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indignation at his conduct, he left Passir, and when he had almost reached Mampawa, he was informed of his death. Resolving now to settle at Sango, in the interior of Borneo, he entered the river of Pontiana or rather Lava, and proceeded up it about twelve miles to the conflux of the river of Landak with that of Pontiana, anchoring for the night at the point where the rivers join. In the morning, being struck with the situation of the place, which had never been inhabited, he determined to settle in it, and proposing the plan to his followers, most of them acceded to it, but a few objected and left him. After repeated discharges of his great guns loaded with shot, into a small island near the point, Abdul Rehman landed, cut down some trees, displayed his colours, and prayed for success to the undertaking.

Having erected a small house for the night, he slept ashore, and named the place Pontiana or rather Pontianak, which is the name the Malays give to a spectre of the forests, which appears in the form of a winged female; this was in the year 1770. He then built a mosque on the small island, which still remains, having been renewed on the same spot, and a fort on the point of land, which commands the entrances of the rivers of Sango and Landak, whither he also brought up the French ship. The crew of this vessel he employed as slaves in clearing the jungle, and his followers built houses along the banks of the river; such was the foundation of Pontiana. As soon as Abdul Rehman was settled in his new residence, he visited Mampawa to pray over the tomb of his father, whose forgiveness he had never procured, and this ceremony he continued to perform at stated periods until the year of his death.

As the traders to Landak, Sango, and other settlements in the interior of Borneo, were necessitated to pass by Pontiana, Seyad Abdul Rehman daily acquired new settlers by his insinuating address, and the protection which he was ready to afford the traders against the Lanuns, and he was joined by several Bugis and Chinese traders from Mampawa, Sambas, and other Malay ports. He next applied to Raja Haji of Reaw, who conferred on him the title of Sultan of Pontiana. By what right such a title was conferred it is impossible to conjecture, but he imme

diately assumed the title, and established a court in a very expensive style. His profusion attracted new followers and he was joined by various Arabs, who, though they impaired his fortune, yet for the time increased his consequence. By these means Pontiana, in the space of a single year, became a considerable settlement, and attracted the jealousy of the Rajah of Landak. The Rajah of Landak was at this time a dependant of the Sultan of Bantam, and being alarmed at the reports which he heard, that the Sultan of Pontiana intended to block up the river and engross its trade, he dispatched an embassy to Pontiana, to enquire what were his intentions. The Sultan of Pontiaua, though he professed that his intentions were not of a hostile nature, took care to display his power, and fired off his great guns repeatedly in their presence. They transmitted to Bantam a very exaggerated account of the strength of Pontiana, the consequence of which was, that the Sultan of Bantam conceiving himself unable to protect Landak, resigned it to the Dutch. In 1776 the Dutch sent a strong force from Batavia to Pontiana to establish themselves in their newly acquired possessions, and the Sultan of Pontiana, intimidated by their power, allowed them to settle at Pontiana, where they built a stockade fort and mounted on it six guns, They also established a factory, consist ing of a resident, a secretary and his clerk, a surgeon, a captain with a subaltern, and twenty-five European soldiers. They also stationed an armed cutter in the river, which was likewise manned with Europeans, so that they had altogether about one hundred Europeans, but no native soldiers. The Dutch now imposed what duties they pleased, and allowed the Sultan but a very small share of them, which circumstance, together with his profuse manner of living, compelled the Sultan to run deeply in debt. In the year 1786, the Dutch, assisted by the force of Pontiana, destroyed Sacadina and Mampawa, in the latter of which they placed the Sultan of Pontiana's eldest son, as Panambahan, establishing there a factory of their own, dependent on that of Pontiana. Previous however to the settlement of the Dutch at Pontiana, it was visited by a French frigate, commanded by the brother of the French Captain, whom the Sultan had formerly cut off at Passir, and whe

had been dispatched for the express purpose of attacking him, but as the frigate could not pass the bar, and durst not send in her boats to attack the place, she was able to effect nothing, and was compelled to return after destroying a few proas at the mouth of the river, which had never had any concern in the crime of the Sultan.

