ORANG SAGHAI. 417 



they thought it advisable to establish a friendly under- 

 standing with their visitors. Accordingly, an old Arab, 

 the Sultan's vizier, or prime minister, came off and 

 civilly enquired our pleasure. On being informed of the 

 nature of our errand, he returned to apprize his Highness, 

 and to prepare a rough salute in honour of the British 

 flag, which latter was performed in a respectable manner, 

 and returned by us in somewhat better style ; in short, 

 in such a way as to constrain the natives to behave very 

 civilly while we remained before the city. The officers 

 accompanied the Captain upon a visit to the Sultan, in 

 state, who consented to deliver up the Lascars then in his 

 possession, without demanding ransom. As many of these 

 unfortunates were distributed throughout the country, 

 some at a considerable distance from Bulungan, we were 

 necessitated to wait in the river more than a week before 

 the entire number could be collected, which afforded us 

 an opportunity of seeing something of the neighbourhood. 

 In the town I noticed the Phoenix farinifera and in the 

 jungle around Caryota urens, Borassus caudata, Bam- 

 bos verticillata, Pandanus Icevis, a species of Calamus, 

 and various plants altogether new to me ; offering a rich 

 harvest for an enterprising collector, and a rare intellec- 

 tual treat to the Botanist. 



During our stay at Bulungan, we had numerous oppor- 

 tunities of observing the " Orang Saghai," or wild men of 

 Borneo, who came from the mountains in great numbers, 

 probably to offer their services to the Malays, in case of 

 any warlike operations ensuing with the English. On 

 our proceeding up the river, long before the town came 

 into view, isolated canoes betrayed its vicinity. As we 



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