to be 2000 coyans or 80,000 peculs. The price
is from fifteen to sixteen Java rupees the pecul; to which must be
added the trouble and expense of storing and clearing from the inner
skin. Tortoise-shell is brought in by the Badjows; and mother-of-pearl
shells in any quantity there is demand for. Taking the number of houses
in this small space, above described, the total will be 308 houses,
which reckoned at the low estimate of eight persons for each house,
will give 2464 inhabitants; this, however, is far below the proper
estimate, as there are villages scattered between the rivers, and
numbers of detached houses; in all, therefore, safely computed at
5000 persons. The villages, with the exception of Balammepa, have
an aspect of poverty, and the country is ravaged by that frightful
scourge the small-pox, and likewise some cases apparently of cholera,
from the account given of the complaint. Near the hill of Bulu Tanna
there is a hot spring, and likewise, by the report of the natives, some
slight remains of an old building. I regretted much not seeing these;
but the natives, with much politeness, begged me not to go previous to
my visit to Boni, as they would be answerable for allowing strangers
to see the country without orders from the chief rajah. All I see
and hear convinces me that the Rajah of Boni has great power over
the entire country. On a friendly communication with him, therefore,
depends our chance of seeing something of the interior.

"The inhabitants here are polite, but shy and reserved: and the death
of the Rana of Songi and the absence of the Rajah Mooda, her reported
successor, have been against us.

"_5th._--Sailing from Songi about 4 P.M., we directed our course
for Tanjong Salanketo. The breeze was stiff, which caused us to use
considerable precaution in sailing among the shoals. Assisted by
a native Nacodah, by name Dain Pativi, we were enabled to keep the
tortuous channel, of which otherwise we should have been ignorant. A
little farther than the Tanca river is a shoal stretching from the
shore, to avoid which we kept Canallo on our lee bow: this being
cleared, we gradually luffed up, ran between two shoals, and passed
several others."

CHAPTER VII.

Mr. Brooke's second visit to Sarawak.--The civil war.--Receives a
present of a Dyak boy.--Excursion to the seat of war.--Notices
of rivers, and settlements on their banks.--Deaths and
burials.--Reasons for and against re