BORNEO BORNOU. 



ti31 



ture is made into a main spring, which will sometimes 

 flow up to the surface of the earth. This must, of 

 course, depend upon the level of its source, which, if 

 in a neighbouring hill, will frequently cause the 

 water to rise up and produce a continued fountain. 

 But if the altitude of the distant spring happens to be 

 below the surface of the ground where the boring 

 is effected, it sometimes happens that a well of consi- 

 derable capacity is obliged to be dug down to that 

 level, in order to form a reservoir, into which the 

 water may flow, and from whence it must be raised 

 by a pump ; while, in the former instance, a con- 

 tinued fountain may be obtained. Hence it will al- 

 ways be a matter of doubt, in level countries, whether 

 water can be procured which will flow near to or over 

 the surface : if this cannot be effected, the process of 

 boring will be of little or no advantage, except as an 

 experiment to ascertain the fact. In order to keep 

 the water pure and uncontaminated with mineral 

 springs, the hole is cased for a considerable depth 

 with a metallic pipe, about a quarter of an inch 

 smaller than the bore. This is generally made of 

 tin, (though sometimes of copper or lead), in conve- 

 nient lengths; and, as each length is let down, it is held 

 by a shoulder resting in a fork, while another length 

 is soldered to it ; by which means a continued pipe is 

 carried through the bore as far as may be found 

 necessary, to exclude land springs, and to prevent 

 loose earth or sand from falling in and choking the 

 aperture. 



BORNEO, next to New Holland, the largest island in 

 the world, is about 800 miles long and 600 broad, 

 with a population estimated at from 3,000,000 to 

 5,000,000. Lon. 109 to 118 E. ; lat. 7 N. to 4" 

 2ff S. It forms part of the great East Indian archi- 

 pelago. The interior has never been fully explored by 

 Europeans, and the insalubrity of its climate has often 

 prevented them from frequenting its shores. On this 

 account, the geography of Borneo is very imperfect. 

 The principal chain of mountains is called the Crystal 

 mountain, from the numerous crystals they contain. 

 The island is often devastated by volcanoes and earth- 

 quakes. The coast, for ten or twenty miles inland, 

 is marshy, and a considerable portion is a moving 

 bog. Though situated under the equator, the heat is 

 not excessive, being moderated by the sea and moun- 

 tain breezes, and by the rains, which are incessant 

 from November till May. Some of the rivers are 

 large. The principal are the Borneo, the Benjar- 

 inassing, and Passmir. Gold is found in large quan- 

 tities. Diamonds, which are found no where else but 

 in Hiudostan and Brazil, are confined to the south 

 and west coasts. The best are obtained from Lan- 

 dak. The miners are the aboriginal savages. The 

 petty prince of Maltan is said to be in possession of 

 one of the largest diamonds in the world. The other 

 minerals are iron, copper, and tin. Pearl and mother 

 of pearl are found on the north coast.* Rice, yams, 

 nnd betel, with all the fruit trees of India, excellent 

 ship-timber, groves of nutmeg and clove-trees, pep- 

 per, ginger, and cotton, are produced on the island. 

 The camphor differs from that of Japan, and is found 

 only in Sumatra and Borneo. Benzoin, a species of 

 resin, is produced in great abundance. 



Borneo produces the pongo, the largest of the 

 monkey tribe, which grows to the size of a man ; the 

 oran-outang, which bears the strongest resemblance 

 to the human species in look, manners, and gait ; 

 two species of wild buffalo, wild boars, elephants, and 

 tigers. The species of birds are innumerable, and 

 most of them different from those of Europe. The 

 salangane or swallow, which constructs edible nests, 

 is numerous. Wild bee? supply wax, which is ex- 

 ported in great quantity. The coasts are inhabited 

 by MaJuys, Javanese, Bugis, or natives of Celebes, 



and some descendants of Arabs, who are all subject 

 to despotic princes called sultans. Mohammedanism 

 is the prevailing religion. The prince and nobles 

 live in a style of barbarous pomp. Tne interior is 

 peopled by a race of Malay colonists, who have been 

 longer established on the island than those of the 

 coasts. They are called Biajoos or Viajas. The na- 

 tives are called Dejakkese or Idaan. They are fairer 

 than the Malays, tall, robust, and ferocious. They 

 extract some of the front teeth, and insert pieces cf 

 gold in their stead. Their bodies are painted, and 

 their only clothing is a girdle round the middle. 

 The Biajoos hang up the skulls of their enemies at 

 the doors of their huts. The Harafooras, a race of 

 the interior, differ from the Idaans in having darker 

 complexions and longer ears. Their dancing girls 

 are much admired by Europeans for their activity and 

 grace. The forests of the central region are occupied 

 by Papuans. Several European nations have at- 

 tempted to form settlements on the island. The 

 Dutch alone have succeeded in forming permanent 

 establishments. Their chief profits are derived from 

 pepper and diamonds. 



On the north-west part of the island, ten miles 

 from the sea, on a fine river, is situated the town of 

 Borneo. It contains 3000 houses, and is the seat of 

 a sultan who formerly reigned over the whole island. 

 The houses are often built on rafts, moored to the 

 shore, so as to rise and ^fall with the tide : the chief 

 communication is by means of boats. The inhabi- 

 tants carry on considerable trade with China: they 

 are said to be intelligent, and faithful to their con- 

 tracts, but, in other cases, prone to treachery, and 

 the crews of vessels trading here cannot be too much 

 on their guard against them. 



BORNHOLM ; an island belonging to Denmark, in 

 the Baltic sea, nearly surrounded with rocks ; Ion. 

 15 E.; lat. 55 10- N. ; population, 18,902. It is 

 about twenty-eight miles long, and eighteen broad. 

 Square miles, 21 8\ The soil is stony, but fertile, with 

 excellent pastures. Oats, butter, and fish constitute 

 the principal riches of the inhabitants. There are 

 mines of coal and quarries of marble in the island. 



BORNOU, a kingdom of Central Africa, lying be- 

 tween 15 and 10 N. lat., and 12 and 18 E.lon., 

 is bounded N. by Kanem and the Desert, E. by lake 

 Tchad, S. by Mandara, and W. by Soudan. The 

 first Europeans by whom it was visited, major Den- 

 ham and captain Clapperton, furnish us with the most 

 authentic information concerning this country, (Tra- 

 vels in Northern and Central Africa, in 1822, -23, and 

 -24 ; London, 1826). From March to July, the heat 

 is extreme, the thermometer rising to 107, and 

 rarely falling below 86 Fahr. : during this time, 

 scorching winds from the south prevail. As in other 

 tropical countries, the seasons are divided into the dry 

 and rainy : the latter continues from March to Octo- 

 ber, when the air becomes milder and fresher. The 

 country is populous, containing thirteen principal 

 towns. These are generally large and well built, 

 with walls forty feet high and about twenty feet thick. 

 The houses consist of several court-yards, with apart- 

 ments for slaves, habitations for the different wives, 

 and several turrets connected by terraces, forming the 

 apartments of the owner. The Shouaas are Arabians : 

 they are deceitful, arrogant, and cunning. A Shouaa 

 belle, arrayed for conquests, her hair streaming with 

 fat, a black rim of kohol round her eyes, sits jambe 

 de?d Jambe dela on her favourite bullock, who is 

 guided by a thong passed through the cartilage of his 

 nose. The Bornou people, or Kanowry, have Negro 

 features : they are peaceable and quiet, but cowardly, 

 and addicted to pilfering. The government, until 

 lately, has been an elective absolute monarchy, undei 

 a sultan. The sultanship is now but a name, the real 



