— 108 — 



The Tung Hsi Yang K'au (1618). Book IV. fol. 20 adds to tliis : 



The w omen in this country come in small sampans to the ships in order to 

 sell articles of food , but the trade is carried on by the men. In their trade 

 they use coins of lead. 



ïhe western coast of Borneo lias been known to the Chinese under the name of 

 Pn-ni ( x ), a name of which we have not been able to find out the origin. It seems to 

 have been visited earlier than the north-coast and the voyage to it was made via Java. 



Pu-ni, or the West-Ooast of Borneo. 



History of the Sung-dynasty (960—1279). Book 489. 



This country is situated in the south-western sea; its distance from 

 Java is 45 days, from San-bo-tsai (Palembang) 40 days and from Champa 

 30 days, in all cases taking the wind to be fair. 



There is a town of which the walls are made of boards, and in this 

 town live more than 10,000 souls; it rules over fourteen different places. The 

 house in which the king lives is coverecl with palm-leaves and the cottages 

 of the people are covered with grass. 



Those who are about the king are Iris ministers. The king sits on a 

 couch made of cords, and when he goes out he sits on a large piece of cloth 

 (a hammock) and is carried by a number of men. When they fight they 

 carry swords and wear armour; this armour is of cast copper and resembles 

 in shape a large tube , which they put over their body to protect their front 

 and their back. ■ 



In this country there is no barley , but they have hemp and rice ; they 

 have also goats , fowls and fish. There are np silkworms and they use cotton ( 2 ) 

 instead, of which they weave cloth. They drink wine made of the cocoanut- 

 tree. For their marriage-presents they first send this cocoa-tree wine, then 

 they send areca-nuts and next a finger-ring; at last they send some cotton- 

 cloth or weigh out some gold or silver, by which the ceremonies are concluded. 



Por the dead they use also coffins and make a kind of carriage, on 

 which they bring the body to the wilderness and exposé it there ; in the second 

 month, when they begin their agricultural labours, they sacrifice to the de- 

 ceased and do this for seven years, after which time they cease to do so. 



' > pi ^k * 



