The population of North Borneo, as has been shewn, is very scanty, and
the great object of the new Government should be to attract population
and capital to their territory. Java is often quoted as an island which,
under Dutch rule, has attained great prosperity without any large
immigration of Chinese or other foreigners. This is true, but in Java
the Dutch had not only a fertile soil and good climate in their favour,
but found their Colony already thickly populated by native races who
had, under Hindu and Arab influences, made considerable advances in
civilization, in trade and in agriculture, and who, moreover, had been
accustomed to a strong Government.
The Dutch, too, were in those days able to introduce a Government of a
paternal and despotic character which the British North Borneo Company
are, by the terms of the Royal Charter, precluded from imitating.
It was Sir JAMES BROOKE'S wish to keep Sarawak for the natives, but his
successor has recognised the impolicy of so doing and admits that
"without the Chinese we can do nothing." Experience in the Straits
Settlements, the Malay Peninsula and Sarawak has shewn that the people
to cause rapid financial progress in Malayan countries are the
hard-working, money-loving Chinese, and these are the people whom the
Company should lay themselves out to attract to Borneo, as I have more
than once pointed out in the course of these remarks. It matters not
what it is that attracts them to the country, whether trade, as in
Singapore, agriculture, as in Johor and Sarawak, or mining as in Perak
and other of the Protected Native States of the Peninsula--once get them
to voluntarily immigrate, and govern them with firmness and justice, and
the financial success of the Company would, in my opinion, be assured.
The inducements for the Chinese to come to North Borneo are trade,
agriculture and possibly mining. The bulk of those already in the
country are traders, shop-keepers, artisans and the coolies employed by
them, and the numbers introduced by the European tobacco planters for
the cultivation of their estates, under the system already explained, is
yearly increasing. Very few are as yet engaged in agriculture on their
own account, and it must be confessed that the luxuriant tropical jungle
presents considerable difficulties to an agriculturist from China,
accustomed to a country devoid of forest, and it would be impossible for
Chinese peasants to open land in Borneo for themselves without monetary
assistance, in the first instance, from the Government or from
capitalists. In Sarawak Chinese pepper planters were attracted by free
passages in Government ships and by loans of money, amounting to a
considerable total, nearly all of which have since been repaid, while
the revenues of the State have been almost doubled. The British North
Borneo Company early recognised the desirability of encouraging Chinese
immigration, but set to work in too great haste and without judgment.
They were fortunate in obtaining the services for a short time, as their
Commissioner of Chinese Immigration, of a man so well-known in China as
the late Sir WALTER MEDHURST, but he was appointed before the Company's
Government was securely established and before proper arrangements had
been made for the reception of the immigrants, or sufficient knowledge
obtained of the best localities in which to locate them. His influence
and the offer of free passages from China, induced many to try their
fortune in the Colony, but the majority of them were small shop-keepers,
tailors, boot-makers, and artisans, who naturally could not find a
profitable outlet for their energies in a newly opened country to which
capital (except that of the Governing Company) had not yet been
attracted, and a large proportion of the inhabitants of which were
satisfied with a loin cloth as the sole article of their attire. Great,
therefore, was their disappointment, and comparatively few remained to
try their luck in the country. One class of these immigrants, however,
took kindly to North Borneo--the Hakkas, an agricultural clan, many of
whom have embraced the Christian religion and are, in consequence,
somewhat looked down upon by their neighbours. They are a steady,
hard-working body of men, and cultivate vegetable and coffee gardens in
the vicinity of the Settlements and rear poultry and pigs. The women are
steady, and work almost as well as the men. They may form a valuable
factor in the colonization of the country and a source of cheap labour
for the planters in the future.
Sir SPENCER ST. JOHN, formerly Her Britannic Majesty's Consul-General at
Brunai and who knew Borneo well, in his preface to the second edition
of his "Life in the Forests of the Far East," lays great stress on the
suitability of North Borneo for the immigration of Chinese on a very
large scale, and prophesied that "should the immigration once commence,
it would doubtless assume great proportions and continue until every
acre of useless jungle is cleared away, to give place to rice, pepper,
gambier, sugar-cane, cotton, coffee, indigo and those other products
which flourish on its fertile soil." No doubt a considerable impetus
would be given to the immigration of Chinese and the introduction of
Chinese as well as of European capital, were the British Government to
proclaim[23] formally a Protectorate over the country, meanwhile the
Company should try the effect of the offer of free passages from China
and from Singapore and of liberal allotments of suitable land to _bonâ
fide_ agriculturists.
