2 SREtCH OF SOUNEO. 



siderable rivers in Borneo, which are said io bc 

 more than a hundred in number. The Island 

 of Borneo^ though uncomtnonly rich in gold, 

 diauionds, campbor, and other valiiable produc- 

 tions^ and very fertile in the interior, yet 

 from the indolence of the inhabitants^ and the 

 want of politj in thé small states of the Coast, 

 is believed not to produce rice sufEcient for 

 lts own consomption^ and bas been compelled to 

 depend on Java. This however may, in a great 

 measure have proceeded from the general policy 

 adopted by the Dutch. 



The Coasis of Borneo are occupied by a num* 

 ber of petty Mahometan states, none of which 

 are of great antiquity. The original popuia- 

 tion of these is a mixture of Malays, Javanese, 

 Bugis and Macasars, but a small number of 

 Arabs, and a verj considerable number of Chi- 

 nese are always to be found in them., The inte- 

 rior of Bomeo is chieily occupied by the numer- 

 ous rude agricultural tribes of a people termed 

 JDaj/ak^ very few of whom have embraced the 

 Moslem religion. The religion of the Dayak 

 is little understood, though someof their us.ages 

 have attracted notice from their singularity. 

 In many places of the Island, ihe possessions of 

 the Dayak extend quite to the shore, as on a 



