Chapter X: 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