The sources of the Company's revenues have been referred to on a
previous page, and may be summarised here under the following principal
heads:--The "Farms" of Opium, Tobacco, Spirits, and of Pawnbroking, the
Rent of the edible birds'-nest caves, Market Dues, Duties on Imports and
Exports, Court Fines and Fees, Poll Tax on aborigines, House and Store
Rents, profit accruing from the introduction of the Company's copper or
bronze token coinage--a considerable item--Interest and Commission
resulting from the Banking business carried on by the Treasury pending
the establishment of a Banking Company, Land Sales and Quit-rents on
land alienated, and Postal Receipts.
The Poll Tax is a source of revenue well-known in the East and not
objected to by most of our natives, with whom it takes the place of the
land rent which the Government of India imposes. To our aborigines a
land rent would be most distasteful at present, and they infinitely
prefer the Poll Tax and to be allowed to own and farm what land they
like without paying premium or rent. The more civilized tribes,
especially on the West coast, recognize private property in land, the
boundaries of their gardens and fields being carefully marked and
defined, and the property descending from fathers to children. The rate
of the Poll Tax is usually $2 for married couples and $1 for adult
bachelors per annum, and I believe this is about the same rate as that
collected by the British Government in Burma. At first sight it has the
appearance of a tax on marriage, but in the East generally women do a
great deal of the out-door as well as of the indoor work, so that a
married man is in a much better position than a bachelor for acquiring
wealth, as he can be engaged in collecting jungle produce, or in
trading, or in making money in other ways, while his womenkind are
planting out or gathering in the harvest.
The amounts _received_ by the Company for the sale of their waste lands
has been as follows:--
1882, $16,340
1883, $25,449
1884, $15,460
1885, $2,860
1886, $12,035
1887,[24] $14,505
The receipts for 1888, owing to the rush for tobacco lands already
alluded to, and to the fact that the balances of the premia on lands
taken up in 1887 becomes due in that year, will be considerably larger
than those of any previous period.
The most productive, and the most elastic source of revenue is that
derived from the Excise on the retail of opium and, with the
comparatively small number of Chinese at present in the country, this
amounted in 1887 to $19,980, having been only $4,537 in 1882.[25] The
next most substantial and promising item is the Customs Duties on Import
and Export, which from about $8,300 in 1882 have increased to $19,980 in
1887.[26]
The local expenditure in Borneo is chiefly for salaries of the
officials, the armed Constabulary and for Gaols and Public Works, the
annual "rental" payable to the Sultans of Brunai and Sulu and others,
the subsidizing of steamers, Medical Services, Printing, Stationery,
Prospecting, Experimental Gardens and Harbour and Postal Services. The
designations of the principal officials employed by the Company in
Borneo have been given on a previous page; the salaries allowed them, as
a rule, can scarcely be called too liberal, and unfortunately the Court
of Directors does not at present feel that it is justified in
sanctioning any pension scheme. Those of my readers who are conversant
with the working of Public Offices will recognize that this decision of
the Directors deprives the service of one great incentive to hard and
continuous work and of a powerful factor in the maintenance of an
effective discipline, and it speaks volumes for the quality of the
officials, whose services the Company has been so fortunate as to secure
without this attraction, that it is served as faithfully, energetically
and zealously as any Government in the world. It I may be allowed to say
so here, I can never adequately express my sense of the valuable
assistance and support I received from the officers, with scarcely any
exception, during my six years' tenure of the appointment of Governor.
An excellent spirit pervades the service and, when the occasions have
arisen, there have never been wanting officers ready to risk their lives
in performing their duties, without hope of rewards or distinctions,
Victoria Crosses or medals.
The figures below speak for the advance which the country is making, not
very rapidly, perhaps the shareholders may think, but certainly, though
slowly, surely and steadily:--
Revenue in 1883, $51,654, with the addition of Land Sales,
$25,449, a total of $77,103.
Revenue in 1887, $142,687, with the addition of Land Sales,
$14,505, a total of $157,192.
Expenditure in 1883, including expenditure on Capital Account,
$391,547.
Expenditure in 1887, including expenditure on Capital Account,
$209,862.
For reasons already mentioned, the revenue for 1888 is expected to
considerably exceed that of any previous year, while the expenditure
will probably not be more and may be less than that of 1887.[27]
The expenses of the London office average, I believe, about £3,000 a
year.
As Sir RUTHERFORD ALCOCK, their able and conscientious Chairman,
explained to the shareholders at a recent meeting, "with reference to
the important question of expenditure, the position of the Company was
that of a man coming into possession of a large estate which had been
long neglected, and which was little better than a wilderness. If any
rent roll was to be derived from such a property there must be, in the
first place, a large outlay in many ways before the land could be made
profitable, or indeed tenantable. That was what the Company had had to
do and what they had been doing; _and that had been the history of all
our Colonies_." I trust that the few observations I have offered will
have shewn my readers that, though British North Borneo might be
described as a wilderness so far as regards the absence of development
when the Company took possession of it, such a description is by no
means applicable to it when regard is had to its great and undoubted
natural resources.
