CilAlTER II 



BORNEO CM.INIATIC AND BIOLOGICAL CONDITIONS — NAT- 

 URAL RKSOL RCKS — POPILATION HISTORY C;OVERN- 



MENT OF THE NATIVES — RACIAL PROBLEMS 



Leavinc. Greenland out of consideration, Borneo 

 is the second largest island on the globe, the greater 

 part of it, southern and eastern, belonging to Holland. 

 In a recent geological period this island as well as Java 

 and Sumatra formed part of Asia. A glance at the map 

 shows that Borneo is drained by rivers which originate 

 in the central region near each other, the greater by far 

 being in Dutch territory, some of them navigable to large 

 steam launches for 500 or 6cxd kilometres. The princi- 

 pal chain of mountains runs, roughly speaking, from 

 northeast to southwest, the average height being perhaps 

 1,000-1,500 metres, with liighcr peaks now and then. 

 There are also ranges from east and west. Ihc remainder 

 is irregular hilly country, with low swampy coasts. The 

 highest mountain is Kinabalu, in the north, about 4,500 

 metres above the sea and composed of **porphyritic 

 granite and igneous rocks." There are no active vol- 

 canoes. The whole island is covered with forest vegeta- 

 tion from the coasts to the tops of the hills and ranges. 



The climate is humid and warm and remarkably even, 

 the thermometer in rlie inland rarely reaching above 

 85° F". in the shade. Rain is copious most of the year; 

 at night it sometimes rains continuously; but a day of 



14 



