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104 BORNEO ness, whence they are obtained by Malays, who sink shafts in the rivers for this purpose. The largest diamond ever found in Borneo weighs 367 carats. Diamond washing is carried on to some extent in the Sarawak river, which yields small stones of brilliant water; but the largest product is in the Landak district, in the Dutch dominions, 40 in. N. of the equator. Gold is found in Sarawak as well as the districts under the government of the Netherlands, but only as small grains in alluvial deposits. The anti- mony exported from Borneo through Sarawak constitutes the chief supply of Great Britain. The principal mines are at Bidi, near which some traces of silver have been discovered. Coal of good quality occurs abundantly at the British island of Labuan, and in the Dutch Banjermassin district. It has also been found in Sarawak, and on the Koti river. Excellent iron ore abounds in the south, and is also met with in the northwest. The natives manufac- ture it into the best cutting blades to be found in the archipelago. A copper mine is worked by the Dutch in the Sambas country. Small quantities of platinum have been obtained in some localities, but this metal has never been profitably extracted. The climate of Borneo is remarkably salubrious for an equatorial island. The low regions of coast land and ex- tensive forest are hot and moist, with an aver- age temperature throughout the year of about 70 F. between 6 and 7 o'clock A. M., and an annual rainfall in some places estimated at 300 inches. The wet season on the western side of the island is synchronous with the dry sea- son on the eastern shores, from April to Sep- tember, at the time of the S. E. monsoon; with the beginning of the N. E. monsoon in September the wet season sets in along Macas- sar strait and the shores of the Java sea, last- ing till April. In the higher districts the cli- mate is temperate and healthy. The vegeta- tion of Borneo is rich, luxuriant, and varied. The island is essentially a forest country, and abounds in gigantic trees. Brilliant flowers are scarce. The most striking vegetable pro- ductions are the wonderful pitcher plants of the botanical genus nepenthes, which here at- tain their highest development in form and color. They grow on the mountains, and vary greatly in size and appearance. The pitcher of one species will hold two quarts of water. They are usually green, with red, brown, and purple markings and linings. There are prob- ably 100 species of ferns on the island, and the orchids are well represented. The finest fruit is furnished by the abundant durian tree, which resembles the elm in general appear- ance. A spiny oval mass contains the fruit in the form of a cream-colored pulp. Other fruit trees are the mangosteen, lansat, rambu- tan, jack, jambon, and blimbing. The bamboo is put to many important uses in the native economy. Among the valuable products of the Bornean forests are bananas, betel nuts, breadfruit, camphor, cocoanuts, ebony,' gutta percha, rattan, and sandal wood. The soil is generally very fertile, and yields rice, sago, manioc, cotton, sugar, cloves, nutmegs, pop- pies, and ginger. Melons and gourds are pro- duced in large quantities, and in addition to the more distinctive fruits already mentioned are found the orange, lemon, mango, tamarind, and pomegranate. The orang-outang or mias (iimia satyrus) occupies the most prominent place in the fauna of Borneo, which, with the exception of Sumatra, where it is rarely met with, is believed to be its exclusive habitat. These creatures frequent the dense virgin for- ests of the low country, and are not to be found in the dry and elevated districts. The quadru- mana are further represented by the long-nosed monkey and at least ten other species. There are four species of lemur-like animals. The carnivora are sparingly represented, a species of arboreal panther (felis macrocelis) being the most noteworthy animal of this order. The elephant is occasionally encountered in the north, and is believed to be identical with that of India. The only other large quadrupeds are deer and wild cattle (bos Sondaicvs). Wild hogs roam through the forests in vast numbers. There are numerous bats and many charac- teristic species of squirrels. A curious repre- sentative of the insectivora is the small feather- tailed ptilocercus Lowii. Of birds there are parrots, woodpeckers, trogons, pheasants, par- tridges, hornbills, cuckoos, bee-eaters, and ga- pers. Of insects there are honey bees, 2,000 species of beetles, and no fewer than 29 species of papilionida or gorgeous swallow-tailed but- terflies. Crocodiles, tortoises, and pythons and other serpents are met with. The adjacent seas and the rivers abound in fish, which form a considerable article of consumption and com- merce. The principal territorial divisions of Borneo are as follows: 1, Sarawak, an indepen- dent 'state under an English rajah, extending about 300 m. along the N. W. coast, with a population of 300,000 ; 2, Borneo proper, one of the few Malay kingdoms which remain in the archipelago, embracing the N. W. coast of the peninsula to Maludu bay, population unknown; 3, the Dutch territories on the S., E., and W. coasts, comprising Sambas, Banjermassin, and Pontianak, with an aggre- gate area of 201,541 sq. m., and a total popu- lation in 1869 of 1,189,303. These dependen- cies are included under the administration of the Dutch governor of Java. The inhabi- tants comprise the aboriginal Dyaks and the immigrant Malays, Javanese, Chinese, and Bughis or natives of Celebes. The Dyaks are closely allied to the Malay race, but are more simple and honest, and morally superior in al- most every respect. Their average stature somewhat exceeds that of the Malays ; their hair is straight, coarse, and black, and they are well proportioned without any tendency to obesity. Agriculture is their principal means of subsistence. They are distinguished by many excellent traits of character, and when kindly