British North Borneo not being a Crown Colony, it has to provide itself
for the maintenance of order, both ashore and afloat, without assistance
from the Imperial Army or Navy, except such temporary assistance as has
been on two occasions accorded by Her Majesty's vessels, under
circumstances which have been detailed. There are no Imperial Troops
stationed either in Labuan or in any portion of Borneo, and the Company
has organized an armed Police Force to act both in a military and in a
civil capacity.
The numbers of their Force do not much exceed two hundred of all ranks,
and are composed principally of Sikhs from the Punjaub and a few Dyaks
from Sarawak--an excellent mixture for fighting purposes, the Dyaks
being sufficiently courageous and expert in all the arts of jungle
warfare, while the pluck and cool steadiness under fire of the Sikhs is
too well-known to need comment here. The services of any number of Sikhs
can, it appears, be easily obtained for this sort of work, and some
years ago a party of them even took service with the native Sultan of
Sulu, who, however, proved a very indifferent paymaster and was soon
deserted by his mercenaries, who are the most money-grabbing lot of
warriors I have ever heard of. Large bodies of Sikhs are employed and
drilled as Armed Constables in Hongkong, in the Straits Settlements and
in the Protected Native States of the Malay Peninsula, who, after a
fixed time of service, return to their country, their places being at
once taken by their compatriots, and one cannot help thinking what
effect this might have in case of future disturbances in our Indian
Empire, should the Sikh natives make common cause with the malcontents.
Fault has been found with the Company for not following the example of
Sarawak and raising an army and police from among its own people. This
certainly would have been the best policy had it only been feasible; but
the attempt was made and failed.
As I have pointed out, British North Borneo is fortunate in not
possessing any powerful aboriginal tribe of pronounced warlike
instincts, such as the Dyaks of Sarawak.
The Muhammadan Bajows might in time make good soldiers, but my
description of them will have shewn that the Company could not at
present place reliance in them.
While on the subject of "fault finding," I may say that the Company has
also been blamed for its expenditure on public works and on subsidies
for steam communication with the outer world.
But our critics may rest assured that, had not the Company proved its
faith in the country by expending some of its money on public works and
in providing facilities for the conveyance of intending colonists,
neither European capital nor Chinese population, so indispensable to the
success of their scheme, would have been attracted to their Territory as
is now being done--for the country and its new Government lacked the
prestige which attaches to a Colony opened by the Imperial Government.
The strange experiment, in the present day, of a London Company
inaugurating a Government in a tropical Colony, perhaps not unnaturally
caused a certain feeling of pique and uncharitableness in the breasts of
that class of people who cannot help being pleased at the non-success of
their neighbours' most cherished schemes, and who are always ready with
their "I told you so." The measure of success attained by British North
Borneo caused it to come in for its full share of this feeling, and I am
not sure that it was not increased and aggravated by the keen interest
which all the officers took in the performance of their novel duties--an
interest which, quite unintentionally, manifested itself, perhaps, in a
too enthusiastic and somewhat exaggerated estimate of the beauties and
resources of their adopted country and of the grandeur of its future
destiny and of its rapid progress, and which, so to speak, brought about
a reaction towards the opposite extreme in the minds of the class to
whom I refer. This enthusiasm was, to say the least, pardonable under
the circumstances, for all men are prone to think that objects which
intensely engross their whole attention are of more importance than the
world at large is pleased to admit. Every man worth his salt thinks his
own geese are swans.
A notable exception to this narrow-mindedness was, however, displayed by
the Government of Singapore, especially by its present Governor, Sir
CECIL CLEMENTI SMITH, who let no opportunity pass of encouraging the
efforts of the infant Government by practical assistance and
unprejudiced counsel.
Lord BRASSEY, whose visit to Borneo in the _Sunbeam_ I have mentioned,
showed a kindly appreciation of the efforts of the Company's officers,
and practically evinced his faith in the future of the country by
joining the Court of Directors on his return to England.
In the number of the "Nineteenth Century" for August, 1887, is a sketch
of the then position of the portion of Borneo which is under the British
influence, from his pen.
As the country is developed and land taken up by European planters and
Chinese, the Company will be called upon for further expenditure on
public works, in the shape of roads, for at present, in the interior,
there exist only rough native tracks, made use of by the natives when
there does not happen to be a river handy for the transport of
themselves and their goods. Though well watered enough, British North
Borneo possesses no rivers navigable for European vessels of any size,
except perhaps the Sibuku River, the possession of which is at the
present moment a subject of dispute with the the Dutch. This is due to
the natural configuration of the country. Borneo, towards the North,
becoming comparatively narrow and of roughly triangular shape, with the
apex to the North. The only other river of any size and navigable for
vessels drawing about nine feet over the bar, is the Kinabatangan,
which, like the Sibuku, is on the East side, the coast range of
mountains, of which Kinabalu forms a part, being at no great distance
from the West coast and so preventing the occurrence of any large rivers
on that side. From data already to hand, it is calculated that the
proceeds of Land Sales for 1887 and 1888 will equal the total revenue
from all other sources, and a portion of this will doubtless be set
aside for road making and other requisite public works.
