BORNEO. 59 



anuch frequented by the Cbinefey who to this day feem to be the 

 greateft and moH conftant traders to Borneo of all the AJtatic 

 nations.- 



From Lat. 6° north, to Tangio SampanmangcO', the moft nor- 

 thern promontory of Borneo.^ in Lat. 7°, the coaft changes its na- 

 ture, being fkirted all the way with a lofty chain of mountains ; 

 and within are appearances of others of very uncertain extent; 

 that northern headland has another correfpondent, called Inoran- 

 tang^ facing likewife the north ; between both is the deep bay 

 -of Malbordooy penetrating far to the fouth ; opposite to the laft 

 headland is the fmall ifland of. Banguey^ lofty and mountanous, Island of 



Banguey. 



as if rent from it by fome violent convullions. 



A LITTLE to the weft of that ifland, in Lat. 7* id, is the iile IslandofBa. 

 Balambangan-, compofed of fand and fwamps, and famous for 

 the intention of the Bajl India company, in 1773, to form on it a 

 vaft emporium of the commodities of China, and of all this great 

 eaftern archipelago. We got the ceffion of this little fpot (then 

 uninhabited) from the king oiSoolo\ we took poffeffion of it at a 

 vaft expence, according to Raynal* it coft us yC-375)000. A com- 

 pany oiEuropean troops, and a number of Seapoys, were detained 

 for the protedtion of the fettlement ; and a colony of Ma lay es from 

 Bencoolen, and another of Chinefe, were induced to eftablifli them- 

 felves there. We could not have fixed on a more unwholefome 

 fituation ; the difeafes of the climate attacked both the military 

 and the colonifts, and very few furvived the fickly feafon, fo that 

 fcarcely one in ten outlived the monfoon : the Abbe Raynal 2SqvX.% 

 that we were attacked, andthe fadlory deftroyed, and inliauates it 



* Hift. vol. ii. p. 132. 



I 2 to 



