1845.] FRIENDLY DISPOSITION OF THE SAGAIS. 233 



from Celebes and the Kotai river, by the Bugis traders 

 who obtain the Sagai gold, said to be the purest in 

 Borneo, in exchange. I observed that they pronounce 

 the name of the Coti river as Kotai, and causing the 

 Tuan Hadji, a well educated man, to write it, he articu- 

 lated it clearly, Ko-tai. 



All the available lands, which are very extensive below 

 Bulungan, are under cultivation, but as the surrounding 

 Sagais are frequently distressed, it bears out their assertion 

 as to the immense population of this region. Wishing to 

 test their disposition towards us, at the moment that we 

 advanced on the town, I enquired of my Sagai friend " how 

 would you have acted had our boats opened fire," he replied, 

 very naively, " then, I would have resisted you, now, I know 

 you, and your power, I perceive that it would have been 

 very foolish. And now we know what the English are, 

 none of my people will ever fight against them." This 

 was followed by locking my forefinger energetically with 

 his, and holding it up to illustrate the league of friend- 

 ship. It is not to be imagined that this scene occurred 

 with a ferocious looking, heavy built, savage, " or wild 

 man of the mountains," as the Idaan race are termed ; 

 the actor in this ceremony was a light but strongly knit, 

 beautifully modelled individual, about five feet seven in 

 height, rather silent, with a mild speaking eye, exciting 

 our admiration and good feelings more by his quiet win- 

 ning demeanour and cordial pressure of the hand, than 

 by any declaration of attachment. We could only con- 

 verse with him, first through a Malay interpreter, and then 

 through Tuan Hadji in the Sagai tongue ; still his eye 

 might be detected following every word and gesture, and 