In the year 1790 the Dutch withdrew their factories from both Pontiana and Mampawa, after a residence of fourteen years, finding, that though they had imposed what duties they pleased, and given the Sultan only what share they liked, their profits were far from compensating the expense of the establishment. We have no detail of the expense and profits of this factory, unless for the year 1779, when the expense amounted to about 884 pounds sterling, and the receipts only to about 160 pounds. The residence of the Dutch at Pontiana was not without occasional misunderstandings occurring between them and the Sultan. One of the most serious of these seems to have originated entirely from their ignorance of Malay customis. Soon after the settlement of

the factory at Pontiana a siri or prepared betel was presented by a male slave to the surgeon. Among the Malays this is regarded as an overture to an intrigue from some female of rank, but the surgeon was ignorant of this custom, aud the slave had retired without speaking a word. The surgeon holding the siri in his haud met the Sultan, and related to him the circumstance, expressing his surprize at what it could mean. The Sultan requested him to point out the person who had brought it, which he did immediately, and the slave being seized confessed that the siri had been sent by one of the Sultan's concubines. The Sultan immediately, without further explanation, ordered the slave's head to be cut off in the presence of the surgeon, and the woman was dispatched privately. The Dutch Resident and the rest of the factory took the alarm and declared that they would return to Java. The Sultan endeavoured to pacify them, but in vain, aud they retired to Batu Layang, a solitary rock, on which a fort is built, about five miles below Pontiana. Here they fortified themselves and posted the armed cutter, and firing apon all proas, attempted to block up the river. The Sultan repeatedly attempted

to persuade the Resident to return, but finding all remonstrances in vain, he represented the matter to Batavia, when the Resident was recalled and another sent in his place, who returned and took up his residence at Pontiana.

During the residence of the Dutch at Pontiana a good deal of illicit trade had been carried on by the English, with the connivance of the Dutch Resident, the ships anchoring only without the mouth of the river; but after the factory was withdrawn Pontiana became a resort of English traders, and was also frequented by the Portuguese from Macao, and the Arabs from Muscat and Mocha. It was also visited by numerous proas from all parts of Borneo, Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa and Java. This, however, only continued till Pulu Penang began to flourish, since which time it had greatly decayed. The Java trade was nearly extinguished by the war between the Dutch and English, the prohibition of the export of dollars from Java, and some unjustifiable acts of the Sultan in swindling many of the Javanese owners out of their cargoes.

Sultan Abdul Rehman died after a short illness, February 26, 1808, about the age of 70 years. When he perceived himself dangerously ill, he assembled the chief men, and told them he appointed his eldest son, the Panambahan of Mampawa, to succeed him, and dispatched a person to summon the Panambahan into his presence. Next day the chiefs assembled, and declared that they desired the Pangerang to be Sultan, who was his second son, but by an inferior wife, and that they would abandon the place if the Panambahan was to succeed him, accusing him of cruelty and divers acts of murder and poisoning, especially the poisoning the Master of a Chinese junk, to whom he was indebted about 8000 dollars, and the assassination of Captain Sadler, to whom he was indebted 30,000 dollars. They added that they expected his bad conduct would speedily place them in the same situation as Sambas, and probably draw on them the resentment of the Eng

lish.

The Sultan assented and told them since they desired it, the Pangerang would be the Sultan. The Panambahan arrived next day and was informed of this resolution. When he came into his father's presence the old man severely re-

probated his conduct and advised him to go in pilgrimage to Mecca. The Sultan also sent for Mr. Burn, whom he had sometime before swindled out of a valuable cargo, and having requested his forgiveness, desired him to beware of the Panambahan, as a man of naturally bad heart, and after his death to have no interviews with him unless in public. On the death of the old Sultan, the second brother, desirous of not being involved in his father's debts, declined the honour of being Sultan. The head-men, however, were at first refractory, and it was sometime before they could be brought to acknowledge him as Sultan, which he only accomplished by dint of presents and promises, engaging to discharge his father's debts as soon as possible, while he gave up many of his own claims, especially those which were due by the Arabs.

The deceased Sultan was a man of fine presence and the most respectable appearance, possessing the most insinuating address and imposing manners. Profuse and ostentatious in his habits, he scrupled at no means, however base, for raising money to support this exterior state, and as he was perfectly versed in every species of deception, and always supported the appearance of wealth, he seldom failed to procure credit from strangers. He concealed his debts with the utmost care, and was in the constant habit of contracting one debt to discharge another, often selling goods for that purpose at a large discount on what he had bought them. By this means his debts and his difficulties went on gradually accumulating to his death. The most considerable part of his debts were incurred to the Bugis traders, and in consequence of this, the Sultan was obliged to wink at many irregularities of those traders, in regard to avoiding the usual port duties. The Chinese repeatedly made him offers to farm the duties of the port, but to this he would not consent, foreseeing the disputes that were certain of arising between the Bugis and Chinese. In the midst of these difficulties, however, the Arabs and other religious impostors prevailed on him to advance to them large sums of money, which they never thought of refunding; thus with all his dissimulation, becoming the dupe of hypocrisy. He seems always to have dis

played more of the character of the artful trader than of the Sovereign, though it must be owned, that he exhibited considerable suppleness and dexterity in ruling the motley mass of subjects which he had collected at Pontiana.

