Abai contains about thirty houses, perhaps not above two hundred people; while on the hills are a few small villages of Ida’an. I have put them at one hundred and twenty-five fighting-men, or five hundred in all.
Tampasuk contains about one hundred and fifty Lanun men, or seven hundred and fifty population. Bajus, five hundred, or two thousand five hundred people. I have multiplied the Lanun and Baju fighting-men by five, as they have many slaves both male and female.
Gaya Bay contains about three hundred people.
The population of these districts may therefore be entered as follows:—
| Gaya Bay | 300 | Malays and others. |
| Kabatuan | 1,000 | Ida’an. |
| Mengkabong | 6,000 | Bajus and others. |
| „ | 1,000 | Ida’an. |
| Tawaran | 10,000 | Ida’an. |
| Sulaman | 1,000 | Ida’an and Bajus. |
| Abai | 200 | Bajus. |
| „ | 500 | Ida’an. |
| Tampasuk | 2,500 | Bajus. |
| „ | 750 | Lanuns. |
| „ | 16,000 | Ida’an. |
| Total | 45,250 |
The only figures in the above which I think may possibly be overstated, are the Bajus of Tampasuk. We may fairly reckon the population of the districts between Gaya Bay and Tampasuk at forty-five thousand, being quite aware, at the same time, that it is founded on very loose data; but it may serve as a guide to future inquirers.
There are but trifling manufactures carried on. The Bajus are much occupied in preparing salt for the inland tribes. The only other manufacture that is worth noticing, is that of cloths from native cotton, and the most esteemed are those of the Lanuns. The cloth is generally black, with a few white lines running through it, forming a check. It is strong and more enduring than any other I have seen, and fetches a high price—varying from 1l. 5s. to 2l. 10s. for a piece sufficient for a single petticoat. They are, however, deteriorating since the introduction of cheap English yarn, which is superseding the carefully-spun native. No minerals have as yet been discovered in these districts beyond the coal in Gaya Island, though tin has been found to the north of Kina Balu, near one of the streams flowing into Maludu Bay.
There is but little trade carried on: the only articles of export are tobacco, rice, a little wax, cattle, and horses, or rather ponies; the imports consist of cloths, iron, gongs, and earthenware, with occasionally a valuable jar. Little beyond tobacco is brought from the interior, as everything is carried on men’s shoulders, none of their paths being as yet suited for loaded beasts.
It is a great drawback to this country, having no navigable rivers, nor on the hills have they good paths. The latter are easily made, the country presenting no natural difficulties, while in the plains very fair roads already exist, fit for their sledges. The tribes in the interior are at present far beyond any commerce; in fact, the people near the lake have never been visited by the coast population, and trust to exchanging with the other Ida’an. But as the taste for cloth is evidently on the increase, it is possible the trade may improve. Englishmen travelling in that country do great good by spreading a taste for European manufactures.
With respect to the languages spoken, I will at present make but few remarks. The Lanun and Baju are entirely different from the language of the Ida’an. I have made several vocabularies and many inquiries. At Kiau, we collected above 400 words; at Blimbing on the Limbang, 300; and whilst in Maludu Bay, seven years ago, I likewise made a short vocabulary. These three agree so far that I may say that the Ida’an and Bisaya have two out of three words in common; and on further inquiry, I think that the remaining one-third will gradually dwindle away, as at present many of the words in my Bisaya vocabulary are Malay, for which they have their native word. The result of my inquiries is that all the Ida’an speak the same language with slight local differences. We found all the tribes on the Tampasuk and Tawaran spoke fluently to each other, and one of our interpreters, who had never before visited these countries, but had been accustomed to the aborigines to the south, conversed freely with them. The Bisayas live on the rivers in the neighbourhood of the capital, and their language differs but little from that of the Ida’an.