ossible,
be opened with this settlement, if in existence. 3. The rivers which
flow into the bay will be carefully and minutely explored, and an
attempt will be made to penetrate into the interior as far as the lake
of Kini Ballu. 4. For the same purpose, every endeavor will be used to
open a communication with the aboriginal inhabitants of the country,
and every means employed to conciliate their good opinion; and (if
the ceremony exists in this part of the island) to enter into the
bonds of fraternity (described by Mr. Dalton) with some of the chiefs.

I speak with great diffidence about penetrating into the interior of
this country, for I am well aware of the insurmountable difficulties
which the hard reality often presents, which are previously
overlooked and easily overcome in the smoothness of paper, or the
luxury of a drawing-room. The two points to be chiefly relied upon
for this purpose are, a friendly intercourse with the natives, and
the existence of navigable rivers. It is mentioned by Sir Stamford
Raffles, on native authority, that a land communication, of not more
than forty miles, exists between Malludu Bay and Lake Kini Ballu;
but neither this computation, nor any other derived from the natives,
however intelligent otherwise, can be relied on; for the inhabitants of
these countries are generally ignorant of any measure for distance; and
their reckoning by time is so vague, as to defy a moderately-certain
conclusion. The fact, however, of the vicinity of the lake to the bay
may be concluded; and it follows, as a reasonable inference, that the
river or rivers flowing into the bay communicate with the lake. The
existence of such rivers, which were from the locality to have been
expected, is vouched for by Captain Forrest. "Most of this north part
of Borneo (he says), granted to the English East India Company by the
Sooloos, is watered by noble rivers: those that discharge themselves
into Malludu Bay are not barred." It is by one or other of these rivers
that I should hope to penetrate as far as the lake and mountain of
Kini Ballu, and into the country of the Idaan. I have not been able to
learn that any Malay towns of importance are situated in the bight of
Malludu Bay, and their absence will render a friendly communication
with the aborigines a matter of comparative ease. The advantages
likely to result from such friendly relations are so evident, that
I need not dwell upon them; though the mode of effectin