BORNEO 271 



400,000 inhabitants, and is divided into two chief ])ru- 

 vinces— Poutiauak and Montrado (Menteradu). Of the 

 sixteen Government stations, all except one (Sukadana) 

 lie on or to the north of the Kapuas. The Residency of 

 Sonth and East Borneo has Banjarmasin for its capital. 

 There are seventeen government stations, and the popula- 

 tion is estimated at over 600,000. This division con- 

 tains both the wildest and the most settled districts, the 

 country round Amuntai and Negara being as populous 

 and cultivated as many parts of Java, while the far in- 

 terior, except on the rivers, remains still impenetraljle, 

 or at least unpenetrated. Xorth of the Koti River even 

 the coast is little known, though of late the boundary 

 difficulty with the North Borneo Company has resulted 

 in the frequent presence of gunboats, and a Controleur 

 has been for some time stationed at the mouth of the 

 Kay an or Bulangan Eiver. The system of government 

 by the Dutch in Borneo is very much that adopted by 

 them in Sumatra. Unable yet to control any but a 

 small portion of the vast mass of the population nomin- 

 ally under their rule, they are content to await their 

 opportunity, permitting time slowly but surely to 

 accomplish for them what would be less effectually 

 gained by haste and force. Wherever feasible, an 

 Assistant Piesident is appointed to the capital of the chief 

 native prince, to act conjointly with him ; but in every 

 case the orders are given to subordinates, and the general 

 system of government is carried out by the native ruler. 

 In many instances the official is supported by a small 

 garrison, and in some places, uotai)ly in West Borneo, 

 where the Chinese element prevails, and even now occa- 

 sionally gives trouble, there are a good number of troops. 

 The city of Pontianak, though not by any means the 

 largest in the island, is sufficiently important from its 