In punishment he was uncommonly severe and even barbarous. In his own family the faults of his domestics, especially his women, were punished in the most cruel manner, and by the most infamous sort of tortures, sometimes pouring boiling water into the privities of the females, or burning them alive with their paramours on the suspicion of incontinence.

The present Sultan, since the death of his father, has conducted himself in such a manner as in a great measure to efface the former dislike which was entertained of him by the people, carefully avoiding the most prominent errors of his father's character. He has endeavoured to liquidate his father's debts, but has found them so enormous, that a long period must elapse before this can possibly be effected. Carefully avoiding all superfluous expense and the contracting of new debts, he has attempted to establish better regulations. He gradually dismissed the Arabs and religious impostors, who had preyed on his father's credulity, and attempted likewise to compel the Bugis traders to pay the usual duties. In this however, he has never been able to succeed, and many of them have left Pontiana, in consequence of his measures, neither are the Chinese traders so numerous as they formerly were.

The present Sultan has been engaged in no hostilities excepting with Sambas, which is still the inveterate enemy of Pontiana. Shortly after the death of the old Sultan of Pontiana, the chief of Sambas attacked Mampawa, and had very nearly taken the fort. Immediately on receiving intelligence of it, the present Sultan proceeded to Mampawa with two thousand men, and defeated the Sambas army, taking their guns, and a number of prisoners, all of whom, even the women, were put to death at Pontiana, and their heads exposed publicly. The union of the Lanuns with the chief of Sambas, has however, given that chieftain a decided preponderance at sea.

The mouth of Lewa or Pontiana river lies about three or four miles to the N.

of the equator. The bar at the entrance has only from eleven to twelve feet at high spring tides, but above this the river is very deep to an immense distance, and the strength of the current seldom exceeds from three to three and a half miles an hour, and is generally less. The anchorage in the roads is safe and free from shoals, and the weather, even in October, which is the worst month, is never so bad as to interrupt the regular intercourse between the ship and the shore. About seven miles from the mouth of the river, at Balu Layang, there is a fort on each side of the river, with fourteen or fifteen guns mounted, being eighteen and twenty-four pounders; on the north side of the river and on the south side, directly opposite, a number of smaller guns. The town of Pontiana is about twelve miles from the mouth of the river, where there is likewise a fort, and some armed vessels stationed.

In the town and bounds of Pontiana, there are settled about 3000 Malays, 1000 Bugis, 100 Arabs, and about 10,000 Chinese; besides these, who are the free inhabitants, there are a considerable number of slaves, many of whom are Javanese, and the rest of all the other Eastern tribes; there are also a few runaway Lascars from different vessels. The character of the Malays is nearly the same at Pontiana as in other Eastern towns; phlegmatic, indolent and proud, and few of them possess much wealth. The Arabs live by trade; they are generally poor when they settle, but are respected on account of their religious character by the Malays. They are, however, neither such economists as the Bugis, nor so expert as the Chinese in trade, and at present few of them possess property to the amount of 20,000 dollars. The Chinese seldom acquire property above this amount at Pontiana, though they are industrious and expert in trade. They are fond of good living, and addicted to gambling, opium, and merry making. They follow the occupations of merchants, mechanics and labourers, cultivate the ground, distill arrack, make sugar, search for gold-dust, and trade to the interior as well as along the coast. The Chinese of Monterano and Salakan, two places very near each other, and situated a short way to the north of Mampawa, and who are estimated at 30,000, receive

from Pontiana all their supplies of opium, piece goods, iron, and China articles. The Bugis at Pontiana chiefly apply themselves to trade, the manufacture of Bugis cloth, and the working of raw silk into cloths. Many of them are possessed of very large property, amounting to above 100,000 dollars. They are generally poor when they come from Bugis-land, but soon acquire property from uniting frugality with dexterity in trade. They are extremely economical and even penurious in their manner of living, insomuch that the daily expense of a Bugis-man's family, however great his property may be, does not amount to above three or four wangs, when the meanest Chinese labourer will continue to spend a rupee; and a wang at Pontiana is only the twelfth part of a rupee.

