which this commerce was conducted were built in the river of Brunai of the timber
of the country, among which was that of the Camphor, the builders being Chinese,
and the principal owners also resident Chinese, a fact which shows that life and property
enjoyed a degree of security which they are far from having had in later times.
Borneo had also a considerable trade with Manilla, but all this has ceased, and chiefly
owing to the violence and rapacity of the government, which had become the protector
and associate of the corsairs of Mindano and Sulu.
AH that is known of the history of the state of Borneo is matter of mere tradition,
or induction from their language, for the people have neither written annals nor
monuments to tell their story. At no great distance from the present town, there
are some ancient ruins, and about seven days* journey from it in the interior, and in
the country of the wild tribe called Murut, there are others. These are called by
the Malays kuta, the Sanscrit for “ a fortress,” and are described as having been constructed
of large blocks of hewn stone, but without inscription or image. Certain
ambassadors from Borneo, as before alluded to, informed myself in 1824, that the
present race of Borneans were then the twenty-ninth generation in descent from
the first emigrants, who, at the time of their settlement, had not yet adopted the
Mahommedan religion. If by a generation be meant a period of some 32 years, this
would carry us back 928 years, or to the year of Christ 896; but, as is more probable,
it refers to the reigns of the Bornean princes, and if these be taken at 20 years, the first
emigration would go back only 580 years, making its date 1241. The true history of
the state begins with the visit of the companions of Magellan, in 1521, before which
the very existence of the island to which it belongs was as little known to Europeans
as Mexico before the expedition of Cortes.
BRUNAI-TOWN, is situated on the river of the same name, not the largest of the
island, but for the purposes of trade and navigation, perhaps the best. The town is
about 14 miles from its mouth, the western side of which is formed by Pulo Muara,
that is, “ embouchure island,” and 10 miles from an islet in the channel, called Carmin,
or “mirror island,” in which a rich bed of coal crops out. The town is in latitude
4 55' north, and its longitude 114° 55' east and extends to both sides of the river. The
houses of wood and canes, thatched with palmetto, are erected on tall posts in the
water or marsh, and run in lines at right angles with the river, so that at flood-time,
instead of streets, we have what Forrest, who visited the place 80 years ago, calls water-
lanes. Brunai is, in fact, an aquatic town, and all communication between one part of it
and another, and even from house to house, is by boat. Even the public markets
are held in boats, and Forrest’s account of them conveys a graphic one of the character
of the place. “ In those divisions of the town,” says he, “ made by the water-lanes,
it is neither firm land nor island; the houses standing on posts, as has been said, in
shallow water, and the public market is kept, sometimes in one part, sometimes in
another part of the river. Imagine a fleet of London wherries, loaded with fish,
fowl, greens, &e. &c., floating up with the tide, from London bridge towards Westminster,
then down again with many buyers floating up and down with them, and
this will give some idea of a Borneo market. These boats do not always drive with
the tide, but sometimes hold by the stairs of houses, or by stakes driven purposely
into the river, and sometimes by one another. Yet, in the course of a forenoon, they
visit most parts of the town where the water-lanes are broad. The boat people (mostly
women) are provided with large bamboo hats, the shade of which covers great part
of the body, as they draw themselves up under them, and sit, as it were, on their
heels.”—Voyage to New Guinea.
Pigafetta’s account of the town, as he saw it in 1521, is worth quoting for its
fidelity. “ The city,” says he, “ is entirely built in the salt water, the king’s house
and those of some chieftains excepted. I t contains 25,000 fires or families. The
houses are all of wood, and stand on strong piles to keep them high from the ground.
When the flood tide makes, the women, in boats, go through the city selling necessaries.
In front of the king’s palace there is a rampart constructed of large bricks,
with barbacans in the manner of a fortress, on which are mounted fifty-six brass, and
six iron cannon. During the two days we passed in the city many of them were
discharged.”—Primo Viaggio intomo al Globo.
The only part of this statement that is questionable is that which refers to the
population. Some Malay courtier, it is likely enough, told Pigafetta that the town
contained 25,000 dwelling-houses, which, at the usual estimate of five persons to a
family, would give a population of 125,000, a number which most probably never
existed in any town of the Archipelago under a purely native government,—a number,
indeed, which it may safely be asserted, the rude policy, even of the most advanced
of the Malayan nations, could neither gather together, nor hold together if gathered.
