NECESSITY OF APPOINTING BRITISH CONSULS IN THE
SPANISH AND DUTCH COLONIES--NEW SETTLEMENT ON
THE WESTERN COAST OF BORNEO--IMPORTANT DISCOVERY
OF COAL ON THE NORTH-WEST COAST--CONCLUDING
REMARKS.
It appears to me, that British commerce in the East, requires somewhat
more care and attention from the Authorities in the mother country, than
they have hitherto bestowed upon it. The trade carried on by British
subjects with the Philippines, Siam, and the Dutch Colonies, is both
extensive and important; but, not unfrequently, it suffers interruption
from the Government of those countries, to the serious loss and
inconvenience of the parties concerned. That a Consul or other properly
authorised functionary is required to watch over the interests of
British merchants trading to Manilla, Bang-kok, Batavia, Samarang, and
Sourabaya in Java, and Padang on the west coast of Sumatra, is evident
to every person at all acquainted with the trade of those places; and I
will add a few facts by way of satisfying those who may be doubtful on
the point.
In the first place, then, British subjects residing in, or shipping
resorting to Manilla, are subject to the most arbitrary proceedings on
the part of the Spanish Government,[27] who order merchants from the
place, and ships from the harbour, at a day's notice, without ever
condescending to state their reasons for such proceedings. It was only
the other day that the British subjects residing in Manilla were, by an
unlooked for and arbitrary order of the Governor, deprived of the
professional aid of the medical practitioners of their own country then
resident among them. These professional men were not, indeed, ordered to
quit the place; but they were informed by an official proclamation, that
no medical man would in future be permitted to practice in Manilla,
unless in possession of a diploma from the college at Cadiz. This, of
course, was equivalent to an order to quit, as no English physician
could be expected to have such a document in his possession. A friend of
mine, writing to me on this occasion, represents the act as tantamount
to a sentence of death upon all foreigners resident in the Philippines.
While Spanish surgeons are allowed to practice among their countrymen in
British Colonies, such a state of things ought not for a moment to be
suffered by the British Government.
[Footnote 27: This remark has recently been confirmed beyond
the possibility of denial, by the unjust and cruel sentence
passed by the Court of Justice in Manilla, on my esteemed
friend, Mr. Robert Diggles, who, after having been led into
great expense, and kept under the surveillance of the police
for nearly two years, has been tried as a criminal, and
sentenced to pay a fine of two thousand dollars, and banished
the Philippines for six years. And for what, does the reader
suppose? For kicking out of his house an impudent Spanish
tailor who had presented himself there during a ball given by
Mr. Diggles to Vice-Admiral Sir William Parker and
Major-General Lord Saltoun, during their visit to Manilla in
Her Majesty's ship Cornwallis.
From Lord Saltoun, on his return to Hong Kong, I received an
account of this matter; and Mr. Diggles also sent me the
particulars in writing. From the testimony thus tendered to me
by an eyewitness whose word cannot for a moment be doubted, and
by the party principally concerned, in whose word I also place
implicit confidence, I have no hesitation in making this public
declaration, that Mr. Diggles has been partially, cruelly,
unjustly, disgracefully, and tyrannically dealt with by the
Government of Manilla. A letter I received yesterday from
Singapore, gives room to hope that Mr. Diggles's banishment has
been remitted, which I should be glad to hear confirmed, though
it would be no adequate reparation for the injury he has
sustained.--Hull, 1st November 1845.]
Next, as to Siam. It is well known to every person acquainted with the
trade of that country, that its Sovereign, in defiance of all treaties,
monopolizes, by unjust and tyrannical means, nine-tenths of the commerce
of his dominions; that his agents watch for and seize every boat that
approaches the capital with produce; that the produce so seized is
carried to the King's warehouses; that he pays whatever price he
pleases for the contents of the boat; that the produce so seized is very
generally the property of other persons, (frequently British subjects,)
who have advanced money to the planter on his growing crop; that British
and other shipping resorting to Bang-kok for the purchase of produce,
are compelled to buy from the King on his own terms, or to leave the
port in ballast; and finally, that these proceedings are in direct
opposition to the terms of an existing Treaty between Great Britain and
Siam. A Consul at Bang-kok, and a visit twice a year from one of the
ships of war cruizing in the China Sea and the Straits of Malacca, would
put an entire stop to His Siamese Majesty's unwarrantable proceedings,
as far as British subjects are concerned. Let Americans and others look
after themselves.