The question may be asked what has the Company done for North Borneo?
A brief reply to this question would include the following points. The
Company has paved the way to the ultimate extinction of the practice of
slavery; it has dealt the final blow to the piracy and kidnapping which
still lingered on its coasts; it has substituted one strong and just
Government for numerous weak, cruel and unjust ones; it has opened
Courts of Justice which know no distinction between races and creeds,
between rich and poor, between master and slave; it is rapidly adjusting
ancient blood feuds between the tribes and putting a stop to the old
custom of head-hunting; it has broken down the barrier erected by the
coast Malays to prevent the aborigines having access to the outer world
and is thus enabling trade and its accompanying civilisation to reach
the interior races; and it is attracting European and Chinese capital to
the country and opening a market for British traders.
These are some, and not inconsiderable ones, of the achievements of the
British North Borneo Company, which, in its humble way, affords another
example of the fact that the "expansion of Britain" has been in the main
due not to the exertions of its Government so much as to the energy and
enterprise of individual citizens, and Sir ALFRED DENT the the founder,
and Sir RUTHERFORD ALCOCK the guide and supporter of the British North
Borneo Company, cannot but feel a proud satisfaction in the reflection
that their energy and patient perseverance have resulted in conferring
upon so considerable a portion of the island of Borneo the benefits
above enumerated and in adding another Colony to the long list of the
Dependencies of the British Crown.
In the matter of geographical exploration, too, the Company and its
officers have not been idle, as the map brought out by the Company
sufficiently shews, for previous maps of North Borneo will be found very
barren and uninteresting, the interior being almost a complete blank,
though possessing one natural feature which is conspicuous by its
absence in the more recent and trustworthy one, and that is the large
lake of Kinabalu, which the explorations of the late Mr. F. K. WITTI
have proved to be non-existent. Two explanations are given of the origin
of the myth of the Kinabalu Lake--one is that in the district, where it
was supposed to exist, extensive floods do take place in very wet
seasons, giving it the appearance of a lake, and, I believe there are
many similar instances in Dutch Borneo, where a tract of country liable
to be heavily flooded has been dignified with the name of _Danau_, which
is Malay for _lake_, so that the mistake of the European cartographers
is a pardonable one. The other explanation is that the district in
question is known to the aboriginal inhabitants as _Danau_, a word
which, in their language, has no particular meaning, but which, as above
stated, signifies, in Malay, a lake. The first European visitors would
have gained all their information from the Malay coast tribes, and the
reason for their mistaken supposition of the existence of a large lake
can be readily understood. The two principal pioneer explorers of
British North Borneo were WITTI and FRANK HATTON, both of whom met with
violent deaths. WITTI'S services as one of the first officers stationed
in the country, before the British North Borneo Company was formed, have
already been referred to, and I have drawn on his able report for a
short account of the slave system which formerly prevailed. He had
served in the Austrian Navy and was a very energetic, courageous and
accomplished man. Besides minor journeys, he had traversed the country
from West to East and from North to South, and it was on his last
journey from Pappar, on the West Coast, inland to the headwaters of the
Kinabatangan and Sambakong Rivers, that he was murdered by a tribe,
whose language none of his party understood, but whose confidence he had
endeavoured to win by reposing confidence in them, to the extent even of
letting them carry his carbine. He and his men had slept in the village
one night, and on the following day some of the tribe joined the party
as guides, but led them into the ambuscade, where the gallant WITTI and
many of his men were killed by _sumpitans_.[28] So far as we have been
able to ascertain the sole reason for the attack was the fact that WITTI
had come to the district from a tribe with whom these people were at
war, and he was, therefore, according to native custom, deemed also to
be an enemy. FRANK HATTON joined the Company's service with the object
of investigating the mineral resources of the country and in the course
of his work travelled over a great portion of the Territory, prosecuting
his journeys from both the West and the East coasts, and undergoing the
hardships incidental to travel in a roadless, tropical country with such
ability, pluck and success as surprised me in one so young and slight
and previously untrained and inexperienced in rough pioneering work.