The highest population assigned by recent visitors to the town of Borneo is 12,000.
The town, however, in the time of Pigafetta, was evidently a place of much more
consequence than it is in ours, and his reliable narrative contains satisfactory evidence
that such was the case. The king, like the princes of Malacca, before the conquest,
had his elephants, and he and his courtiers were clothed in Chinese satins and Indian
brocades. He was in possession of artillery, and the appearance of his Court was, at
least, imposing. I shall transcribe Pigafetta’s description of the latter, as giving the
only authentic account we possess of a Malay court when first seen by Europeans,
and before their policy, or impolicy, had affected Malayan society. He himself with
seven of his companions, ascended the river from the squadron which was at anchor
at its-mouth, for the purpose of making presents to the king, and asking permission
to wood, water, and trade. One of the king’s barges had been sent to convey them
to the Court. “ When,” says he, “ we reached the city, we had to wait two hours in
the prau, until there had arrived two elephants, caparisoned in silk-cloth, and twelve
men, each furnished with a porcelain vase, covered with silk, to receive and to cover
our presents. We mounted the elephants, the twelve men going before, carrying the
presents. We thus proceeded to the house of the governor, who gave us a supper
of many dishes. Here we slept for the night on mattresses stuffed with cotton
(bambagio), and cased with silk. Next day, we were left at our leisure until twelve
o’clock, when we proceeded to the king’s palace. We were mounted, as before, on
elephants, the men bearing the gifts going before us. From the governor’s house to
the palace the streets were full of people armed with swords, lances, and targets : the
king had so ordered it. Still mounted on the elephants we entered the court of the
palace. We then dismounted, ascended a stair, accompanied by the governor and
some chiefs, and entered a great hall full of courtiers, whom we shall call barons of
the realm (baroni del regno). Here we were seated on carpets, the presents being
placed near to us.
“ At the end of the great hall, but raised above it, there was one of less extent
hung with silken cloth, in which were two curtains, on raising which, there appeared
two windows, which lighted the hall. Here, as a guard to the king, there were 300
men with naked rapiers (stocchi nudi) in hand resting on their thighs. At the farther
end of this smaller hall, there was a great window with a brocade curtain before it,
on raising which, we saw the king seated at a table masticating betel, and a little boy’
his son, beside him. Behind him, women only were to be seen. A chieftain then
informed us, that we must not address the king directly, but that if we had anything
to say, we must say it to him, and he would communicate it to a courtier of higher
rank than himself within the lesser hall. This person, in his turn, would explain our
wishes to the governor’s brother, and he, speaking through a tube in an aperture of
the wall, would communicate our sentiments to a courtier near the king, who would
make them known to his Majesty. Meanwhile, we were instructed to make three
obeisances to the king with the joined hands over the head, and raising, first one foot
and then the other, and then kissing the hands. This is the royal salutation.
“ By the means pointed out, we made it to be understood by him that we belonged
to the King of Spain, who desired to live in peace with his Majesty, and wished for
nothing more than to be able to trade in his island. The king answered, ‘ that he
would be much pleased to have the King of Spain for his friend, and that we might
wood, water, and trade, in his dominions, at our pleasure.’ This done, the presents
were submitted, and as each article was exhibited, the king made a slight inclination
of the head. To each of us was then given some brocade, with cloth of gold and
of silk, which were placed on one shoulder and then removed, to be taken care of.
After this, we had a collation of cloves and cinnamon, when the curtains were drawn
and the window closed. All the persons present in the palace had their loins covered
with gold-embroidered cloth and silk, wore poniards with golden hilts, ornamented
- th p e a r ls and precious stones, and had many rings on their fingers.”
e+ w Prese“ ts offered will give the reader some notion of what things were thought
nt onerings to oriental princes in the beginning of the sixteenth century. Pigafetta
describes those offered to the king and queen as follows: “ The present for the kin«-
consisted of a vest of green velvet in the Turkish fashion, a chair of purple velvet
« f j °ad„clofch’ one caP (beretto), a gilded glass goblet, a glass vase
tTree va, da of l e»iimreu and a 811(16(1 inkstand- We brought for the queen
filled with pins broad-cloth, a pair of silver-embroidered shoes, and a silver case