To the European novice, paddling is severe work, more laborious than rowing; but then a Brunai man is always in "training," more or less; he is a teetotaller and very temperate in eating and drinking; indeed the amount of fluid they take is, considering the climate, wonderfully small. They scarcely drink during meals, and afterwards, as a rule, only wash their mouths out, instead of taking a long draught like the European. Mr. DALRYMPLE is right in saying that a State visit is like a Quakers' meeting. Seldom is any important business more than broached on such an occasion; the details of difficult negotiations are generally discussed and arranged by means of confidential agents, who often find it to their pecuniary advantage to prolong matters to the limit of their employer's patience. The Brunai Malays are very nice, polite fellows to have to deal with, but they have not the slightest conception of the value of time, and the expression _nanti dahulu_ (wait a bit) is as often in their mouths as that of _malua_ (by-and-by) is by Miss GORDON CUMMING said to be in those of the Fijians. A lady friend of mine, who found a difficulty in acquiring Malay, pronounced _nanti dahulu_, or _nanti dulu_ as generally spoken, "nanty doodle," and suggested that "the nanty doodles" could be a good name for "the Brunai Malays." As writing is a somewhat rare accomplishment, state documents are not signed but sealed--"_chopped_" it is called--and much importance is accordingly attached to the official seals or _chops_, which are large circular metal stamps, and the _chop_ is affixed by oiling the stamps, blacking it over the flame of a candle and pressing it on the document to be sealed. The _chop_ bears, in Arabic characters, the name, style and title of the Official using it. The Sultan's Chop is the Great Seal of State and is distinguished by being the only one of which the circumference can be quite round and unbroken; the edges of those of the Wazirs are always notched. By the aboriginal tribes of Borneo, the Brunai people are always spoken of as _Orang Abai_, or Abai men, but though I have often enquired both of the aborigines and of the Brunais themselves, I have not been able to obtain any explanation of the term, nor of its derivation. As already stated, the religion of the Brunais is Mahomedanism; but they do not observe its precepts and forms with any very great strictness, nor are they proselytisers, so that comparatively few of the surrounding pagans have embraced the religion of their conquerors.