He more than once found himself in critical positions with inland
tribes, who had never seen or heard of a white man, but his calmness and
intrepidity carried him safely through such difficulties, and with
several chiefs he became a sworn brother, going through the peculiar
ceremonies customary on such occasions. In 1883, he was ascending the
Segama River to endeavour to verify the native reports of the existence
of gold in the district when, landing on the bank, he shot at and
wounded an elephant, and while following it up through the jungle, his
repeating rifle caught in a rattan and went off, the bullet passing
through his chest, causing almost immediate death. HATTON, before
leaving England, had given promise of a distinguished scientific career,
and his untimely fate was deeply mourned by his brother officers and a
large circle of friends. An interesting memoir of him has been published
by his father, Mr. JOSEPH HATTON, and a summary of his journeys and
those of WITTI, and other explorers in British North Borneo, appeared in
the "Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society and Monthly Record of
Geography" for March, 1888, being the substance of a paper read before
the Society by Admiral R. C. MAYNE, C.B., M.P. A memorial cross has been
erected at Sandakan, by their brother officers, to the memory of WITTI,
HATTON, DE FONTAINE and Sikh officers and privates who have lost their
lives in the service of the Government.
To return for a moment to the matter of fault-finding, it would be
ridiculous to maintain that no mistakes have been made in launching
British North Borneo on its career as a British Dependency, but then I
do not suppose that any single Colony of the Crown has been, or will be
inaugurated without similar mistakes occurring, such, for instance, as
the withholding money where money was needed and could have been
profitably expended, and a too lavish expenditure in other and less
important directions. Examples will occur to every reader who has
studied our Colonial history. If we take the case of the Colony of the
Straits Settlements, now one of our most prosperous Crown Colonies and
which was founded by the East India Company, it will be seen that in
1826-7 the "mistakes" of the administration were on such a scale that
there was an annual deficit of £100,000, and the presence of the
Governor-General of India was called for to abolish useless offices and
effect retrenchments throughout the service.
The British North Borneo Company possesses a valuable property, and one
which is daily increasing in value, and if they continue to manage it
with the care hitherto exhibited, and if, remembering that they are not
yet quite out of the wood, they are careful to avoid, on the one hand, a
too lavish expenditure and, on the other, an unwise parsimony, there
cannot, I should say, be a doubt that a fair return will, at no very
distant date, be made to them on the capital they have expended.
As for the country _per se_, I consider that its success is now assured,
whether it remains under the rule of the Company or is received into the
fellowship of _bonâ fide_ Colonies of the Empire.
In bringing to a conclusion my brief account of the Territory, some
notice of its suitability as a residence for Europeans may not be out of
place, as bearing on the question of "what are we to do with our boys?"
I have my own experience of seventeen years' service in Northern Borneo,
and the authority of Dr. WALKER, the able Medical Officer of the
Government, for saying that in its general effect on the health of
Europeans, the climate of British North Borneo, as a whole, compares not
unfavourably with that of other tropical countries.
There is no particular "unhealthy season," and Europeans who lead a
temperate and active life have little to complain of, except the total
absence of any cold season, to relieve the monotony of eternal summer.
On the hills of the interior, no doubt, an almost perfect climate could
be obtained.
One great drawback to life for Europeans in all tropical places is the
fact that it is unwise to keep children out after they have attained the
age of seven or eight years, but up to that age the climate appears to
agree very well with them and they enjoy an immunity from measles,
whooping cough and other infantile diseases. This enforced separation
from wife and family is one of the greatest disadvantages in a career in
the tropics.
We have not, unfortunately, had much experience as to how the climate of
British North Borneo affects English ladies, but, judging from
surrounding Colonies, I fear it will be found that they cannot stand it
quite so well as the men, owing, no doubt, to their not being able to
lead such an active life and to their not having official and business
matter to occupy their attention during the greater part of the day, as
is the case with their husbands.
Of course, if sufficient care is taken to select a swampy spot, charged
with all the elements of fever and miasma, splendidly unhealthy
localities can be found in North Borneo, a residence in which would
prove fatal to the strongest constitution, and I have also pointed out
that on clearing new ground for plantations fever almost inevitably
occurs, but, as Dr. WALKER has remarked, the sickness of the newly
opened clearings does not last long when ordinary sanitary precautions
are duly observed.
At present the only employers of Europeans are the Governing Company,
who have a long list of applicants for appointments, the Tobacco
Companies, and two Timber Companies. Nearly all the Tobacco Companies at
present at work are of foreign nationality and, doubtless, would give
the preference to Dutch and German managers and assistants. Until more
English Companies are formed, I fear there will be no opening in British
North Borneo for many young Englishmen not possessed of capital
sufficient to start planting on their own account. It will be remembered
that the trade in the natural products of the country is practically in
the hands of the Chinese.