Ill the Dutch Colonies, also, I can testify from personal observation,
the British merchant is very frequently dealt with not less arbitrarily.
The Dutch Authorities are not content with prohibiting the importation
into their Colonies of warlike stores and opium, (which they have an
undoubted right to do,) but their regulations render a ship seizable,
that enters their ports with either of those forbidden articles on
board. This seems unreasonably hard and it puts the British merchant to
expense an trouble oftener than may be supposed. A ship bound from
London, Liverpool, or Glasgow, to Batavia and Singapore, (a very common
destination,) dares not receive on board as freight, either a chest of
Turkey opium, or a single Birmingham musket. If she does, she must give
up all idea of calling at Batavia, where she would be immediately
seized, for having such articles on board as cargo. Only four years ago,
the British barque Acdazeer, bound from Bombay to China, with a cargo
consisting of thirteen hundred chests of opium, was dismasted in a gale
in the China Sea, and bore up for the port of Sourabaya, which she
entered in distress, for the purpose of repairs, and for stores to
enable her to prosecute her voyage. My memory does not serve me so as to
enable me to state, whether the Acdazeer's visit to Java was before or
after the promulgation of the law prohibiting ships with opium and
warlike stores entering any of the ports of Netherlands India; but I
think it was _before_ that regulation was made public. Be that as it
may, the ship was in distress; and, as a matter of course, her Commander
thought he was entering a friendly port. His astonishment may be
conceived, when he was ordered by the Authorities to land all his cargo
in the bonded stores, before the slightest assistance could be rendered
to his vessel. What was to be done? Resistance was useless; and to
prosecute his voyage with a disabled ship, impracticable. The cargo was
accordingly landed, and the vessel's repairs were proceeded with. When
these were finished, the Commander reported his being ready to receive
his cargo on board again, and to proceed on his voyage; when he was
told, that, before doing so, he must pay an _entrepôt_ duty of one per
cent. on the whole value. This he was compelled to do; and it amounted
to the very considerable sum of 1300l. All goods landed in bond (or
_entrepôt_), in any of the ports of His Netherlands Majesty's
East-Indian territories, are subject to a duty of one per cent. on being
re-exported; but who ever heard of a ship that had put into harbour in
distress, being _compelled_ to land her cargo, under the pretence that
it was to prevent the possibility of any portion of it being smuggled,
and of its commander being afterwards told, that, as the goods had gone
into _entrepôt_, the duty must be paid?
These facts may be sufficient to shew, that the appointment of Consuls
at the different ports above named, is urgently needed as a protection
to the British shipping visiting them. I have been told, that the
Spanish and Dutch Governments have refused to receive or acknowledge
Consuls in their Eastern possessions. If this is the case, the evil
might be remedied by a note from Downing Street. The other ports of
Netherlands India are, perhaps, not of sufficient importance, as regards
English commerce, to authorise the expense of Consular appointments. If
the opinion of so humble an individual as myself could be supposed to
reach the ears of the British Premier, I would respectfully but
earnestly call his attention to the foregoing remarks.
Another subject to which I am anxious to call the attention of the
British Government, is, the advantages presented by establishing
settlements on the north-western and western coasts of the Island of
Borneo. The proceedings of my friend Mr. Brook[28] at Sarawak on the
western coast, having been made public, it is only necessary for me here
to remark, that Mr. Brook has already paved the way for the advantageous
settlement of a British Colony in his neighbourhood, and to express a
wish that Her Majesty's Government may take advantage of his spirited
and praiseworthy exertions, and reward him for them. The influence which
he has obtained over the wild and intractable natives (as they have been
hitherto deemed) of that part of Borneo, the service which he has
rendered to the mercantile interests of his country by his exertions in
the suppression of piracy, the numbers of people whom he has induced
literally to turn their swords into ploughshares, and the quiet,
unostentatious way in which all this, and more than all this, has been
effected, are not less surprising than creditable to his abilities,
perseverance, and public spirit.
[Footnote 28: See Appendix II.]
