THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



161 



A MAP OE SARAWAK 



During these harangues Tama Aping 

 squatted by the pig. poking it in the ribs 

 from time to time to make sure of its 

 continued attention. 



I think Tama Aping Bulieng felt a 

 little sheepish at his share in the per- 

 formance, and I am sure that the Dayak 

 Pengulu, Lanting. had much doubt of the 

 value of the ceremony, but the Punan 

 chief took it all very seriously. 



At all events, all agreed, when the liver 

 was examined, that the omens were most 

 favorable, for two lines on the liver that 

 nearly joined clearly indicated that the 

 Punans and Dayaks would draw near to- 

 gether and might even intermarry in the 

 future. 



HOW THE: WHITE RAJAHS CAME TO 

 SARAWAK 



Such are the habits of thought and life 

 of this far-away people and such is Sara- 

 wak, the history of whose white rajahs 

 began in 1839. At that time the Dutch 

 occupied the southern portion of Borneo, 



while the northern part of the island was 

 nominally under the rule of the Sultan 

 of Brunei. 



Many years before, Brunei had been 

 one of the strongest kingdoms of the 

 Malayan archipelago. Its Sultans had 

 conquered a large part of Borneo as well 

 as several of the southern islands of the 

 Philippines, industry was encouraged, 

 and an extensive trade with China was 

 developed. But luxury and corruption 

 had done their work until there remained 

 only a degenerate Sultan, with a retinue 

 of licentious Malayan nobles, whose sole 

 occupation was to rob the people in order 

 to cater to the pleasures of their master. 



The Sultan's capital was, and remains 

 today, the town of Brunei, about 200 

 miles from the northern extremity of 

 Borneo. 



In the days of its glory, when the sur- 

 rounding hills were covered with pepper 

 gardens and wealthy merchants came an- 

 nually in fleets of junks laden with the 

 riches of China, the town may have 



