Posts

How to tell good Blue and white Porcelin from Fake

How to Spot Old Blue and White Porcelain Because of the countless fakes on the market, it’s important to know what signs might indicate genuine age. Keep in mind: only an expert or laboratory test can confirm authenticity, but these tips can help you decide whether your piece is worth

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Migration of monkeys into Borneo

This essay was originally published in 2001 but was just reprinted in a book in 2026 at the ridiculous price of $149. Dr Brandon Jones was the author and his ideas on animal migration back and forth between Sumatra, Borneo and other parts of  Southeast Asia during the last two

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Early Sabah Colonies

Colonies in Sabah Balambangan One of the earliest attempts to establish a foreign settlement in Sabah took place on Balambangan Island, off the northern tip of Borneo. The idea came from Alexander Dalrymple, a British official working for the East India Company. In the early 1760s, he made agreements with

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All Creatures Great and Small #79

All Creatures #79 Sea Snails These sea snails live in the water along the coast of Sarawak, from the coastal areas to the deep oceans. They occur in large quantities and serve as food for commercial fish, seabirds, and whales. The piece is a comprehensive essay on the snail species

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Early Visitors to Santubong

Early Visitors to Santubong 487-488 CE In the Song Shu (宋书 Liu Song History Annals), which was edited by Shen Yue (沈约, 441–513) during the Nan/Southern dynasty, are records concerning the Poli nation (婆利国). The Poli nation was considered Santubong. All records show the arrival of emmissarys from Poli to

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All Creatures Great and Small #78

New Species Three new species of marine parasites that attach to the gills, mouth, or skin of fish have been made known to science. They are flattened, allowing them to cling to fish and usually attach and then detach from the fish’s body. They were found in Borneo waters. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101157

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Old Names on Borneo

Early Locations in Borneo from the Nagara Krtagama The Nagara Krtagama is a court poem written in 1365 by the Javaenese poet Mpu Prapañca during the reign of King Hayam Wuruk of Majapahit. The following list was taken from the poem, but the descriptions and locations are mine. Kapuhas A

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Semporna Islands of Sabah

Semporna Islands The Semporna Islands are located off the coast of Sabah in the Celebes Sea. They can be reached from Semporna Town by a 45-minute speedboat ride. They comprise multiple islands and reefs, including Bodgaya Island. There are various people who live in the Sulu Islands of the Philippines

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Indian Colonies in Borneo

Early Indian Colonies in Borneo The earliest evidence, 400 A.D., of the Hindu colonisation in Borneo is furnished by four inscriptions. These were discovered in 1879 in the district of Koti (Kutei), at Muara Kamai on the Mahakam river, three days’ journey above Pelarang. The remains of a Chinese junk,

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Writing History and AI

Writing History and AI About a year ago, I played around with AI but when I discovered they used Wikipedia as a source, I quit. Wikipedia can be written and posted by anyone anywhere without any research. I could write I came from Mars in a spaceship and they would

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The Mystery of Ong Sum Ping of Brunei

Ong Sum Ping in Chinese Sources Ong Sum Ping lived in Brunei. He established a trading post and a Chinese settlement called Wicaya (from the Sanskrit meaning victory?) on or near the Kinabatangan River. He supported Sultan Muhammad Shah as the ruler, but he was never the ruler of Brunei.

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All Creatures Great and Small #77

All Creatures #77 New Species Two new species of Mealy bugs have been discovered feeding on forest trees in Kalimatan. 89 species have been described worldwide and several are considered agricultural pests.  10.3897/zookeys.1249.159569 Book Chapter A chapter in the book The Making of Singapore as an Asian Regional Corridor entitled

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