The recent discovery of extensive veins of coal on the banks of the
river of Borneo Proper, is my chief reason for calling public attention
to the north-western coast of that island. The destruction by fire of
the British ship Sultana, on her voyage from Bombay to China, and the
subsequent imprisonment of Capt. Page, his wife, officers, passengers,
and crew, by the Rajah of Borneo Proper, led to the discovery in
question. The Singapore Government, on hearing of Capt. Page's
captivity, sent a steamer to procure his release; and it was the captain
of this steamer who discovered the coal, several tons of which he
collected and used on board his vessel. He described them to me as being
of excellent quality for steamers, and to be had in unlimited quantities
by simply digging away the upper crust of the earth to the depth of six
inches, under which the coals lie in masses. He was moreover informed,
by the natives in the neighbourhood, (who, by-the-by, never use the
coals, though they knew that they would burn, and called them "_Batu
Api_" or fire-stones,) of the existence of much more extensive
coal-veins a few miles further up the river. He had not time to visit
the spot, but the natives assured him, that ships might be loaded from
the surface. Of the depth or extent of the veins, they knew nothing; it
is, however, more than probable, that, on the application of proper
means, an unlimited supply of coals might be obtained. The importance
of such a supply, now that Steam communication between Calcutta and
Singapore has been established, and that the line will in all
probability be shortly extended to China, requires no demonstration. In
the event of a regular monthly overland mail being despatched from Hong
Kong, to join the Calcutta line at Point de Galle[29] (Ceylon), it would
not be out of the steamer's way, to touch and coal at Borneo: thence
proceeding to Singapore, where she would not require coals, she would
take in the mail, and proceed on her voyage. This plan would save the
expense of forming a coal _dépôt_ at Singapore. All Her Majesty's
steamers on the coast of China might be supplied with fuel from the same
quarter, particularly as several empty ships go to China every season in
search of freights homeward, which would gladly call at Borneo _en
route_, and take in a cargo of coals, to be delivered at Hong Kong, at a
moderate rate per ton. To establish this coal trade on a permanent
footing, a treaty would require to be entered into with the Sultan of
Borneo. This, I have no hesitation in saying, might be effected, and the
requisite arrangements made with the Borneo Authorities by Mr. Brook,
whose influence in that quarter is deservedly all-powerful. An
establishment placed there, the chief or superintendent of which might
be invested with Consular powers, would manage the coal business, and
protect any unfortunate shipwrecked British seamen from ill treatment
similar to that sustained by the captain and crew of the Sultana. So
many vessels have from time to time disappeared and never been heard of,
between Singapore and China, as to render it far from improbable, that
there are numbers of British subjects now in confinement on the northern
coasts of Borneo and Palawan. This probable or, at least, supposable
case furnishes an additional argument in favour of placing some party,
armed with power to protect such unfortunate persons, in some convenient
spot in the neighbourhood. When I say, armed with power, I do not mean
that arms should be put into the hands of those stationed to manage the
coal-mines at Borneo, but that their superintendent should be empowered
to use energetic language, and threats if need be, in the name of the
British Government. The magic of a name is nowhere felt or understood
more than among these same savages; in proof of which I may mention,
that the Rajah of Borneo Proper gave up Capt. Page and his crew
immediately on their being demanded in the name of the Governor of
Singapore, though he had refused to listen for a moment to the proposals
and demands previously conveyed by a well-armed schooner sent by Mr.
Brook from Sarawak to treat for the release of the Sultana's people, on
hearing of their captivity. Even His Majesty of Siam stands in awe of
the British name; and I could tell instances of his having paid
deference to a few lines from the Singapore Authorities.
[Footnote 29: 1846; now in full operation. Vide Appendix I. p.
303.]
The ships of war in these seas are too much in harbour; they might be
far better employed in occasional visits to the different ports of
Borneo, Palawan, the eastern coast of the Malayan Peninsula, Siam, and
Cochin China. Visits to those countries twice or thrice a year, would
not interfere in the slightest degree with their regular duty; it ought,
indeed, to form part of it; and would be of incalculable value to
British merchants. The Authorities of those different States, knowing
that the visits of British ships of war were to be regular and frequent
in future, would be cautious how they meddled with British subjects.
