26 BRITISH BORNEO. 
where presides, and flies with pride the Union Jack, Her 
Majesty’s Consular Agent, Mr. or Inche MAHOMET, with his 
three wives and thirteen children. He is a native of Malacca 
and a clever, zealous, courteous and hospitable official, well 
versed in the political history of Brunai since the advent of 
Sir JAMES BROOKE. 
The British is the only Consulate now established at Bru- 
nai, but once the stars and stripes proudly waved over the Con- 
sulate of an unpaid American Consul. There was little scope 
at Brunai for a white man in pursuit of the fleeting dollar, 
and one day the Consulate was burnt to the ground, anda 
heavy claim for compensation forthis alleged act of incen- 
diarism was sent in to the Sultan. His Highness disputed 
the claim, and an American man-of-war was despatched to 
make enquiries on the spot. In the end, the compensation 
claimed was not enforced, and Mr. MOSEs, the Consul, was 
not subsequently, I think, appointed to any other diplomatic 
or consular post by the President of the Republic. A little 
further on are the palaces, shops and houses of the city 
of Brunai, all, with the exception of a few brick shops belong- 
ing to Chinamen, built over the water in a reach where the 
river broadens out, and a vessel can steam up the High Street 
and anchor abreast of the Royal Palace. When PIGAFETTA 
visited the port in 1521, he estimated the number of houses 
at 25,000, which, at the low average of six to a house, would 
give Brunaia population of 150,000 people, many of whom 
were Chinese, cultivating pepper gardens, traces of which can 
still be seen on the now deserted hills. Sir SPENCER ST. 
JOHN, formerly H. B. M. Consul-General in Borneo, and who 
put the population at 25,000 at the lowest in 1863, asserts 
that fifteen is a fair average to assign to a Brunai house, 
which would make the population in PIGAFETTA’S time 
375,000. From his enquiries he found that the highest num- 
ber was seventy, in the Sultan’s palace, and the lowest seven, 
ina fisherman’s small hut. PIGAFETTA, however, probably - 
alluded to families, 7ves I think is the word he makes use of, 
and more than one family is often found occupying a Brunai 
house. The present population perhaps dces not number 
