82 
NORTH BORNEO. 
tastefully designed by the native goldsmiths; but as their art will soon be without support, 
it will die with the rest of the town. 
We anchored in the main street a short distance above the Sultan’s palace. The 
water-ways were continually being crossed by canoes of the lowest free-board, in fact their 
occupants seem to be continually in danger of being swamped. The canoes were paddled 
for the most part by the ugliest of old women, hidden under the largest of hats. In Brunei 
the unattractive women alone have freedom, those that are cursed with good looks being 
secluded in the harems of the numerous Pangerans, where, should they live to be 
unattractive to their lords, they will become the slaves of reigning favourites, or, perhaps, 
paddle a canoe under the shelter of an enormous hat in the water-ways of Brunei. The 
ladies of title seem, however, to hold a certain position whatever their personal appearance 
may be, and are to be seen being paddled about seated under a kajang placed A-shape in 
the centre of the canoe, to hide them from the vulgar gaze; but one glimpse beneath that 
“ kajang ” will satisfy the stranger, and banish all further curiosity—better, far better, that 
they should be covered. 
The most extraordinary of Brunei fashions are the ear-ornaments worn by the women ; 
they are about the size and shape of a champagne-cork, either of thin sheet gold fitted on 
a wooden foundation, or of gilt wood, often ornamented at the larger end with garnets and 
other precious stones; this ornament is inserted into the lobe of the ear, which requires to 
be slit open to fit these curious plugs. The hats worn by the women are the largest I have 
ever seen, round, and about three feet in diameter, made from the useful nipa palm ; at the 
market held towards sunset, when crowds of women in their canoes assemble for the purpose 
of buying and selling fish, the whole river seems as though covered with a moving mass of 
gigantic mushrooms. 
The Chinese shopkeepers have adapted themselves to this life on the water, and 
display their merchandise in shop-hoats, which are large roofed-in wherries open at one 
side. These boats are anchored in the market-place during the day and at night punted to 
the depot. 
Brunei was known first to the Portuguese in the beginning of the sixteenth century, 
and was visited by the survivors of the first circumnavigation expedition after their 
famous leader Magellan’s death in the Philippine Islands. In those days Brunei was 
indeed worthy of the name of the capital of Borneo, the wealth and pomp displayed by the 
Brunei Court being almost beyond belief to those who have contemplated its present 
state; but I must refer those who are anxious to learn of the glories of ancient Brunei to 
Crawford’s ‘ Descriptive Dictionary of the Indian Islands,’ where an account will be found, 
translated from the travels of an enterprising Italian who visited that Court in the 
year 1521. 
We remained at anchor in the High Street of Brunei until the following morning, 
when we returned to Labuan, after a most enjoyable and interesting trip to the ancient 
capital of Borneo. 
After packing off my collections, it w 7 as my intention to spend a few months in the 
western extremity of Palawan; but the Sulus who inhabit that portion of the island are 
