CHAPTER XIV.

ISLANDS OF THE ARCHIPELAGO-BORNEO.

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With a single exception, Borneo is the largest island in the world. It is more extensive than any kingdom of Europe, and although a wilderness, and a vast haunt of savage beasts and men; it possesses capabilities of culture and decoration, traffic, health, and wealth, which is scarcely surpassed by any locality in eastern Asia. The island is described by one* who traveled six hundred miles in the interior, and visited Bagottan, Passier, and Coti, as "equal in climate, and superior in productions to any part of Asia he had seen or heard of.” This gentleman had himself visited many of the best parts of India, and was, on this account, the more capable of estimating its relative value.

The coast throughout its whole circumference is in the possession of foreign settlers, who have establish

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ed themselves here at successive periods, and who claim the right of possession, as a privilege vested in their commercial and physical importance. Bugis, Malays, Chinese, and Cambodjians, have each retained a footing. The Dutch are the only European power who have preserved their settlements. The whole of the interior, from within a few miles of the extreme points of Salatin on the north to Sooloo on the south, from near Pontiana on the west, to Coti on the east, is in the possession of the Dyaks—the aborigines of the island.* From intercourse with more civilized strangers, the natives who live in the vicinity of the coasts differ materially in their spirit and habits from their brethren in the interior. They are represented as tractable and mild in disposition, though so stupid or pusillanimous as to submit to every indignity without resistance. They are subject to Moslem chiefs, who have established themselves on the banks of the rivers, and who of course do all they can to extend their authority. The mass of the natives under these sultans, remain unconverted to the Mahomedan faith. The population of the interior is cut up into innumerable tribes, who either associate for the sake of mutual protection and pillage, or maintain a separate independency. The smaller rivers are generally in the possession of a distinct tribe; the larger ones, whose banks are sufficiently extensive, accommodate a number of them. They are described as bearing a general resemblance to each other, and being very unlike all their neighbors. For symmetry of form, strength

and agility of muscle, and the most unyielding courage and endurance, the aboriginese of Borneo claim a high distinction among their fellow men. The friend-1 ly disposition expressed by some of their most powerful tribes towards Europeans, presents an opening to foreign intercourse and influence; while their active, sturdy habits, so different from their Malayan neighbors, furnish a most promising field of culture to the philanthropist and Christian. But alas, while this moral scene glows with beauty in the distant perspective, the foreground is filled up with every wreck and ruin of humanity. Regarding the Dyaks in their present estate, it would be difficult-impossible to find their equals in all that disgraces and degrades human nature. Others are far below them in mental and bodily enervation, but we read of none so debased in the scale of depravity. In unprovoked, unrestrained barbarity, they exceed the American Indian, the Charib, or the New Zealander. How much they need the blessings of Christianity, may be gathered from their present mode of life.

War is their business, murder their pastime, and the trophies of cruelty their proudest distinction. Nothing is too high for their daring; nothing too low for their despicable cruelty. All who belong not to their confederacy are reputed enemies, whose heads they endeavor to secure at any hazard and by any means. T'he unfair and savage manner in which they prosecute their warlike expeditions, or rather their expeditions in search of human heads, is abhorrent beyond all parallel. Insulated huts-defenseless campongs-unwary fishermen-wretched strag, glers--old and young of either sex, are alike their

prey. The men and elder women are inevitably murdered--the young women and children they convert into their slaves. In an expedition of Selgie, one of the most powerful chiefs, which consumed three months, they took seven hundred heads. Such is the importance attached to a warrior who possesses many heads, that he takes his place in the presence of the rajah with the air of exalted worth ; while those who are destitute of these distinguishing trophies are glad to creep into any corner to escape notice.

Human heads are made to grace the occurrence of every important event. They are employed to celebrate a Dyak's birth, and consecrate his marriage; to mitigate his diseases, and appease his spirit after death. Marriage is always referred to the rajah, who calls before him the young man and the father of the girl, If the latter can produce ten heads, the former must show half the number, in the expectation that when his age equals the other, the emblems of their bravery will be alike. If the young man is unable to produce the requisite number, he obtains a few friends, and sallies forth in search of the deficiency, well aware if he do not succeed, his lasting disgrace shall be the consequence. Every head is submitted to a close examination, and none but those of recent victims are admissible. A part of the ceremony consists in both parties' taking a head in each hand and dancing around each other, with the most extravagant gestures, amidst the applauses of the rajah and people. Upon the death of the chief, the mound in which the body is deposited must be studded with fresh heads, as the most acceptable offering to the deceased. No warrior

can presuine to make a visit of condolence to the family, without bringing at least one head for the occasion. During the first year or two, these heads are occasionally changed. All kinds of sickness are supposed to be under the influence of malignant spirits, whom nothing can so well propitiate as human heads.

What mournful ravages must a custom so prevalent and desolating spread throughout this vast island ! What numbers of victims are annually required, for such numberless purposes ! What can prevent a total and speedy extermination of all these ignorant, illfated tribes, if Christian charity slumber much longer over their appeals for mercy? In their amusements, and sometimes even in their domestic economy, the same reckless disregard for human life is evinced. They are extravagantly fond of cock-fighting, and stake almost every thing they can command upon the game. If the sum be lost and not paid within twenty-four hours, the winner has a legal right to dispatch his debtor, and he generally does it. Upon an expedition, if the rajah's appetite craves any thing fresh, and an inferior animal is not at hand, one of his train is butchered, and served up as a substitute. When the men of wealth bury their treasure, which is a common custom, they uniformly destroy the slaves who assisted them, that the secret of the depository might be confined to themselves.

It is difficult to determine what ideas upon religion the Dyaks entertain. They have no apparent dread of dying. The great and only fear is the loss of their heads, and this they deprecate more than the majority in Christian lands do the loss of their souls. Yet