When such cases are of common occurrence it is not to be expected that the city should be otherwise than in confusion, being without a government able or willing to do justice. It is only kept together by the sort of local self-government which obtains in all the kampongs or sections of the city, and by the strong feeling which unites all the branches of a family, and often prevents crimes from the fear of vengeance. I may here notice that Brunei is divided into kampongs (sections or parishes). Ascending the river and entering the city, the first kampong on the left is called Pablat, and is the residence of some of the most sturdy of the inhabitants; they are the fishermen, who have their fixed nets on the banks of the rivers, and on the extensive sandbanks which stretch across the bay, inside Muara Island. Although they are constantly at work, they are not very enterprising, as they never place their nets in water deeper than two fathoms. Haji Saman, an intelligent man, but notorious for his piratical connections, once tried the experiment in five fathom waters, and his great success should have tempted others, but as yet they have not followed his example. Their nets are made of split bamboo, and are of various heights: the lower are fixed near the bank, and the longer are added on as they enter into deeper water, so that the summits are of uniform height. The fish ascending or descending the river, and meeting with this obstruction, follow it to the end, and enter a very simple trap, being simply open spaces with narrow passages leading into them; and their prolonged sides prevent the fish easily discovering the way out. As soon as it is low water, a basket which fits the bottom of the inner trap is raised, and the fish are put into baskets, and the men start for the capital in the fastest canoes I have almost ever seen, and never appear to draw breath till they have reached the town, eight to seventeen miles’ distance from their nets. Their wives and daughters are waiting their arrival, and immediately pull off to the floating market to dispose of the day’s capture. There is much rivalry as to the arrival of the first boat, as the profit realized is greater, and for that reason they will seldom stop to sell their fish during the transit. I imagine that it is on account of their being constantly in the water that their skins are so scurfy. The next kampong is Perambat, from _rambat_, a casting-net, and constant practice has given these men wonderful proficiency, as standing on the bows of a small canoe, they will throw a net that has a spread of thirty feet, with such perfect accuracy that its outer edges fall in a circle on the water at the same time, and they thus catch a large amount of small fish and prawns.