BOBNU 120 BORON sides a number of smaller dependencies, the Western Division contains the king- dom of Landak, Tayan, Mampawa, Suk- adana, Simpang, Matan, Sekadow, Sin- tang, Sambas. Pop. about 450,000. States forming the Southern and East- ern Division are Kotaringin, Banjer- massin, and Martapura. Pop. about 783,000. Chinese, Malays, etc., are for- bidden to ascend the river higher than the Kanpore Pilany. The same is the case with the basins of the Kapuas Mu- rurg, knovi^n as the Little Dyak district. The population of the whole of the Dutch portion of the island is about 1,280,000. (5) The Island of Labuan, off the coast of Brunei, has belonged to the Brit- ish since 1846. The chief towns in Borneo are Sam- bas (10,000), Pontianak (9,000), Ban- jermassin (30,000), Brunei (20,000), and Kuching (12,000). History. — The Chinese had commer- cial dealings with Borneo as early as the 5th century, but they made no settlement for a long time after. The Malay king- dom of Borneo proper dates back to the 13th century. Another Malay settle- ment of later origin, Sambas, was at first dependent on Johore in the Malay Peninsula. Sukadana was founded by Hindu Javanese from the kingdom of Majapahit (see Java), and spread its influence on the whole S. part of the W. coast. Mampawa was a Buginese set- tlement, and Pontianak was founded as late as 1771 by a colony of Arabs, Ma- lays, and Buginese. Islam began to be preached by Arabs from Palembang in the 16th century. The Portuguese eff'ected a settlement in 1690 at Banjermassin; from thence they were, however, soon expelled. The Dutch succeeded in concluding a treaty -■){ commerce with the princes of Banjer- massin. They erected a fort and factory in 1643, and a second in 1778 at Pon- tianak. The British made unsuccessful attempts in 1702 and 1774 to effect a settlement in Borneo, but, during the 19th century, they acquired a prepon- derating influence on the N. W. coast. BORITU, or BORNORO, formerly a negro kingdom of central Africa, now mcluded in northern Nigeria, somewhat larger in extent than England, bounded on the E. by Lake Tchad, and N. by the Sahara. The greater part of the coun- {^y ,'^ perfectly level, and much of it is liable to be overflowed in the rainy sea- son, which lasts from October to April. The heat from March to June is exces- sive, ranging from 104° to 107° F. The two principal rivers are the Shari and the Komaduga Vaobe, both of which fall into Lake Tchad. The soil is fertile, yields plentiful crops of maize, millet, and other tropical produce. Wild beasts are very numerous. Coats of mail are made both for horses and their riders. ■ The population, which is estimated at about 5,000,000, is mostly of negro race and called Bornuese or Kanuri. The ruling race, called Shuwas, are of Arab descent and bigoted Mohammed- ans; but many traces of fetichism re- main among the masses. Whatever they < have of civilization is derived from the Arabs. The shores and islands of Lake Tchad are inhabited by negro pirates called yedina or huddurrui. The slave trade was formerly eagerly prosecuted in Bornu. In the beginning of the 19th century, Bornu was conquered by the Fellatahs, whose yoke, however, was soon shaken off. The ruins of Birni, the old capital, on the Yaobe, may still be seen. Kuka, or Kukawa, the capital, is on the W. shore of Lake Tchad, Gornu, to the S. E., has one of the most important markets of central Africa. BORO BITDOR (the "Great Buddha"), the ruin of a splendid Buddhist temple in Java, Kadu residency, near the junc- tion of the Ello and Progo, is the most elaborate monument of the Buddhist style of architecture anywhere existing. Javanese chronicles place the building of the temple in the beginning of the 7th century. Boro Budor is built on a low hill. BORODINO, a village of Russia, 70 miles W. of Moscow; on the Kaluga, an ' ■ afliluent of the Moskwa. It gave name to the great battle fought between the French army under Napoleon and the Russian under Kutusoff, Sept. 7, 1812. The battle of Borodino was one of the most obstinately disputed in history, and the loss on both sides was almost equally great. Out of 257,000 men en- gaged, between 70,000 and 80,000 were killed and wounded. The Russians re- ' treated on the following day, but in the most perfect order, and, therefore, claim this battle as a victory; but the French, who name the battle from the Moskwa, have always maintained a similar claim. BORO-GLYCERIDE, a compound of boracic acid with glycerine, represented by the formula CHiBOn. It is a power- ful antiseptic, and being perfectly harm- less is as useful in the preservation of food as in surgery, etc. BORON, in chemistry, a triatomic ele- ment, symbol B. Atomic weight, 11. It occurs in nature combined in the form of boracic acid B(0H)3 and its salts.
