CHAPTER XIV

.

THE MISSIONS: ROMAN CATHOLIC AND PROTESTANT.

Arrival of the Roman Catholic Mission in Labuan--Signor Cuarteron its Head--Curious Reports--His real History--Finding the Treasure--Turns Priest--Ostensible Object of the Mission--Not attempted--Ease with which Captives could escape--No Inclination to do so--Turned Mahomedans--Return of Signor Cuarteron--Courtesy of the Brunei Government--Intentions of the Italian Priest--Model Village--The Italian Priests--The Churches--Old Battery--Regret at the Withdrawal of the Roman Catholic Mission--Protestant Mission at Sarawak--Present Condition--Comparative Failure--Partial Success at Lingga and Lundu--Mr. Chalmers and the Land Dayaks--Causes of his Influence--Mistake in establishing the Mission at Kuching--The Reasons--Objectionable Position for Schools--Proper Position for the Mission--Suitable Spots--Waste of Funds in Boats and Plantations--Deplorable Secession of Missionaries--Reasons to account for it--Present Management faulty--Mr. Gomez in Lundu--Christian Dayaks warn the Government--Missionaries always welcome in Sarawak--Important political effect--The Church should be among the Dayaks--Suitable Men for Missionaries--What the Head of a Mission should be--What he too often is, and should not be--Five Recommendations to increase Efficiency--Unoccupied Room for a great Increase of the Number of Missionaries--Method of distributing them--Personal Character--Dayaks an interesting Race--A Tribe half Mahomedans half Pagans--Use of eating Pork--Districts unoccupied--Position of the Missionary in Sarawak--The Bornean Mission an important one 365

APPENDICES.

APPENDIX A.--Dayak Languages. Sambas to Batang Lupar 383

„ B.--Ditto. Batang Lupar to Rejang 392

„ C.--Languages of Tribes between the Rejang and the Baram 399

„ D.--Languages of Northern Borneo 407

„ E.--Lanun Language 417

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS TO VOL. II.

I. Shooting the Cataract.--Limbang River _Frontispiece_

II. The Trunan issuing from the Batu Barit Mountain _To face page_ 3

III. Hauling past the Rapids „ 70

IV. Murut Bridge.--Tabari’s Village „ 123

V. Government House, Sarawak „ 280

VI. Lundu Church „ 370

MAP.

I. Map of the Limbang and Baram Rivers _To face page_ 1

[Illustration]

LIFE IN THE

FORESTS OF THE FAR EAST.

##