I knew a man, named Sirudin, who at one time brought over seventeen children obtained in that way from the people of Tutong, and this occurred during the spring of 1857. The parents laid their complaints before the sultan; but Sirudin had sold them off to the principal nobles, and no redress was to be had. The sultan pretended to be very angry with the man, but put the chief blame on the pañgeran de gadong, who, he said, was beyond his power. The aborigines have often risen in insurrection; but being disunited, they have not thereby improved their condition: the Bornean Government always threatening them with calling in the Kayans to subdue any opposition. The Muruts and Bisayas of Limbang are the most impoverished people I have ever met, excessively dirty, both in their persons and their houses, covered with scurfy skin diseases, and their children much troubled with ulcers. Before the Kayans commenced their inroads into the districts situated on the banks of the Limbang river, the Muruts and Bisayas were much more independent than they now are, were more wealthy and better armed. I have heard my old friend the chief of Blimbing describe with great minuteness three beautiful brass guns his father had inherited from his ancestors, which had silver vent holes, were covered with scrolls and inscriptions which the most learned haji could not read. These arms were the pride of the village, but on an evil day, the late sultan thought of them, though with all his faults he was not a gross oppressor of the aborigines; so he sent for the orang kaya of Blimbing, and tried to cajole him out of the guns. For months the chief was firm and would not part with them, but at last, ceding to his sovereign’s entreaties, and to the offer of double their value, he gave way and delivered them up. As soon as the sultan had secured them, full payment was found to be inconvenient, so the chief was never able to get even their original cost, though if he dunned long enough, the sultan would pay him an instalment, and with many flattering words dismiss him; very different treatment from what a chief who dunned would get from the present race of rulers. In fact no country could have existed half a century under the existing system. The three guns were doubtless of Spanish make, and were among those which were taken from the late sultan, after the capture of Brunei by Sir Thomas Cochrane, and were sent to England; there I heard they were melted up during the late war, and helped to construct some of the cannon which were sent to the Crimea. The present orang kaya of Blimbing said, it reconciled him to the loss of the guns to know how well the English had thrashed the Borneans.