bring the workmen and many of the materials from China. 

 One of the burthen of 7000 pcculs (580 tons) was built this 

 year on the following plan : two nouquedahs of junks, and 

 the captain of the Chinese residing liere, entered into a con- 

 tract, whereby the latter, on the one part, agreed to provide 

 the timber, and the former stipulated to bring the artificers 

 and iron-work from Amoy» The keel was laid in the be- 

 ginning of March, and she was launched the 28tli of May : 

 the entire cost and outfit amouutiiig, as I have been in- 

 iorined by tlic contracting parties, to no more than 8,500 



\'ol. 20. Ny. 80. Jan. 180*. Y Spanish 



