138 
MR BURNS’ TRAVELS IN THE INTERIOR OF BORNEO PROPER. 
We have great satisfaction in presenting to our readers 
the first authentic account that has been given of the great¬ 
est aboriginal people of Borneo Proper—the Kay ans. Our 
readers are probably familiar with the name from its fre¬ 
quent occurrence in the works of Captains Keppel and 
Muudy and Mr Low, the last of whom has collected many 
more details respecting this people than are to be found in 
the previous notices by Mr Hunt, Mr Dalton, and others, 
which appeared in the Batavian Transactions and the Sin¬ 
gapore C/iromcle. All that we have hitherto known however 
has been from hearsay, no European having visited the 
country of the Kayans until last year, when Mr Burns 
formed the determination of ascertaining, by personal ob. 
servation, what its productions and capabilities were, and 
how far the character of the people invited or opposed 
intercourse with Europeans. Under the prevailing belief 
that Borneo Proper was subject to the Sultan of Bruni, Mr 
Burns repaired to that town, where he obtained the Sultan’s 
permission to ascend the rivers leading into the Kayan 
country. Mr Burns first ascended the Tatau river, the 
mouth of which is about 10 miles south-west of that of the 
Bintulu, This occupied seven days, and in the upper part 
Mr Burns found Kayans. Returning to the coast he next 
ascended the Balinian, which is about 10 miles further to 
the south-west. Having explored this river he entered the 
Bintulu. Fifty miles from its mouth he arrived at the first 
Kayan village, named f l aban, where the river bifurcates. 
Mr Burns first followed the northern branch to within a 
short distance of the Kayans of Baram, and then, returning 
to Tab an, proceeded up the other branch in an easterly 
direction for two days, when he reached its source, and 
next morning struck off through the jungle, still to the 
eastward. At night he found himself on the Balaga, a large 
tributary of the great river Rajarg. Two days more carried 
him to its confluence with the Rajang, where the large vil¬ 
lage of Balaga, the residence of the chief Lasa Kalan, is 
situated. Mr Burns ascended the Rajang above this village 
for two days, and afterwards proceeded down the river to 
the villages of Bungan, Longpela, Palaran and Langkoho, 
which last is the residence of the chief Akam Knipa. De¬ 
scending below the Great Rapids of the Rajang, lie arrived 
at the village of Tanjong, and finally, going up thePalawi, a 