With all the gasconade common to Orientals generally, the chiefs of the
countries I have mentioned, are cowards at heart, tyrants as they are
when opportunity offers; and they dread the sight of a ship of war in
their harbours. No better check could be kept upon their conduct; and
the plan proposed would not cost Great Britain a shilling, inasmuch as
the ships required to carry it into execution, are in commission, and,
as I said before, spend far too much time in port. Such a catastrophe
as the loss of the Golconda, with four hundred souls on board, ought to
be sufficient to call forth the utmost exertions on the part of our
naval officers in the China Sea. This ship, a vessel of 800 tons,
sailed from Singapore in September 1840 (or 1841), bound to China,
with the head-quarters of the 37th Madras Native Infantry on board,
and has never since been heard of. In my humble opinion, the China Sea
and its coasts ought to have been thoroughly searched for any remains
of this unfortunate ship, it being far from impossible, that some of
her people may be in existence in Cochin China or on the neighbouring
coasts or islands. When the unfortunate barque Fifeshire disappeared
in the same mysterious way, on the same voyage, three of her men
turned up from Cochin China, twelve months after she had been given up
and paid for by the under-writers. No endeavour was made to trace the
Golconda,--wherefore, let those explain, who had it in their power to
cause due search to be made. Being unable to divine their reasons, I
hope, for their own sakes, they were sufficient to quiet their own
consciences.
My wanderings are drawing near a close, and I have little more to say.
On our passage down the China Sea, during the prevailing very light
southerly winds of April, we exhausted a large portion of our fresh
stock; and for replenishing it and our water we touched in Anjer Roads,
of which, and the village of the same name, I shall now give a brief
sketch.
Nothing can be prettier than the sail into Anjer Roads from the
northward, on a fine clear day. The scenery is equal to any thing I have
ever seen. On your right, rises the high land of Sumatra, covered with
wood to the very summit, and exhibiting all the different shades of
green; on your left, are St. Nicholas Point and the high land of Java;
while the two little isles called, "Cap and Button," add their minute
features to the landscape. The land in this part of Java, though well
wooded, is not covered with timber so thickly as the opposite coast of
Sumatra; but, here and there, the scene is diversified by a clearing,
where the Javanese may be seen at work in his rice-field, yam-patch,
vegetable garden, or pinery. In front, the island of "Thwart-the-way"
(well named, for it is right in mid-channel) relieves the eye from the
glare of the sea; which, in these low latitudes, is a matter of some
moment; while, further seaward, may be seen towering far above the
surrounding objects, the islands of Pulo Bissie and Crockatooa, both
visible from a great distance, and forming excellent land-marks for the
mariner. On nearing the anchorage, the pretty little village of Anjer
strikes the eye, its huts built in rows, and shaded by palms and other
trees; the Dutch Resident's house, the fort, and the wharf, are all in
view; and further back, about a mile from the sea, may be seen the tomb,
erected by his shipmates, to the memory of Dr. ----, Assistant Surgeon
of H. M. S. Alceste. The inscription informs the stranger, that Dr.
---- died here on his return from China, after the wreck of the Alceste.
This tomb was the first thing that attracted my attention when I landed
at Anjer in 1823, and has ever since been an object of interest to me.
Anjer is a very convenient place for ships bound from China or Singapore
for Europe to touch at for supplies, although many ship-masters avoid it
during the prevalence of the north-west monsoon, when it is a lee shore.
I have anchored there at all seasons of the year, and never found any
difficulty in getting out of the harbour; but others have been less
fortunate, and have got among the rocks. Here, the natives come off to
passing ships, and bring fowls at two rupees per dozen; (a rupee here is
equal to 1s. 8d. sterling;) ducks at three rupees per dozen; good-sized
turtle one dollar each; yams one dollar per _pecul_ of 133 lbs.; eggs
one dollar per hundred; and other articles in proportion. They are very
fond of visiting an English ship, as they generally get paid by her
Commander in Spanish or other dollars; a coin held in universal
estimation in those parts. In my frequent visits to Anjer, I have
invariably met with a polite and hospitable reception from the Dutch
Resident, (the chief Civil authority,) who has always been willing and
ready to render any aid in his power to strangers.
Anjer, with all its beauties of scenery, is said to be unhealthy in the
rainy season, when the showers and thunder-storms are both frequent and
heavy: its natives are a puny race, and its European inhabitants look
pale and sickly; so that, I suppose, it deserves the doubtful reputation
generally given to it. During my last ramble in the vicinity of Anjer, I
observed some natives at work in a plantation of young plants which, at
first sight, and from their being sheltered from the sun by tall,
wild-cotton trees, I took for coffee. On inquiring of the overseer, and
looking more closely at the plants, I found they were young
cinnamon-trees. The attention of the Dutch Government has long been
given to the cultivation of this spice; and, from the very healthy
appearance of the plants just mentioned, I should think that the
ultimate success of the undertaking was far from doubtful. It will not
surprise me to see, before ten years have elapsed, Java rivalling Ceylon
in cinnamon, as it is now competing with Bengal in indigo.
