TO SEREKEI. 353 



tobacco. Williamson and the Mulana had a long 

 conversation respecting the political relations between 

 Kalekka and Bruni, which I but imperfectly under- 

 stood. 



After having remained about two hours, we took 

 our departure, the old gentleman himself accompanying 

 us to the ladder of his landing-place, which was intended 

 as a mark of his most distinguished consideration. On 

 descending to our boat, the ebbing tide having left 

 the mud quite dry, our senses were saluted with the 

 disagreeable stench which is prevalent also in Borneo ; 

 and which one would think must certainly render the 

 place unhealthy ; but such is not the case, the people 

 here and in Borneo enjoying as perfect health as those 

 of any other towns in the island. One thing which has 

 astonished me, in all the Malay towns I have visited, 

 is the larger number of children seen about them in 

 proportion to the number of houses ; this I find is easily 

 accounted for, by the custom of two or three families 

 living in the same habitation. 



In the evening we were waited on by Pafigeran 

 AUa-ed-din and Nakodah Serudin, the former nick- 

 named Paddy Graham, for what reason I cannot teD, 

 and the latter Bull-dog, from his short figure, large 

 head, and ferocious character. The Pangeran has been 

 sent, or professes to have been sent, by the Rajah 

 Muda Hassim to collect revenue. The latter left 

 Sarawak six months ago, with a large boat loaded 

 with the property of the Rajah Mudah, which he left 

 behind him, when conveyed by Sir E. Belcher to 



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