Among the other advantages of North Borneo is its entire freedom from
the presence of the larger carnivora--the tiger or the panther. Ashore,
with the exception of a few poisonous snakes--and during seventeen
years' residence I have never heard of a fatal result from a bite--there
is no animal which will attack man, but this is far from being the case
with the rivers and seas, which, in many places, abound in crocodiles
and sharks. The crocodiles are the most dreaded animals, and are found
in both fresh and salt water. Cases are not unknown of whole villages
being compelled to remove to a distance, owing to the presence of a
number of man-eating crocodiles in a particular bend of a river; this
happened to the village of Sebongan on the Kinabatangan River, which
has been quite abandoned.
Crocodiles in time become very bold and will carry off people bathing on
the steps of their houses over the water, and even take them bodily out
of their canoes.
At an estate on the island of Daat, I had two men thus carried off out
of their boats, at sea, after sunset, in both cases the mutilated bodies
being subsequently recovered. The largest crocodile I have seen was one
which was washed ashore on an island, dead, and which I found to measure
within an inch of twenty feet.
Some natives entertain the theory that a crocodile will not touch you if
you are swimming or floating in the water and not holding on to any
thing, but this is a theory which I should not care to put practically
to the test myself.
There is a native superstition in some parts of the West Coast, to the
effect that the washing of a mosquito curtain in a stream is sure to
excite the anger of the crocodiles and cause them to become dangerous.
So implicit was the belief in this superstition, that the Brunai
Government proclaimed it a punishable crime for any person to wash a
mosquito curtain in a running stream.
When that Government was succeeded by the Company, this proclamation
fell into abeyance, but it unfortunately happened that a woman at
Mempakul, availing herself of the laxity of the law in this matter, did
actually wash her curtain in a creek, and that very night her husband
was seized and carried off by a crocodile while on the steps of his
house. Fortunately, an alarm was raised in time, and his friends managed
to rescue him, though badly wounded; but the belief in the superstition
cannot but have been strengthened by the incident.
Some of the aboriginal natives on the West Coast are keen sportsmen and,
in the pursuit of deer and wild pig, employ a curious small dog, which
they call _asu_, not making use of the Malay word for dog--_anjing_. The
term _asu_ is that generally employed by the Javanese, from whose
country possibly the dog may have been introduced into Borneo. In
Brunai, dogs are called _kuyok_, a term said to be of Sumatran origin.
On the North and East there are large herds of wild cattle said to
belong to two species, _Bos Banteng_ and _Bos Gaurus_ or _Bos
Sondaicus_. In the vicinity of Kudat they afford excellent sport, a
description of which has been given, in a number of the "Borneo Herald,"
by Resident G. L. DAVIES, who, in addition to being a skilful manager of
the aborigines, is a keen sportsman. The native name for them on the
East Coast is _Lissang_ or _Seladang_, and on the North, _Tambadau_. In
some districts the water buffalo, _Bubalus Buffelus_, has run wild and
affords sport.
The deer are of three kinds--the _Rusa_ or _Sambur_ (_Rusa
Aristotelis_), the _Kijang_ or roe, and the _Plandok_, or mousedeer, the
latter a delicately shaped little animal, smaller and lighter than the
European hare. With the natives it is an emblem of cunning, and there
are many short stories illustrating its supposed more than human
intelligence. Wild pig, the _Sus barbatus_, a kind distinct from the
Indian animal, and, I should say, less ferocious, is a pest all over
Borneo, breaking down fences and destroying crops. The jungle is too
universal and too thick to allow of pig-sticking from horseback, but
good sport can be had, with a spear, on foot, if a good pack of native
dogs is got together.
It is on the East Coast only that elephants and rhinoceros, called
_Gajah_ and _Badak_ respectively, are found. The elephant is the same as
the Indian one and is fairly abundant; the rhinoceros is _Rhinoceros
sumatranus_, and is not so frequently met with.
The elephant in Borneo is a timid animal and, therefore, difficult to
come up with in the thick jungle. None have been shot by Europeans so
far, but the natives, who can walk through the forest so much more
quietly, sometimes shoot them, and dead tusks are also often brought in
for sale.
The natives in the East Coast are very few in numbers and on neither
coast is there any tribe of professional hunters, or _shikaris_, as in
India and Ceylon, so that, although game abounds, there are not, at
present, such facilities for Europeans desirous of engaging in sport as
in the countries named.[29]
A little Malay bear occurs in Borneo, but is not often met with, and is
not a formidable animal.
My readers all know that Borneo is the home of the _Orang-utan_ or
_Mias_, as it is called by the natives. No better description of the
animal could be desired than that given by WALLACE in his "Malay
Archipelago." There is an excellent picture of a young one in the second
volume of Dr. GUILLEMARD'S "Cruise of the Marchesa." Another curious
monkey, common in mangrove swamps, is the long-nosed ape, or _Pakatan_,
which possesses a fleshy probosis some three inches long. It is
difficult to tame, and does not live long in captivity.
