NOTICES OF CHINESE INTERCOURSE WITH BORNEO PROPER PRIOR TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF SINGAPORE IN 1819.
The precise period at which Chinese first resorted to Borneo Pro- per must be matter of conjecture. As it appears to have been ear- ly noted for its pepper, camphor, and gold, and these commodities were amongst the principal imports into China from the eastern seas in ancient times,[1] we may believe that the junks, which must have passed close to Borneo on their way to and from Java, early hegan to touch occasionally at some of the ports on the western coast. The Borneans themselves tell us that they are in part descended from Chinese who settled in Bruné. There are so many indepen- dent traditions to the same effect that, although all vague, we are not warranted in rejecting them. According to the Sulu annals a Chinese emperor or chief, named Songtiping, brought a Chinese colony to Borneo, and settled at the northern ports about A. D. 1375.[2] His daughter was married to a celebrated chief of Arabia, Sherif Ali, who had resorted there for commerce. There is nothing improba- ble in this, because we know that about a century previously Borneo was invaded by a fleet sont hy Kublai Khan.[3] Divested of Malay- an exaggerations the fact appears to be that a large colony under a leader settled in Bruné, and that the Arab or Malay chief of the country received him in a friendly manner and married his daugh- ter.[4] The subsequent rulers have all Malay names, which would not have been the case if Songtiping had established a Chinese dynasty. Mr. Low says that the Borneans believe that their king- dom was first formed by large settlements of Chinese (Sarawak &c., p. 94), and we have heard Chinese in Singapore talk of a king of
- ↑ Marco Polo says of Java (Borneo and Java) that the territory is very rich, yielding pepper, nutmegs, galanga, cubebs, cloves and all the richest spices. Many merchants from Zaitun come and carry on a great and profitable trade. Its treasure (gold) also is so immense, that it can scarcely be estimated." The last sentence must refer to Borneo. Of Lochac, apparently a country in Borneo in the vicinity of Sambas or Pontianak, he says "Brazil wood is in abundance and gold in almost incredible quantities."
- ↑ Hunt's Sulus p. 32.
- ↑ The Malay history of Malacca mentions a colony of Chinese in Plembang prior to the foundation of Singapore.
- ↑ The Chinese settled in Java sometimes, to gain the favour of the native princes, brought beautiful women from China to present to them.