The Strait of Sunda, in which Anjer is situated, is certainly a
beautiful channel for ships to sail through in fine weather, though,
from the strength of its currents, an uglier place in a dark, squally
night could scarcely be found. It used to be notorious for Malay
pirates, but has been, of late years, clear of those pests.
Talking of pirates, I may mention my own good fortune in never having
fallen in with any of the fraternity in the many voyages I have made in
the lake-like seas of the Malayan or Eastern Archipelago. This, however,
does not tend to prove their non-existence in even recent days.
Having completed our stores at Anjer, we sailed with a fair wind about 3
P. M. on the 14th May, and, next morning, were rolling about in a heavy
sea off Java Head, (a bold and grand promontory forming the south-west
corner of the Island,) where I bade adieu to my favourite sunny climes
of the Far East.
APPENDIX I.
(See p. 295.)
PLAN FOR THE ACCELERATION OF THE CHINA MAILS (_i. e._ THEIR CONVEYANCE
FROM _SUEZ_, viâ _CEYLON_ TO _HONG KONG DIRECT_)
SUBMITTED BY MR. HENRY WISE TO HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT SEPT. 14, 1843,
ADOPTED JUNE 20, 1845, AND NOW IN ACTIVE AND SUCCESSFUL OPERATION.
---------------+--------------------+------+-----+----------------------+
Proposed Route | | |Av. | Interval |
from Hong Kong | | |Rate | (days/hours) |
to London, and | Course. |Dist. |per | |
vice versâ. | |Miles.|Hour,| und. | at | Total |
| | |Miles|weigh.|Anchor.| |
---------------+--------------------+------+-----+------+-------+-------+
| | | | | | |
HONG KONG TO | | | | | | |
PULO LABUAN | S. 2° .18' E. | 1009 | 7 | 6/- | 1/12 | 7/12 |
| | | | | | |
PULO LABUAN | | | | | | |
TO SINGAPORE | S. 69° .23' W. | 707 | " | 4/6 | -/12 | 4/18 |
| | | | | | |
SINGAPORE |{S. 64° .48' W. 19}| | | | | |
TO MALACCA |{N. 51° .41' W. 103}| 122 | " | -/18 | -/6 | 1/- |
| | | | | | |
MALACCA | | | | | | |
TO PENANG | N. 30° .37' W. | 222 | " | 1/8 | -/16 | 2/- |
| | | | | | |
PENANG TO |{N. 82° .24' W. 303}| | | | | |
CEYLON[A] |{S. 89° .45' W. 916}| 1219 | " | 7/6 | 1/12 | 8/18 |
+--------------------+------+-----+------+-------+-------+
CEYLON | {As now performed by the Peninsula & Oriental} | |
TO ADEN | { Steam Navigation Company, detention of } | 11/- |
| { 2 days included. } | |
| | |
ADEN | | |
TO SUEZ | -- -- -- 2 -- | 8/- |
| | |
SUEZ TO | | |
ALEXANDRIA | -- -- all stoppages -- | 3/- |
| | |
ALEXANDRIA | | |
TO MALTA | -- -- -- -- | 4/- |
| | |
MALTA TO | {H.M. Post-Office} | |
MARSEILLES | -- -- { Packets } | 4/ |
| | |
MARSEILLES | {Regular course} | |
TO LONDON | -- -- { of Post } | 5/- |
| +-------+
{Total interval from HONG KONG to LONDON,} | |
{ and vice versâ, by the proposed Route} Days| 59/- |
| |
{Average interval of transmission of China Correspondence, } | |
{ viâ Calcutta and Bombay, during the last Twenty Overland} | 89/- |
{ Mails, viz. from the 10th October 1841, to 6th May 1843 } | |
+-------+
Difference of Time in Favour of Proposed Route Days| 30/- |
----------------------------------------------------------------+-------+
---------------+-----------------------------------------+
Proposed Route | |
from Hong Kong | |
to London, and | Duties at Anchor. |
vice versâ. | |
| |
---------------+-----------------------------------------+
| |
HONG KONG TO | |
PULO LABUAN | To receive Coal.[B] |
| |
PULO LABUAN | |
TO SINGAPORE | To receive Coal, land & receive Mails. |
| |
SINGAPORE | |
TO MALACCA | To land & receive Mails. |
| |
MALACCA | |
TO PENANG | To receive Coal, land & receive Mails. |
| |
PENANG TO | |
CEYLON | Ditto Ditto |
---------------+-----------------------------------------+
[Note A: Receiving at Ceylon, the Outward Overland Mail
from England, and returning therewith to China.]