As in Sumatra, which Borneo much resembles in its fauna and flora, the
peacock is absent, and its place taken by the _Argus_ pheasant. Other
handsome pheasants are the _Fireback_ and the _Bulwer_ pheasants, the
latter so named after Governor Sir HENRY BULWER who took the first
specimen home in 1874. These pheasants do not rise in the jungle and
are, therefore, uninteresting to the Borneo sportsman. They are
frequently trapped by the natives. There are many kinds of pigeons,
which afford good sport. Snipe occur, but not plentifully. Curlew are
numerous in some localities, but very wild. The small China quail are
abundant on cleared spaces, as also is the painted plover, but cleared
spaces in Borneo are somewhat few and far between. So much for sport in
the new Colony.
Let me conclude my paper by quoting the motto of the British North
Borneo Company--_Pergo et perago_--I under take a thing and go through
with it. Dogged persistence has, so far, given the Territory a fair
start on its way to prosperity, and the same perseverance will, in time,
be assuredly rewarded by complete success.[30]
W. H. TREACHER.
P.S.--I cannot close this article without expressing my great
obligations to Mr. C. V. CREAGH, the present Governor of North Borneo,
and to Mr. KINDERSLEY, the Secretary to the Company in London, for
information which has been incorporated in these notes.
Footnotes:
[Footnote 23: Now accomplished.]
[Footnote 24: In 1888, $246,457.]
[Footnote 25: In 1888, $22,755 were realized, and the Estimate for 1890
is $70,000 for the Opium Farm.]
[Footnote 26: In 1888, $22,755.]
[Footnote 27: Revenue in 1888, $148,286, with addition of Land Sales,
$246,457, a total of $394,743.
Expenditure in 1888, including Padas war expenses, $210,985, and
expenditure on Capital Account, $25,283--total $236,268.]
[Footnote 28: The _sumpitan_, or native blow-pipe, has been frequently
described by writers on Borneo. It is a tube 6-1/2 feet long, carefully
perforated lengthwise and through which is fired a poisoned dart, which
has an extreme range of about 80 to 90 yards, but is effective at about
20 to 30 yards. It takes the place in Borneo of the bow and arrow of
savage tribes, and is used only by the aborigines and not by the
Muhammadan natives.]
[Footnote 29: Dr. GUILLEMARD in his fascinating book, "The Cruise of
the Marchesa," states, that two English officers, both of them
well-known sportsmen, devoted four months to big game shooting in
British North Borneo and returned to Hongkong entirely unsuccessful.
Dr. GUILLEMARD was misinformed. The officers were not more than a week
in the country on their way to Hongkong from Singapore and Sarawak, and
did not devote their time to sport. Some other of the author's remarks
concerning British North Borneo are somewhat incorrect and appear to
have been based on information derived from a prejudiced source.]
[Footnote 30: In 1889, the Company declared their first Dividend.]
* * * * * *
Transcriber's Notes:
The author's original spelling has been preserved as far as possible,
including any idiosyncrasies and inconsistencies in the spelling and
accenting of words. Changes have only been made in the case of obvious
typographical errors and where it was felt necessary to remove
ambiguity or improve readability. All changes have been documented
below.
Inconsistencies in the hypenation of words preserved. ( blood-thirsty,
bloodthirsty; head-quarters, headquarters; kina-balu, kinabalu;
kina-batangan, kinabatangan; salt-water, saltwater; sand-stone,
sandstone; sea-board, seaboard; shop-keepers, shopkeepers; war-like,
warlike)
Treatment of Blockquotes. There are several blocks of text where the
author quoted extensively from other documentary sources. In some
cases, very long paragraphs contain a mixture of the author's words and
quoted material. In order to enhance readability, the portions of text
which are quoted material have been separated out and indented as
blockquotes. This treatment has been given to:
Pg. 33-37. The block of text beginning '"When," says he....' to
'maintaining their gravity.' which was originally a single
contiguous paragraph.
Pg. 37-40, several paragraphs beginning 'Mr. Darymple's
description....' to 'Singapore is to the straits of Malacca.' The
first paragraph from 'Mr. Darymple's description....' to
'commercial enterprise' was originally a single contiguous
paragraph. This block of text is also unusual in that while
elsewhere, each new paragraph of quoted material began with a
doublequote mark, in this block, only some paragraphs do so while
others do not. This inconsistency on the part of the author has
been preserved.
Pg. 54-55, several paragraphs beginning 'Javanese element, and
Hindu work....' to 'make a stone fort."' The section from
'Javanese element, and Hindu work....' to 'country of
Saguntang.' was originally one contiguous paragraph. The quoted
material was originally printed with a doublequote mark at the
beginning of each line. These doublequote marks have been
removed except for those indicating the beginning and end of a
quotation.
