ngerans, Annam being the most daring of
the whole. His naval force consists of the Portuguese ship of 400 tons,
one brig, and eight or ten large fighting prows, beside his allies
from Borneo Proper, with ten large prows. The population amounts to
twelve thousand Dayers and Malays, and thirty thousand Chinese.

Under the head mineralogy we have given a detailed account of the
principal sources of its industry. Sambas produces, beside gold, ten
piculs of birds'-nests annually (of an inferior quality), much ebony,
rattans, wax, &c. The trade here is much the same as at Pontiana,
and susceptible of a tenfold increase: it is every way superior to the
latter for the capital of a large mart. The country is better cleared,
and hence susceptible of more easy cultivation; the land more elevated
and less swampy, consequently healthier; the river deeper and farther
navigable; the population more dense, and, the land being clear of
jungle, more capable of being increased. Beside, it is the vicinage of
the most considerable gold-mines on all Borneo. The Sultan of Pontiana
would make it his capital if desired; his apprehensions of the power
of the Sambas princes lead him to give the preference to Pontiana.

The town of Calaca, belonging to the Rajah of Borneo Proper, lies
north of Tanjong Datu; it is the principal port of trade south of
the capital, and the mart of the Sedang country. Here much grain
is produced, one hundred piculs of black birds'-nests, two hundred
piculs of wax, some gold, pepper, camphor, &c., but the tin-mines,
before mentioned, are utterly neglected. There are several other towns
upon each of the rivers along this coast; the principal ones are Salat,
Bacalo, Pasir, and Baram. They produce nearly the same articles as the
above, which are, however, sent on to the capital as fast as collected.

It is here necessary to observe, that all the rocks and shoals laid
down on this coast do not exist at all; such as Volcano Island, the
Byhors, Krenpel, the whole Slykenburgh, five Comadas, &c. Having
beat up this coast twice, and carefully surveyed the whole, I can
declare a finer and clearer coast does not anywhere exist. The old
chart, published by A. Dalrymple, is much more correct than the recent
ones. The numbers of immense drifts and floating isles hereabout must
have given birth to all these imaginary dangers.

The town of Borneo Proper, the capital of the kingdom of the same
name, lies in latitude 5 deg. 7' north;