MISCELLANEOUS NOTICES &.C, Xvil 
Ilian any of the other races on Borneo. They possess very ample 
and complicated hadats. The national character leaves much to he 
wished for, as respects honorableness and. honesty, although, on the 
other hand, their unanimity and national pride are not unaccompanied 
by courage and spirit for great undertakings. Because the ruling pow- 
er has yet placed itself little in contact with them, we miss amongst 
them sufficient respect for and obedience to the behests 01 the go¬ 
vernment, The country is beautiful, at some points delightful, ami 
therefore healthy and peculiarly adapted for cultivation. Along tne 
slopes of the mountains are situated their fruitful sawas. At pre¬ 
sent rice cultivation in ladangs, the working of gold mines, and trade, 
are the principal means of the subsistence of the inhabitants. 
The whole river and its principal branches were traversed by Dr. 
Schwaner in the space of about a month. He every where received 
a friendly and distinguished reception. Without exaction they fur¬ 
nished him with the assistance which his undertaking obliged him to 
require, and answers were willingly given by the chiefs to his ques¬ 
tions respecting the people and their hadats. 
He further undertook a land journey to the Kapuas river, which 
had formerly been visited by him, in order to measure the distance 
between the two rivers, and to become acquainted with their moun¬ 
tain watershed. This journey has furnished the desired results. He 
has allowed no opportunity to pass of bringing under the notice of 
the people his relation to government, and as much as was reasona¬ 
ble, of communicating to the chiefs the plans which perhaps will be 
speedily brought into execution, ft is very generally wished there 
that the government may bestow a greater attention on these dis¬ 
tricts, and that it would immediately appoint an officer for the ad¬ 
ministration. The Tomonggong Tundan, head cnief oi the race os 
Ot’Danom (Ot=the Malayan hulu, and Danom=to sunggi, thus, 
the chief of the source of the river) and also the richest Dyak on the 
whole island, from whose dwelling at Bokon Batu Sule, Dr. Schwa¬ 
ner sent his last accounts to the government on the 12th. December 
last, has communicated his wishes and requests in writing to his Ex¬ 
cellency, the Minister of State, Governor General, 
s 2 