[Note B: The Borneo Coal Mines would also serve to keep the
Hong-Kong, Singapore, and Penang Stations supplied with Fuel
for Steam Vessels carrying the Mails between Hong Kong and Suez
direct.
MEM.--I have adopted an average rate of seven miles per hour as a fair
estimate of the speed that well-appointed Steam Vessels, of moderate
size and power, will be enabled to accomplish and maintain, throughout
the proposed route, at all seasons of the year; for, during the whole
distance from Penang to Aden, and _vice versâ_, neither monsoon, from
the course steered, becomes at any period a directly adverse wind; an
advantage which the route hitherto observed does not possess. Assuming
that the Honourable East-India Company continue the management of the
Bombay line, and that the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation
Company are encouraged to render their operations more comprehensive, by
the establishment of Branch Steamers between Ceylon and Singapore, to
which latter Port Her Majesty's Steam Vessels on the China Station could
convey the Mails from Hong Kong, this all-important object might,
without difficulty, be attained. The advantages to the Straits'
Settlements, consequent on the adoption of improved arrangements,
require no comment; and the _practicability_ of effecting a very
considerable acceleration of the communication with China, is evident
from the simple fact, that the average interval which has occurred in
the transmission of letters from China, by the last twenty Overland
Mails, (irrespective of the unfortunate July Mail from Bombay,) exceeds
the period occasionally occupied by fast-sailing ships, in accomplishing
the voyage _viâ_ the Cape of Good Hope.
HENRY WISE.
LONDON, Sept. 14, 1843.
P.S.--Oct. 9, 1843.--The arrival at Suez, on the 16th ult., of the
H. C. S. Akbar, in _forty-six_ days from Hong Kong, after accomplishing
the passage down the China Seas, against the S.-W. monsoon,--unassisted
also by any previously arranged facilities for coaling, exchange of
Steamers at Aden, and other manifest advantages requisite for the proper
execution of this important service,--confirms the correctness of my
estimate for performing the voyage from Hong Kong to Suez, or _vice
versâ_, viz. _forty-three_ days, including stoppages.--H. W.
APPENDIX II.
MEMORANDUM ON BORNEO, AND MR. BROOK'S SETTLEMENT ON THAT ISLAND.
Mr. Brook has no warmer admirer than myself; and I trust the territory
of Sarawak, which has been ceded to him by the Sultan of Borneo, will
eventually become a flourishing British Colony.
The Government of this country cannot but be fully alive to the value of
such a point on the north-west coast of Borneo with reference to the
protection and security of the vast trade carried on by British subjects
to and from China; not to mention the great intrinsic advantages of an
establishment on one of the largest and most valuable islands in the
world. Little or nothing is yet known of the interior of this vast
country; but what we do know already with regard to several portions of
its coast must lead us to the conclusion that it will one day become of
infinite importance in a political as well as commercial point of view.
There is reason to believe that it contains the most rich, varied, and
extensive mineral deposits, and is capable of producing, in the
greatest abundance, every variety of tropical production, including some
that appear to be peculiar to its soil and climate. Protection from the
complicated evils of piracy and oppression is alone wanting in order to
stimulate the growth and industry of the population, and to give a new
aspect to the face of this fertile region. The very fact of a British
Settlement being established would exercise a most powerful influence in
bringing together all the elements of a rapid civilization amongst a
people at present the prey of ignorance, superstition, and oppression.
Considering the smallness of the means at his disposal Mr. Brook has
already done much: the seeds have been sown, and, up to a point,
nourished by the force of his character; for their further development
the influence of the British Government unreservedly exercised, but with
due caution, is alone required.
