METALS IN BORNEO. 19 



capital of the European. It is said still to be dug 

 and smelted by the Kyans, a people afterwards to be 

 described, who inhabit the interior of the island. Their 

 weapons, which, it is asserted, are manufactured from 

 the native iron, are of excellent quality and temper, 

 and are in general valued by the other tribes, who 

 form theirs of bar-iron brought from Europe. 



Tin has been recently discovered in the alluvial soil 

 in the country of the Suntah Dyaks, on the eastern 

 confines of the Sarawak territory: it is of that de- 

 scription called stream tin, which is so abundant in 

 Malacca, and the Malayan peninsula. By digging, a 

 vein of it will probably be found ; and it is likely to 

 be a valuable metal to the island, as the working of 

 it generally pays the European miner a greater profit 

 than gold. 



Nickel is found over the whole territory of Sarawak, 

 particularly in the tin and gold districts : in the for- 

 mer it is very abundant combined with iron and 

 cobalt : it has not yet been worked. 



Quicksilver is known to exist in several parts of the 

 island, but has not yet been obtained in sufficient 

 quantities to render it an article of exportation ; it is, 

 perhaps, common in the unexplored Kyan countries up 

 the Rejang and Bintulu rivers, as a weapon which I 

 received from them has its sheath ornamented with it. 



Of the precious metals, gold is abundant ; silver 

 being unknown in the East in these latitudes, though 

 it abounds in China and Japan. The gold is found in 

 three situations; in crevices of limestone rocks, in 



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