GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS ON THE ISLAND OF BORNEO. 3(>7 
them, when they refuse to submit to the exactions and the rapacity 
of these barbarous rulers. 
The coasts and a portion of the interior of this island are divided 
at present into states more or less independent, which are governed 
by Malay chiefs whose principal avocation is piracy, and who, as 
we shall see, oppress in the most inhuman manner, the inoffen¬ 
sive Dayak population established within the circuit of their do¬ 
minion. The trading ships of Europeans nations, like the coasting 
vessels of the people of India, dread the vicinity of the coast of many 
parts of this island, particularly the north and the cast, along which 
they are exposed to ail the perfidy of the chiefs, masters of the coast, 
and where they are in danger of falling into the power of the pira¬ 
tical vessels which infest the latitudes of the islands of Sulu and Ce¬ 
lebes : these freebooters are always certain of finding support and 
protection from the independent princes, who themselves often take 
an active part in these robberies. The interior, or rather the coun¬ 
tries in the centre of the island, have not yet been explored by in¬ 
telligent travellers, in whose relations full confidence can be re¬ 
posed ; for, as we shall afterwards see, exaggerated recitals are not 
wanting as well respecting the nature of the country as the character 
of the inhabitants; it has pleased the writers to represent the latter 
as hideous savages, eager for blood and carnage, and making it a duty 
to adorn their habitations with human trophies. These stories have 
been contradicted by the narratives of our countrymen who have pe¬ 
netrated into some parts of the country where the aborigines have 
never had any relations with Europeans. But Borneo occupies 
too large a surface for any European government whatever to suc¬ 
ceed in exploring all parts of the island in the course of a few years. 
Nevertheless we can say proudly and confidently that the Nether¬ 
lands Indian Government has already in this respect accomplished 
a beautiful and noble task. More recently it is taking effectual mea¬ 
sures to extend and consolidate its power in the interior, and cause 
its authority to be respected by the Malay princes who are subject 
to it, as well as by those over whom it exerts its influence through 
treaties and contracts which bind them to the European power. We 