As one of the very best means of defence against riot or disturbance in
a country like Sarawak, whether held by Queen Victoria or by my friend
Brook, I would recommend the raising of a corps of Hill Rangers, to be
composed of 400 or 500 natives of the country, in their native dress;
distinguished from their countrymen simply by a belt thrown over the
shoulder, with S. H. R.[30] on a brass plate in the middle of it, and a
small sword by their side; the whole under a European captain, four
lieutenants, and a dozen native _jimedars_. Ten guilders per month,
allowed as pay to each man, would secure the choice of the population;
and no force would equal them for the maintenance of peace in such a
country. Sir Stamford Raffles tried a similar plan at Bencoolen, and
found it answer admirably. I need say no more in its favour. No better
man exists for raising and organizing such a corps, than Mr. Brook
himself: witness his performances of a similar nature during the Burmese
war. These Hill Rangers must be divided into companies, and should be
stationed at convenient places throughout the country, to keep their
eyes on evil-doers, and to act as police-men more than as soldiers.
Their captain must be _locomotive_, and superintend the whole corps.
[Footnote 30: _i. e._ Sarawak Hill Rangers.]
I will now proceed to state my ideas as to the way in which Mr. Brook
can most profitably avail himself of the extensive territory of Sarawak.
In the first place, he must have the whole District competently and
correctly surveyed, and laid out in portions (not of square miles,
New-South-Wales fashion, without any regard to natural boundaries, but)
of different sizes according to the topographical features of the
country. On the completion of this survey, the plan or map should be
lithographed, to exhibit to parties intending to purchase or hold land.
Mr. Brook should then publish in India his intentions, giving a sketch
of the facilities he can offer, of the capabilities of the country, &c.
&c. &c. Tenants will not suit him, in my opinion, so well as purchasers.
The possession will be too unwieldy for him to hold, even as landlord: I
speak from my experience in Java. The purchasers he wants, are men of
capital, say from 5000l. to 10,000l. each, to whom he must give credit
for the land, and leave them unhampered to carry on their operations.
All lands fit for the growth of coffee or sugar must be worked by these
capitalists on their own account: they must send to Java for experienced
overseers, (Europeans,) to conduct the works; and to Bally, Lombok, or
the Coromandel coast, for labourers. The natives of the former two are
preferable, but, I fear, could not be obtained in sufficient numbers.
Not a China-man should be employed on an estate of mine as a
field-labourer, though the Chinese answer remarkably well, _under
Europeans_, in sugar-mills. An experienced overseer from Java will point
out to them the best lands for coffee and sugar, and the best modes of
planting and rearing both. It is also a very good plan, to contract with
a party to grow the cane, (the proprietor helping him with small
advances,) which the landlord engages to take at so much per thousand
when ripe, to be delivered at the mill door. The grower, in such cases,
is generally a poor man, and require aid for the first year, to buy
buffaloes, ploughs, and provisions. In Java, nine-tenths of the cane are
produced in this way; and the landlord saves both risk and trouble by
it. No cane, no pay, is the rule there; so that, although the mill-owner
may lose his time in a bad season, he sacrifices no outlay. The Chinese
cannot be trusted to _manufacture_ the sugar: they are conceited
bunglers at that work, as stubborn as mules, and use too much lime, in
spite of all one can say or do to prevent it. Coffee may also be planted
by contract; though, in Java, where men can be got for three guilders
per month and their rice, worth two guilders more, the plan is not
generally adopted.
A party purchasing land, ought to have it selected so as to have
portions of it fit for coffee, sugar, and rice, and to try all three. In
rice-cultivation, a different plan, however, must be pursued. In Java, a
proprietor of rice-land encourages as many people to sit down on his
property as he can possibly obtain; charges them no rent in money, but
helps them each to build a hut; lends them money to buy two buffaloes;
and gives them rations of rice and salt for the first twelve months;
taking care, in the meantime, that the man, his wife, and his children
are as busy as bees, planting and looking after a few rice-fields,--the
more the better; seeing also, that the family do a fair day's work, and
as much as they are well able to perform. From these fields, when
harvest arrives, the squatter will pay his rent. And then is the time
that the European overseer and his deputies require to have their eyes
open, in order to see that fair play is dealt to the proprietor, who is
entitled to one-fourth of the crop, by way of rent, delivered in bundles
of paddy, at his barn-door, by the grower. The reaping and binding must
be watched, and the bundles be counted on the field; otherwise the
grower will, probably, carry more than his share to his own barn, in
place of his master's. Now is the time, also, if the season has been a
favourable one, to make the squatter pay off the whole, or a portion of
his debt, for the advance made to him early in the year. If he gets well
through the first year, he will, in all probability, take a liking to
the place, and fix himself there for good. One of the very best plans
for attaching Javanese to their residence on an estate, is, to see that
lots of cocoa-nut and betel-nut trees are planted in every desirable
locality. With half a dozen cocoa-nut trees, even in a bad season, a
native family will manage tolerably well; and in all my wanderings among
the Malayan islands, I never came to a place where even a single
cocoa-nut was not current, like money, for its full value in rice.
