BONI, bone, a district, formerly a king dom, in the island of Celebes, Dutch East In dies, with an estimated area of about square miles. This territory is mountainous, but, though contiguous to the great volcanic belt of the archipelago, exhibits no traces of volcanic action. Lompoo-Batang (great pillar), its highest peak, and the loftiest in Celebes, attains an elevation of 8,200 feet above the level of the sea. Lake Labaya, or, as called by the natives, Taparang-Danau, in the northwest cor ner of this territory, is a beautiful sheet of water, 24 miles long and 13 broad, with an aver age depth of six fathoms, and abounds in fish. It is bordered on all sides by a luxuriant and richly diversified tropical growth, except at the mouths of the numerous little streams that empty into it, where clearings and beautiful, picturesque little villages, attest the industry, skill and civilized tastes of the Bugis people. Boni was formerly the most powerful state in Celebes, but since 1859 has been practically a Dutch dependency. In the north the fine and the soil fertile— rice, sago, cassia, coffee and tobacco being produced. The lan
guage of the inhabitants is allied to that of the Macassars, with a literature of its own.. Their towns and villages dot the coast, and as enter prising merchants and sailors the Bugis are found in every port of the East Indian Archi pelago; they also engage in agriculture and horse breeding, and in the manufacture of cotton and articles of gold and iron, in which they have a large trade. They are well built, active and brave, and are lighter skinned, as well as superior in honesty and morality to other Malay races. Their institutions, said to be very ancient, partake of the character of a constitu tional monarchy. The British have twice at tacked the Bonese for injuring their commerce and selling the crews of British ships into slavery. In the second attack, in 1814, the Bonese King was killed. The number of the population is unknown, estimated from 200,000 to 300,000.