B O R 



two branches ; the fo'.uhemmoft of whicli (lows through the 

 country governed by Pangcrang (a term of dignity) Jofep, 

 who, in 177^, was advanced by the company, to be fnltan 

 of Safango and Pontiana, under the name of Sarief Abdulla 

 Rachmanii. Thefe two kin'^doms extend far into the coun- 

 try J and produce excellent gold, wax, birds-nclks, pearls, 

 fajo, diamonds, tui, and iron, which are bartered for pro- 

 vilioiis of all kinds and cotton cloth, but parlicularly rice 

 and fait. Heavy rains prevail here from November till 

 May ; and the thermometer is never lower than Hz^, nor 

 higher than 94°. 



I>andac lies on the northern arm of the river Pontiana, in 

 N. lat. o" 35'. The UutcU had a refideut here 150 years 

 :ic;o. After that period their pofTeflions were dtftroyed, 

 till the king ot Bantam, to whom Landac and Suceatana 

 had for many years belonged, made a grant, either voluntary 

 or by compulfion, to the company of all thefe lands in 1778. 

 From this time the Dutch have conlldered thefe lands as 

 their property, and the princes who govern them as their 

 vaffals ; they then built a fort at Pontiana, between Landac 

 and Suecatana, and appointed Pangerarig Saidja Nata, as 

 regent of the whole dillrift. The refidence of the prince of 

 Landac is fituated on the projciling point of a mountain, 

 to which there is an afeent by 118 Reps. Two rivers, 

 which are fo full of rocks that no veffels can be navigated 

 in them, flow on the right and left of this mountain ; and 

 the place is naturally impregnable. It is alfo well furn'fhed 

 with artillery. In this kingdom there are gold and diamond 

 Hiines of conlidcrable importance. 



Between Landac and Borneo, the mod northern kingdom 

 of the ifland, and from which, probably, the whole country 

 took its name, there are feveral fmaller kingdoms, not ytt 

 fufficiently known. Their regents are, in part, vaffals of 

 the lultan of Borneo. A fmall trade is carried on in thefe 

 dillrids with gold, diamonds, canes, wax, and other articles 

 of the like kind, which are given in exchange for the pro- 

 duftions of Java ; but the traffic is unimportant and pre- 

 carious, as the princes of this part of the country live by 

 piracy. 



Borneo is governed by a fultnn, who relides in this place, 

 where a confiderable trade is carried on with theproduil^lions 

 of the country, which are pearls, birds-nelfs, wax, Haves, 

 rice, and camphor. The camphor of this ifland is preferred 

 even to that of Sumatra. The camphor of Borneo and 

 Sumatra is produced by a tree with oval, (harp-pointed 

 leaves, and large tulip-like flowers. It is thus diftin- 

 guiihcd both from the camphor-tree of Japan, and from the 

 other ipecies of the laurel. An hundred weight of the 

 camphor of Borneo coils 3000, and one of that ot Sumatra 

 2C00 rix-doUars, but the Japanefe colts fcarcely 50. Of 

 the camphor of Borneo about 4375 pounds arc annually 

 exported. The articles imported are tin, cotton-cloth, and 

 all the produftions of Java, except rice, which is cultivated 

 here in great abundance. 



The fultan of Borneo lives in great Rate, and is more 

 feared by his fubjects than that of Banjcr ; but he is faid, 

 by thofe who frequent this part of the coall in fmall veifels 

 to exchange cotton-cloth for pepper, to be more conllant 

 in his friend(hip, and more faithful in fulfilling his engage- 

 ments. 



Between Borneo and Tidorliethe two fmall kingdoms of 

 Balangan and Baraoon, where birds-uells, wax, &c. are ex- 

 changed for Japanefe produflions, and a fort of coarfe 

 cotton-cloth. Next to t:ief' isDanuuar, and a little far- 

 ther are Sammunta, an-1 Cot tee. Between the two laft are 

 many villages, the names of which are not known. The 

 fame articles are exported and impoi led here as at Borneo. 



