64 BRITISH BORNEO. 
A lady friend of mine, who found a difficulty in acquiring 
Malay, pronounced zanti dahulu, or nanti dulu as generally 
spoken, ‘‘nanty doodle,’ and suggested that “the nanty 
doodles’ could be a good name for “ the Brunai Malays.” 
As writing is a somewhat rare accomplishment, state docu- 
ments are not signed but sealed—“‘ chopped ”’ it is called—and 
much importance is accordingly attached to the official seals or 
chops, which are large circular metal stamps, and the chof is 
affixed by oiling the stamps, blacking it over the flame ofa 
candle and pressing it on the document to be sealed. The 
chop bears, in Arabic characters, the name, style and title of 
the Official using it. The Sultan’s Chop is the Great Seal of 
State and is distinguished by being the only one of which 
the circumference can be quite round and unbroken; the 
edges of those of the Wazirs are always notched. 
By the aboriginal tribes of Borneo, the Brunai people are 
always spoken of as Orang Adbaz, or Abai men, but though I 
have often enquired both of the aborigines and of the Brunais 
themselves, I have not been able to obtain any explanation of 
the term, nor of its derivation. 
As already stated, the religion of the Brunais is Mahome- 
danism; but they do not observe its precepts and forms with 
any very great strictness, nor are they proselytisers, so that 
comparatively few of the surrounding pagans have embraced 
the religion of their conquerors. 
Many of their old superstitions still influence them, as, in 
the early days of Christianity, the belief in the old heathen 
gods and goddesses were found underlying the superstructure © 
of the new faith and tinging its ritual and forms of worship. 
There still flourishes andsurvives, influencing to the present day 
the life of the Brunais, the old Spirit worship and a real belief 
in the power of evil spirits (Zaztus) to cause ill-luck, sickness 
and death, to counteract which spells, charms and prayers are 
made use of, together with propitiatory offerings. Most of 
them wear some charm to ward off sickness, and others to 
shield them from death in battle. If you are travelling in 
the jungle and desire to quench your thirst at a brook, your 
Brunai follower will first lay his pavany, or cutlass in the bed 
