1846.] BLACHONG. 125 



the fishery, including Baat, or Beche de Mer, Pearl 

 Oyster Shells, Pearls, Agal A gal, and possibly the 

 Uachong, which is composed of the minute fry of fish 

 and shrimps, immersed in a saline pickle until symptoms 

 of putrescense appear, when they are pounded together 

 with salt, into a paste something similar to Anchovy. 

 This is much esteemed by the Malays ; when made more 

 to the European palate, omitting the semi-putrescent 

 stage, as practised at Malacca, it becomes a very pala- 

 table, and a favourite article at the breakfast table, eaten 

 either with bread, or as sauce with fish. 



On the 19th of March, the ' Royalist' rejoined from 

 Singapore, bringing provisions, letters, &c. She had 

 called in at Sarawak, but as Mr. Brooke was in expecta- 

 tion of a visit from the ' Iris ', and his neighbours were 

 in rather a suspicious state, he was unable to join us. 

 Our survey of the Balambangan neighbourhood being 

 complete, preparations were made for carrying on the 

 examination of the northern coast of Borneo. The prin- 

 cipal station on the peninsular tongue off the southern 

 harbour of Balambangan, was determined to be in Lat. 

 7 12' 51" N. Long. 116 49' 8" E. Var. 37' 20" E. 

 Dip. __i 16'. 



As the shores of Borneo, between Balambangan and 

 our new territory of Labuan, have not hitherto been 

 closely examined or described, and it is highly probable 

 that naval operations, as well as mercantile speculations, 

 will carry some of our countrymen to the mouths of some 

 of the principal rivers, contained between these limits, I 

 trust that the minuteness which I shall now feel obliged 

 to pursue may not prove monotonous. 