B O R 



The next place is Appar Karrang, and t<ic lad kingdom ia 

 Pallier. The articles of trade in this counti7 are gold, 

 birds-nefls, wax, and canes, which are exchanged for the 

 prodnftious of Java. The inhabitants of PalTicr are few in 

 number, and tliertfore>they have been unable to expel the 

 }5ugintfc, who have made themlclves mailers of the river, 

 and alfo of the trade. Lurlher fouth lies Simpanahati ; 

 and the whole country from this place to the extreme boun. 

 darics of .SaLitang belongs to the king of Banjtr-mafling, 

 who pr,fl"t.fres alfo tie great and fmall ifland Pulu-Lauts. 

 There appear to be no other kingdoms in the interior part 

 of Borneo ; or, at lcai(, they are not known. The inha- 

 bitants of the mouutaiiis bring the produftions of their 

 lands, and tluir dilfercnt articles ot niaiiufafture, to the 

 neareft part of the coall for i'ale. 



1 he moll productive diamond mines of Borneo arc at 

 Ambauwang, beyond Molncco, in the diflridi of J5anier-maf- 

 fing, and at l.,audac and I'ontiaiui. Beliiles thefe mines, 

 which he among the mountains, diamonds are alfo fearched 

 for on the banks of various rivers ; but they are fo fcarce 

 that ten or twelve porfons may dig and fearch fometimts 

 for a whole month before they find diamonds to the value 

 of 20 Spanifh rials. With regard to the gold mines, the 

 ignorance of the natives as to every thing relative to mining 

 is luch, that httle advaritage is derived irom them, thougk 

 they are fnppofed to be very rich. In Banjer-malling the 

 gold is found at the depth of about three fathoms; the 

 veins properly fo called are of a reddifli kind of marl. At 

 Landac the ore is found at the dejith of about ten feet, under 

 a crult relembling rotten wood. Of the animals of Borneo 

 the moll remarkable is the orang outang. 



The Biadjoos or Dajakkcfe, who are the native inhabit- 

 ants of this ifland, and principally occupy an extenfivc dif- 

 tricl in the interior part of the country on the weft fide of 

 the river Banjer, arc of large ilature, and well formed, and 

 their women, whom they never bring to the places of trade, 

 are faid to be fair and handfome. In their drefs they rc- 

 femble the Malays. The women, and even the wives of 

 their princes, are naked to the middle, and generally wear 

 round the body only a (hort gown. The men paint their 

 bodies with various kinds of figures. They come to Banjer 

 to fell their gold, canes, and rice, for which they receive in 

 exchange coarfe Chincfc porcelain, copper, and earthen 

 velfels or tanipayangs, on which are reprefented dragons, 

 fnakes, and other ligures fuited to their tafte. Before any 

 one of the Biadjoos can fucceed in obtaining a female for 

 his wife, he mull give proof of his courage by cutting off 

 the head of an enemy ; and when he is accepted by the 

 parents, he carries to his bride a prefeut, v.hich confiflb ot a 

 male or female flave, two dreffes, and a water-pot, on which 

 fomc of their favourite figures are exhibited. On ttie wed- 

 ding day, the, bride and bridegroom give each a feaft at their 

 refpetlive houfes ; at the conclullon of which, the bride- 

 groom, in his bed apparel, is conducted to the relidence of 

 the bride, at whole door is one of her relations, who fmears 

 him with the blood of a cock, which has been killed for 

 that purpofe ; and the bride is fmeared in like manner with 

 the blood of a hen. They then prefent to each other their 

 bloody hands, and the folemnity is clofed with a fecond en- 

 tertainment. If the wife die, the hufband cannot contraft 

 a fecond marriage until he has cut off the head of fome in- 

 dividual of another nation, and thus avenged the death of 

 his wife. When a married woman commits adultery, 

 the hufband, without avenging himlelf on the adulterer, 

 puts to death two or three of his flaves, and thus frees himfcif 

 from all ihame ; the woman is puniflied merely with words, but 

 fometiraes with blows, The Biadjoos arc unacquainted with 



polygamy. 



