CHAPTER X

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THE KINGDOM OF BORNEO PROPER.

Its Nominal Extent--Its Government--The Sultan--The Viziers--The Shabandar--The inferior Officers--Their Influence--“The Abode of Peace”--Poverty-stricken Gentlemen--Possessions of the Nobles--The Country parcelled out among them--Distant Dependencies becoming independent--Oppression of the surrounding Districts--Divisions among the Nobles--Poverty of the Nobles--Population of Brunei--System of Plunder--Sale of Children--Handsome Brass Guns--Their Fate--No Justice--Crime nominally punished--No Possibility of Improvement--Anecdotes--System of Local Self-government--The Parishes--Their Names, and the Occupation of their Inhabitants--Fishing--Shell Heaps--Asylum--Treatment of a Slave Girl--Political Parties--Religious Schism--An attempted Explanation--Followers of each Party--Difference of Length of Fast Month--Visiting the Graves of Ancestors--A pretty Custom--Search after Excitement--Story Tellers--Conjurors--Their Arts--Practice of Abortion--The Egg-cooking Trick--The Sultan’s Palace--Its Inhabitants--His Wife and his Concubines--Their Treatment--Bold Lovers--Anecdote--Tragical Termination--The Women deceive their Lords--The Inverted Language--Education neglected--Sight of a Harim--Mutual Disappointment--Rajah’s pleasant Companions--Their Customs--Tenacious of Rank--Decay of Brunei--Exactions suffered by the Aborigines--The Kadayans--Tradition--Hill Men united--Commotion--Kadayans have great Influence--Lovely Country--Kadayans removed to Labuan--Short Description of that Colony--Excellent Position--Coal--Telegraphic Communication--Good Effect of our Colony--Trade Increasing--Pepper--Exports--Cotton--Fine Jungle--Method of Collecting the Camphor and the Gamboge in Siam--The Coal-fields--Revenue of the Sultan--Brunei Government no Power--Crime unpunished--A Bold Thief--Makota and the Fire--Nominal Punishments--Cutting off the Hand--The Fall of Ashes--Singing Fish--Curious Method of Catching Prawns--Tuba Fishing--Superstition--Money--Coinage of the Capital--Cloth--Iron--Gun-metal--Good Manufactures of Brass Ordnance--A 12-pounder--Similarity of Customs--The Sultan--The Heir to his Subjects--Makota and his Gold 244

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