The Sultan allows them to cultivate as much ground as they please, without any consideration for the same, but they seldom avail themselves of this permission, permitting their domestic slaves only to till as much as serves for their own subsistence. In navigation, the Bugis seem to have been stationary probably for these thousand years; the proas in which they sail from Pontiana to Pulu Penang, Java, Bali, or any similar place, generally cost from 150 to 300 dollars, and the whole outfit, as far as respects sails, cordage, provisions, stores, &c. for one of these voyages, seldom exceeds the sum of 40 or 50 dollars, while the amount of the cargo is generally from 10 to 40,000 dollars. The crews receive no wages, but only a share of the adventure, according to the regulations of the Undang-undang. Many of these proas are lost at sea, but few taken by pirates, as they defend themselves desperately, and never surrender.

The duties at Pontiana on sales are six per cent. on all piece-goods, one dollar per pecul on irou, ditto on steel, ditto on tin, ditto on saltpetre, 50 dollars per chest on opium, bees' wax from the interior two dollars per pecul. The trade of Pontiana, however, has greatly declined. Formerly it was annually visited by from eight to fifteen Chinese junks; at present, however, they never exceed the number of five. Two or three small junks come annually from Siam, but the value of their cargoes is only about 7 or 8000' dollars each.

(To be concluded in our next.)

MEMOIR OF RAJA RUNJEET SINGH,

THE PRESENT RULER OF THE SIKHS.

RUNJEET SINGH, at an early age, found himself at the head of the religion and government of the Sikhs, a Hindu people situate in the Punjab, or country of Five Rivers. To a fine and prepossessing figure he unites a countenance remarkably animated; his eyes are large and of jet black, his forehead high, nose what is commonly called Roman, and a mouth small, with an expressive smile. He possesses a richly endowed mind; is well versed in the Eastern dialects; and speaks, with fluency, one or more European languages. His ministers he selects with discrimination-never permitting interest to gain the ascendant of ability. During the whole of his reign, war has been his delight. He has, however, little confidence in his own subjects, and seems ever to place his chief reliance on that hardy race, the mountaineers of Afghanistan. His recent attempt and failure in the invasion of the valley of Kashmir have attached a celebrity to his character it could not have otherwise obtained. In this instance he was actuated more by avarice than ambition; more through lust of spoil, than anxiety to conquer Kashmir, hitherto deemed impregnable. His reason calculated the dangers, his imagination heightened the probabilities of suc cess in the last he was deceived. He relied on the fidelity of his Sirdars, and was misled by their treachery. Rarely has any native power undertaken a war with such prospects of success-never one in which such flattering hopes were so justly disappointed. In the termination, as on the outset of this disgraceful expedition, Runjeet Singh evinced himself

careless of fatigue; impatient of misfor. tune, generally mild, but at intervals cruel and inhuman. Disgrace was new to him, and he revenged it on those who surrounded him. His impetuosity broke forth in useless imprecations on the severity of the season, and on the snowy mountains, those natural barriers of Kashmir, the obstacles to his success. At Lahore, his capital, Raja Runjeet Singh is beheld to advantage. Wholly devoid of the tyranny which characterizes many native princes, he happily unites in himself the rarely associated qualities of awe and attachment, the love and duty of his subjects. His laws are mild, and equally administered. Genius finds in him a liberal patron; and poverty, when unsullied by crime, a generous benefactor.

At Lahore splendour is without ostentation-power devoid of oppression-munificence and encouragement spring from the throne-gratitude and admiration from the people. The Punjab bears witness of its Prince's humanity in villages rebuilt, canals cleared, and wells sunk ip the sandy plains which border on the Indus and its branches.

Runjeet Singh is amiable in private life; in politics deceitful. Generally speaking, the father of his subjects-terrible to his enemies. In his demeanour courteous, though in conversation somewhat reserved. His reply to a General Officer, who had lately signalized himself in India, shews native intrepidity of soul:- Should the British Government attack Lahore,' said Runjeet Singh, its King can die fighting under its walls, but can never survive the fall of his capital.'

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A CONCISE NARRATIVE

OF THE

INVASION OF NEPAL BY THE GORKHAS.

THE valley of Nepal, situated amidst the immense and almost pathless mountain groups which rise southward of the still more elevated range of Himalaya, appears to have been rendered famous in the days of the Puranas, by the sublime occurrences in the history of the gods, as Asiatic Journ—No. 13.

well as of late by the ambition of the Gorkha, and the exhibition of British power. The wild spirit of mythology, as if delighted with something congenial in the bleakness and barrenness of nature, has laid the scene of some of her most stupendous legends amidst these dreary soliVOL. III. D

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