saw a rich and
populous city, a luxuriant and fertile country, a powerful prince,
and a magnificent court: hence the Spaniards hastily concluded that
the whole island not only belonged to this prince, but that it was
likewise named Borneo. In this error they have been followed by
all other European nations. The charts, however, mark this capital
"Borneo Proper," or in other words, the only place properly Borneo:
this is the only confession of this misnomer that I have met with
among Europeans. The natives pronounce Borneo, Bruni, and say it
is derived from the word Brani, courageous; the aboriginal natives
within this district having ever remained unconquered.

The aborigines of Borneo, or Pulo Kalamantan, still exist in the
interior in considerable numbers; there are various tribes of them,
speaking different dialects. Some of them acknowledge Malay chiefs,
as at Landa, Songo, Mantan, &c. Several communities of them still
remain under independent chiefs of their own nation; and everywhere
their origin, their language, their religion, their manners and
customs, are totally distinct and apparent from those of the Islams,
or Malays, who have settled on the island. About Pontiana and Sambas
they are called Dayers; at Benjarmasing, Biajus; at Borneo Proper,
Moruts; farther northward, Orang Idan. Their original history is as
much enveloped in obscurity as that of the Monocaboes of Malaya, the
Rejangs and Battas of Sumatra, or the Togals of the Philippines. On
a nearer acquaintance with their language, customs, traditions, &c.,
perhaps an affinity in origin may be discovered among all the original
possessors of the Eastern isles. The Moruts and Orang Idan are much
fairer and better featured than the Malays, of a more strong and robust
frame, and have the credit of being a brave race of people. The Dayer
is much darker, and approaches nearer in resemblance to the Malay. The
Biajus I never saw. The few particulars which I have been able to
collect of these people I shall briefly state: They live in miserable
small huts; their sole dress consists of a slight wrapper round their
waists, sometimes made of bark, at others from skins of animals, or
perhaps of blue or white cloth; they eat rice or roots, and indeed
any description of food, whether beast, reptile, or vermin: they are
extremely filthy; this and bad food give them a cutaneous disorder,
with which they are very generally afflicted. Several tribes of them
smear themselve