BANUMAS
island in the Snlu Sea, a t the northern end of Borneo, and Ivina-
ofl the promontory formed between the bays of Maludu and Paitan. It is about six
;TegoUî/ ■ has a.mountain peak in north latitude 7° 19', and east longitude
117 6 , which being visible in clear weather at the distance of 14 or 15 leagues,
cannot be less than 5000 feet high. The island forms a portion of the territory of
the chieftain, called the Sultan of Sulu, but very little more is known about it.
BANK ALAN, a district of the island of Madura, comprehending its western
portion. In 1814, it contained 447 villages, and a population of 63,714, which at
present is probably more than double that amount; but being, with the rest of the
themimb^ UP province of Surabaya, I possess no means of distinguishing
BANTAM ; thus written by the Portuguese, whose example has been followed
by other European nations: in the native languages it is Bantân, but the literal
meaning of the word I have not been able to ascertain. Bantam, in the country
of the Sundas, and formerly an independent kingdom, is now a Dutch province.
I t forms the western end of Java, and has an area of 2568 geographical square miles,
and is a mountainous country of volcanic formation. Its highest mountains, however,
are not above one-half the height of those of the centre and eastern portions of
the island. Thus Gunung-karang (rocky mountain) is but 6000 feet high, while the
next m elevation, Pulosari (island of sweet flowers), i3 no more than 4200 feet. Fossil
coal has been found in the district of Lebak, towards the south-eastern part of the
province. With the exception of the teak, which does not exist, the other trees
and plants, wild and cultivated, are generally the same as in other parts of the
island. The wild and domestic animals are also the same, and it may here be
remarked that the dwarf poultry, called by us after the country, were imported from
Japan, and received their name, not from the place that produced them, but from
that where our voyagers first found them.
The mass of the population of Bantam is of the Sunda nation, and speaking its
peculiar language ; but on the coast this people is mixed up with Malays, Javanese
and others who speak Malay. In 1814, the number of villages in Bantam was 738”
and its computed population 231,604. By the census of 1850, this population had
increased to 470,381, giving about 184 to the square mile, not above one-half the
density of the more fertile central and eastern provinces of the island. The principal
industrial products of the province are rice, coffee, sugar, indigo, tea, cinnamon, and
bay salt. With the exception of the first and last, all these articles are more or less
exotics, and cultivated or produced for the Dutch government, through the corvée
labour which prevails over Java. About 2000 families are stated to be engaged in
the fisheries. Pepper, the staple product of Bantam, and chiefly on account of
which it was frequented by the European merchants of the 17th and 18th century,
has ceased to be produced.
Bantam, conveniently situated on the shores of one of the great thoroughfares of
the Archipelago, naturally became one of the chief emporia of native trade- before
t B arrival of Europeans, and was frequented by Malays and Javanese trading with
the Moluccas; by Arabs, Persians, Hindus, and Mahommedans, from both coasts of
India; and by Chinese and Japanese. The country of the Sundas was first visited in
1511 by the Portuguese, under Henrique Lemé, one of the captains of the adventurous
Alboquerque. He seems, however, to have gone no farther than Jacatra, or Sunda-
kalapa, the future Batavia. The Dutch did not present themselves at Bantam until
1596, and then, not under very favourable auspices, for the future lords of Java; for
one of the two brothers, Houtman, who commanded the fleet, allowed himself to be
taken prisoner, and obtained his release only on payment of a ransom. The English
made their first appearance there in 1602, and in due course, the two monopolists
became embroiled, disputing about privileges which neither ought to possess, and in
the sequel, the English were expelled by the superior power and activity of their
rivals. The Dutch, from time to time, increased their influence in Bantam, and in
1843, the last of its kings was banished to Surabaya, at the further end of Java, and
the country taken possession of as a province.
BANUMAS (golden w ater or river). A central province of Java, on the southern
side of the island, and consequently bounded on one side by the sea. Its area is
computed at 1589 square miles. I t has itself no mountains of remarkable elevation,
but to the north it is bounded by the high range in which is the mountain of Tâgal,”
11,250 feet high. I t has, extending along the coast, one considerable lake, or rather
morass, and some
largest island on census of 1845, the population of
island,) forms a part of this p ^ wHc\ 150 were Europeans, 1640 Chinese, and
B a n u m a s was estimated at , | | Javanese langUage; for this province borders
the remainder ^ tiv e s sp g & 1(J produot. but lt produces, also, like
on the country of the Sundas. i aIHi 0f late years, the Dutch have mtrosimilar
parts of Java,^ co P a;’miiar products, grown on account of the
duced ^ e °nlture of coffee Bug ^ ^ ,g y an agricultural one having
government b/ AC° ^ eitg onlv port being that which lies between the island above wmmSi— .» 4 . . .
BASUWAKGI V S E u L i J ’S u l . l l o n % , no
of the island. Its natural ad^a“ S > several high mountains, which supply
districts ; for in the west-ami north o f f f | | g | (abode of 0?lesti !
■ S f K 8000 feet high; and Ijeng
■ M M M B m m m °! " r , * „
BAEAM.
settlement of Labuan. The en after crossing this obstacle, the river
depth is no more than a depths extend to the
deepens to f°ur^ o bTe> “ breadth of the river at its embouchure is about half a
distance of 100 miles. I ln e fathoms. At the respective distances of
S i B H H H I T c e f v e s 5 H H M J the M g and Tutu. Its
7 2 and 80 miles the Baram clotbed witb cassuarinas, instead of mangroves,
banks, towards its embouc > f & muddy s0n. Further up are many open
indicating a dry and sandy, called by the natives the
grassy plains, in M g » » * Towards the upper portion of
Tuladan (the Bos sondaicus of . and as tbe river is navigable for
the Baram excellent iron-ore an i might become articles
vessels drawing no more than eightor f® ^X u rh o o d . The ruling tribe of the
of export to the European empo powerful of all the wild races of Borneo,
interior is the Kayan, the most to the distance of 140
inSSi^nt"narrator11 of^he voyage, ¿th a t the exclamations of the Kayans, on first
seeing us, were‘Here is a go d ;’ others, A mighty spirit.
» „ . p r /•pTTTiUNGI • literally “ fire mountain” or volcano. I t has the same
BARAPI (GUNUiN G ), y names of mountains,—one in Sumatra, and one m
sense as MArapi, and bo^ a g | | | beigbt 0f 6000 feet above the level of the
■ the southern side of the island, about
45 miles south «if *be effua^ Barhosa written Balbosa by the Spaniards,
BARBOSA, ODOARDO or ? E ERJ E ‘ intelligent of all the early
the author of the fullest, the mo A-eface to bj8 book, as translated by Raaccounts
of India, representshimseH.“ ^ W K ^ Z v i M e d ^ e r m a n y parts
musio.to have been a gentleman of E^at b bimself, or what he ieamt “ from
of India, and or heathen,” composed his work
authentic sources, whether LJtf ati , conciusi0n in 1516. The account, however,
for the public advantage brmg 8 ^ i ited Malacca before its conquest by
contains internal.evidence£ I believe, of late years, published in
his countrymen m 1511. -Barb“ *' 8 . . , . t , t bad tbe Portuguese, from the original manuscript but l buivenot ggo od fortune Btoa rhbaovsea
met with.it. . On the death of his
m tbat in conjunction with Juan Serano,