216 oiN THE tANGUAGES AND LlTERATUJlE 



Jdhi languages of Borneo ; nor on the Hamfora, or 

 the Papua languages of the eastern isles. The Sulu 

 tongue is a very mixed dialect, but is derived chiefly 

 from the Malayu, Jcwanese and Tdgala. Forrest, 

 however, is inclined to refer its peculiarities to the 

 Bisciya. The language of Melindenow, or Magin- 

 danoy which nearly coincides with the Lanun dialect^ 

 is also a compound of Malayu, Bugis and Tdgala, 

 with a certain proportion of the ancient Tarnata or 

 Molucca language, which seems to have been an ori- 

 ginal tongue. The Biaju language is reckoned ori- 

 ginal, but it has no written character. The Biajus 

 are of two races ; the one is settled on Borneo^ and 

 are a rude, but warlike and industrious nation, who 

 reckon themselves the original possessors of the island 

 of Borneo. The other is a species of sea-gypsies, or 

 itinerant fishermen, who live in small covered boats, 

 and enjoy a perpetual summer on the eastern ocean, 

 shifting to leeward, from island to island, with the 

 variations of the monsoon. In some of their customs, 

 this singular race resemble the natives of the Maldive 

 islands. The Maldivians annually launch a small 

 bark, loaded with perfumes, gums, flowers and odo- 

 riferous wood, and turn it adrift at the mercy of the 

 winds and waves, as an offering to the Spirit of the 

 winds; and sometimes similar offerings are made to 

 the spirit whom they term the King of the Sea. In 

 like manner the Biajus perform their offering to the 

 god of evil, launching a small bark, loaded with all 

 the sins and misfortunes of the nation, which are 

 imagined to fall on the unhappy crew that may be so 

 unlucky as first to meet with it. 



The Tirun or Tedong tribes live chiefly on the 

 north east coast of Borneo^ and are reckoned 

 a savage and piratical race, addicted to eating 