Another great advantage arising to the proprietor from rice-grounds
well-occupied, is, that he is entitled, by immemorial custom, to the
labour of every male on the estate one day in seven, in virtue of a sort
of feudal law. A friend of mine in Java, on whose estate were fifteen
thousand adults, seven thousand of whom were males, had thus the command
of the labour of one thousand men per day _free_. On a new estate, these
are the men to clear jungle, to make roads, to trim coffee-trees, and to
take a turn with a hoe among the sugar-canes, when the hired labourers
are busy at crop time, or when, from any other cause, labour may be
scarce.
Mr. Brook must take things leisurely. Let one capitalist be established
with a fair prospect, and he will soon be followed by dozens, who will
gradually creep into the forests, and make the place a second Java.
Before these capitalists make their appearance, however, he must, by
every means in his power, encourage squatters, and get them to work on
patches of rice-land, here and there. Let him but treat those men
kindly, help them through the first year, and set them fairly on their
legs; they will then never leave the place.
Touching the diamond and gold mines which Mr. Brook wants to work, I
hardly know what to advise, but think that his best plan would be, to
get my friend Tok Sing, or some other wealthy China-man in Singapore, to
procure him "head men," whom he would _secure_, _i. e._ bind himself to
make good any thing lost or stolen by them. This, of course, he would
not do gratis; but his guarantee in such an undertaking would be
invaluable: his wealth is very considerable, while his name and
influence would be beyond calculation useful.
Over every thing, Mr. Brook must himself keep a watchful eye; and, above
all things, he must keep the peace. He must not attempt too much at
first; but must raise his Rangers as they may be required; and, with his
talent for such operations, a moderate share of patience and
perseverance, and sufficient capital, all will go well, and he will meet
with the complete success that he so richly merits.
THE END.
WILLIAM WATTS, PRINTER, CROWN COURT, TEMPLE BAR.
Transcriber's Notes:
Inconsistencies in the hyphenation of words preserved. (daylight,
day-light; namesake, name-sake; Ninpo, Ning-po; roundabout, round-about;
Shang Hae, Shang-hae; Shipmaster/s, ship-master/s; underwriters,
under-writers)
Units of Sterling currency "l.", "s." and "d." were italicised in
the original text, except for two instances (probably typographical
errors) on page 186 (3-1/2d. per pound) and page 206 (12s. per ton). In
the plaintext version of this transcription, italic markup has not been
added to Sterling currency units in order to reduce clutter and enhance
readability.
Table of Contents, Chapter V., "DUTCH SETTEMENTS" changed to "DUTCH
SETTLEMENTS".
Table of Contents, Chapter XVI., summary paragraph after Chapter
Heading. In the table of contents, the third last phrase in the summary
paragraph is "PICTURESQUE SCENERY" whereas in page 237 this phrase is
replaced by "PORTUGUESE PENURY". The original text is retained in both
cases.
Table of Contents, Appendix I., page number changed from "299" to "303"
to match page number at actual location.
Table of Contents, Appendix II., page number changed from "391" to "305"
to match page number at actual location.
Pg. 64, "havet heir" changed to "have their". (have their own Rajahs)
Footnote 8, "trad" changed to "trade". (The opium trade again, has
diminished)
Pg. 74, "testi-timony" changed to "testimony" (testimony to its
Commander's)
Pg. 88, inserted missing period. (balance due upon their services.)
Pg. 96, "occa-onally" changed to "occasionally" (occasionally visited by
a very severe fever)
Pg. 134, inserted missing period. (called a grain-exporting one.)
Pg. 196, "hundreths" changed to "hundredths". (ninety-nine hundredths)
Pg. 219, added missing period. (the _lorcha_ was burned.)
End of Project Gutenberg's Trade and Travel in the Far East, by G. F. Davidson