138 



AUSTEALASIA. 



Scale 1 : 85,000. 



Dayaks, and towards the middle of the present century had even constituted them- 

 selves in independent republics. In these kongsi, or brotherhoods, the " elder 

 brothers " and the " younger " co-operated together, and pauperism was unknown. 



Animated by a common 

 Fig. 51.— Banjeemassin. spirit of solidarity, they 



defended themselves 

 with the greatest cou- 

 rage, and expeditions of 

 several thousand men 

 were required to enforce 

 submission to the Dutch 

 rule. As in most other 

 Chinese settlements, the 

 staple trade of Sambas 

 and Montrado is of 

 opium. 



Siikadana, situated 

 on a lateral branch of 

 the Kapuas delta, was 

 formerly capital of one 

 of the largest states in 

 Borneo ; now it is a 

 mere village facing: the 

 picturesque Karhnata 

 archipelago. These 

 islands were at one time 

 densely peopled, but are 

 now almost uninhabited. 

 The culminating peak of 

 the chief island has an 

 altitude of 3,310 feet. 



Between the Kapuas 

 and Barito deltas every 

 estuary has its market, 

 every petty state its 

 capital, where a Dutch 

 official is now seated by 

 the side of the descend- 

 ant of the old sovereigns. 

 But the coast population 

 is so scanty that none of these places are now anything more than humble villages. 

 Yet the upper valley of the Kahajan abounds in gold dust, which is collected by the 

 Dayaks, who have hitherto prevented the Chinese from penetrating to their territory. 

 Farther east the chief emporium is Banjermassin, or simply Banjer, capital of 



il4°M°50 



I P4° S5 East oF Gree ^ wicH 



, 3.300 Yards. 



