614 NOTICES OF THE CHINESE INTERCOURSE WITH BORNEO. 
seen a dock close to the town, in which a China junk of 500 tons 
had lately been built, worth 2500 teals, 8000 in China. Could 
these junks come readily at our woollens, they would distribute im¬ 
mense quantities through the northern parts of China. 
“ Here are many Chinese settled, who have pepper gardens. They 
do not let the vine, which bears the pepper, twist round a chinkareen 
tree, as is the custom on Sumatra; but drive a pole, or rather a stout 
post, into the ground, so that the vine is not robbed of its nourish¬ 
ment. The Chinese keep the ground very clean between the rows 
of vine ; and I have seen them pull off the vine leaves; saying, they 
did it that the pepper corn might have more sun. I have here count¬ 
ed seventy, sometimes seventy-five, corns of pepper on one stalk ; 
which is more than the stalks produce on Sumatra; and I am apt to 
think the chinkareens on Sumatra are hurtful, as they not only rob 
the ground, but take up much of the planter’s time in trimming the 
luxuriant branches, that these may not oversliade the vine. On Su¬ 
matra, the country is full of wood, as here on Borneo ; so were our 
planters there to adopt the Bornean method, they never could find 
a scarcity of posts ; which, if made of what is called iron wood, will 
remain in the ground many years without rotting. 
« The Chinese here are very active and industrious. They bring all 
kinds of the manufactures of China, and keep shops on board their 
junks, as well as ashore; hut the Borneans do their best to preclude 
them from dealing with the Maroots, reserving the trade for them¬ 
selves. I do not find that the Maroots grow pepper. The Chi ¬ 
nese alone plant it. It is all sent to China. We found it dearer 
than at Passir, where it was ten dollars a picul: here it is fourteen and 
fifteen. I am surprised they do not encourage the Maroots to plant 
this commodity. This was Mr. Dairymple’s idea in his plan concern¬ 
ing Balambangan. 
“ It gives an European pleasure to see the regularity and cleanliness 
on hoard the Chinese vessels. To the latter much contributes their 
not using tar. Their tanks for water are sweet and convenient. They 
have the art of putting a mixture of lime and oil into their seams on 
the deck, &c. which hardens and keeps them tight. This is much 
cleaner than pitch ; but, if the deck worked at sea, I apprehend this 
calking would break, and the junk prove leaky. Their cook rooms 
are remarkably neat. The crew all eat off china ; and in a harbour 
every one is employed without noise about his own business.” * 
* Voyage to New Guinea p. 381. 
