T i g e r s *.
S a m b a a r
P o i n t .
I s l a n d o f
S a l t a n d
B a n c a .
SUCGADANA
a n d S a m b a s .-
C i t y o f
B o r n e o .
they ftain their bodies with blue, and by weights affixed to their
ears when young, ftretch them till they fall on their fhoulders.
The chieftains pull out their fore teeth, and fubftitute others of
gold, and by way of ornament fling firings of tigers teeth round
their necks and bodies. Their arms are lances and poifoned
arrows; fome of them lead a piratical life in the great rivers,
and are molt formidable enemies.
L e t m e h e r e o b f e r v e t h a t t i g e r s , th o f e c r u e l a n im a ls , fw a rm
in t h i s i f l a n d , b e y o n d w h i c h t h e y h a p p i l y c e a fe ; n o r a r e t h e y
k n o w n in a n y o f t h e i f la n d s to th e n o r t h o r t o t h e e a f t o f.
Borneo.
A f t e r navigating along the northern coaft o f the ifland, we
arrive, in Lat. 2° 28', on the point o f Sapibaar. Between this and
the ifle of Billetou to the weft, is a channel of a hundred and
fifty miles in breadth. Near to the weft o f that ifland is the
fmall ifle of Salt, and then the ifle o f Banca, all belonging to
Java.
F r o m Sambaar point the coaft turns towards the north. In
Lat. 0° f5' fouth, is, Succadana, and in Lat. 2° north is Sambas,,
both at times frequented for the fake of commerce. From Tan—
jpn-g point the ifland trends to the north-eaft. The-city of
Borneo ftands in about Lat. 5° north, on a large river, in the
bottom o f a bay.
W h e n , t h e f am o u s - n a v ig a t o r Von Noort w a s th e r e in 1601, i f
c o n f i f t e d o f th r e e t h o u ia n d h o u f e s , a l l b u i l t o n p o f t s a n d f lo a t in g ;
p la n k s , in t h e m a n n e r w e h a v e d e f c r ib e d , fo t h a t w h e n e v e r th e -
f u l t a n c h o f e to c h a n g e h i s p o f i t io n , h e w o u ld m o v e w i t h a l l .h i s
c i t y to. a n o th e r p a r t o f t h e r iv e r . Von Noort f o u n d t h i s p ortmuch
much frequented by the Cbinefe, who to this day feem to be the
greateft and moft eonftant traders to Borneo o f all the Afiatic
nations’.: i
F r o m Lat. & north, to Tangió Sampanmangeo, the moft northern
promontory of Borneo, in Lat. 7°, the coaft changes its nature,
being fkirted all the way with a lofty chain of mountains ;
and within are appearances o f others o f very uncertain extent;
that northern headland has another correfpondent, called Inoran-
tang, facing-likewife the north; between both is the deep bay
iof Malbordoo, penetrating far to the fouth ; oppofite to the laft
headland is the fmall ifland o f Banguey, lofty and mountanoua,
ias i f rent from it by forne violent convulfions.
A -l i t t l e to the weft of that ifland, in Lat. 7* 20', is the ifle
Balambangan, compofed of fand and fwamps, and famous for
the intention o f the Baß India company, in 1773, to form on it a
vaft emporium o f the commodities o f China, and of all this great
eaftern archipelago. We got the ceifion o f this little fpot (then
uninhabited) from the king o f Soolo; we took poflélfion o f it at a
-vaft expence, according to Raynal* it coft us £.375,000. A company
o f European troops, and a number of Seapoys, were detained
for the proteition o f the fettlement; and a colony o f Malayes from
Bencoolen, and another o f Chinefe, were induced to eftablilh them-
felves there. We could not have fixed on a more unwholefome
fituation ; the difeafes o f the climate attacked both the military
and the cpipnifts, and very few furvived the fickly feafon, fo that
fcarcely orié in ten outlived the monfoon : the A6beR,aynal alferts
that we were attacked, andyhe fadtory deftroyed, and inlinuates it
I s l a n d o p
B a n g u e y .
I s l a n d o f B a l
a m b a n g a n .