The Borneans are famous for their manufacture of brass guns, which are constantly cast in their frail houses to the imminent danger of the neighbourhood. They principally turn out small wall-pieces, and now trust much for their metal to selected Chinese brass cash. The Malays are clever at this work: a Javanese has lately cast an excellent 12-pounder brass howitzer for the Sarawak Government. Sulu used to be very famous for its krises; now Brunei is attempting to rival her, and has produced some very handsome weapons. In both places they prefer the iron that is taken off the bales of English cotton goods, as the toughest and the best. The custom my brother Bayle mentions in his _Levantine Family_ of preserving an article for years, rather than lower its price, is very common in Brunei. Jeludin Hitam, a rich trader, purchased, in his younger days, a large quantity of camphor, white birds’ nests, and pearls, and received, in payment of some other goods, several hundred pieces of gray shirting, at 12_s._ 6_d._ The breaking out of the Chinese war of 1841 lowered the price of all articles intended for that market. He tried to sell at former rates, but no one would buy; he refused to lower his price, so kept the goods till his death in 1859. On examining them it was found that the gray shirtings were rotten, and had to be thrown away, while all his other goods were sold for half their former value. A native always asks a higher price than he intends to take, as he knows his customer will “tawar,” or cheapen. I may add that on the death of Jeludin Hitam the sultan declared himself his heir, and succeeded to all his property, which, however, did not amount to half that was expected, as it was whispered the daughter concealed a large amount of the gold. When Makota was slain, the sultan took possession of his property, but the most active search failed in finding any gold, though it was well known that he had been accustomed to invest all his money in moidores. But the fact was, Makota did not trust his wife, and therefore always carried his wealth about with him in a box, and after his death it was secreted by one of his sons who happened to be in the same district at the time his father was killed. CHAPTER XI. SARAWAK AND ITS DEPENDENCIES.