Pg. 58-62, several paragraphs beginning 'The agreement to so
transfer....' to 'reference will be made hereafter.' The
section from 'The agreement to so transfer....' to 'twenty in
number' was originally one contiguous paragraph. The block from
'Mr. Brooke concludes....' to 'reference will be made
hereafter.' was also one contiguous paragraph. The quoted
material was originally printed with a doublequote mark at the
beginning of each line. These doublequote marks have been
removed except for those indicating the beginning and end of a
quotation.
On Pg. 86 there is a short section of quoted material from '"Lieutenant
Little....' to 'await my arrival."' This quotation was originally
printed with a doublequote mark at the beginning of each line. The
doublequote marks have been removed. Because of its short length, the
quote has been left in the body of its parent paragraph, demarcated by
opening and closing doublequotes.
When the author quoted extensively from other sources, he used a row of
between 3-6 asterisks to represent omitted material. This style has
been reproduced in this transcription.
The author was inconsistent with respect to whether a space was added
between the letters in abbreviations such as A.M., R.N., i.e. and so
on. The original spacing has been preserved in all cases.
The original text included an Errata with the following text: "Page
136, line 15, _for_ 'head of a thief' _read_ 'hand of a thief.'" The
required change has been incorporated into this ebook and hence the
Errata has not been transcribed.
Table of Contents, Chapter VI., "expecttations" changed to
"expectations" (Original expectations of the Colony)
Table of Contents, Chapter X., "Tranfer" changed to "Transfer".
(Transfer from natives)
Pg. 2, "concesssions" changed to "concessions". (confirming the grants
and concessions acquired from the Sultans of Brunai)
Pg. 9, "slighlty" changed to "slightly". (black and slightly oblique)
Footnote 2 makes mention of an Appendix but the source document for
this transcription, although complete, did not have an Appendix.
Library catalogue entries for this title (with matching publication and
physical parameters) at libraries such as the Bodleian Library of
Oxford University (UK) and Harvard University make no mention of an
appendix and state that this title had 165 pages, which is exactly the
same as for the source document used.
Pg. 21, "adapability" changed to "adaptability". (adaptability to
changed circumstances)
Pg. 44, "fatening" changed to "fattening". (used for fattening pigs)
Pg. 53, "invesiture" changed to "investiture". (his conversion and
investiture by the Sultan)
Pg. 55, "beetwen" changed to "between". (quarrel ensued between them)
Pg. 59, sentence ends after "had the desired effect" without
punctuation. This is followed by a row of asterisks (omitted material)
and then the beginning of a new sentence: "None joined....". As it is
unclear whether "had the desired effect" ends the sentence or there
were more words (which have been omitted), the original text is
preserved as is.
Pg. 63, "poputation" changed to "population". (supporting a population)
Pg. 70, "beloved" original printed with an inverted "e". Corrected.
(beloved of the Colonial)
Pg. 72, "expirements" changed to "experiments". (but experiments are
being made)
Pg. 74, "scarely" changed to "scarcely". (We can scarcely let)
Pg. 75, "chaples" changed to "chapels". (twenty-five Mission chapels in
Sarawak)
Pg. 79, "uncrupulous" changed to "unscrupulous". (most unscrupulous
agents)
Pg. 87, "witb" changed to "with". (covered with a strong growth)
Pg. 105, "authories" changed to "authorities". (for the Spanish
authorities)
Pg. 114, "hat" changed to "that". (and found that next morning)
Pg. 114, "he" changed to "the". (and that the swifts went)
Pg. 116, "ino" changed to "into". (have been put into circulation)
Pg. 120, "rear", last letter originally printed as an inverted "r".
Corrected. (and appears to rear its isolated)
Pg. 120, inserted missing period at sentence end. (at all rare. The
dryest months)
Pg. 124, "amasing" changed to "amassing". (an innate desire of amassing
dollars)
Pg. 126, inserted missing period at sentence end. (Kinabatangan River
on the East.)
Pg. 126, "ordidary" changed to "ordinary". (higher price than ordinary
kinds)
Pg. 131, "hegrees" changed to "degrees". (abolish by degrees, any
system of)
Pg. 132, duplicated word "an" removed. (If an _anak mas_ girl)
Pg. 133, "incorrigble" changed to "incorrigible". (An incorrigible
slave)
Pg. 133, "agressor" changed to "aggressor". (compensation from the
aggressor)
Pg. 135, "pu-a stop to" changed to "put a stop to". (altogether put a
stop to in)
Pg. 135, "effecttually" changed to "effectually". (effectually brought
to an end)
Pg. 136, "and to the.consequent", extraneous dot removed. (and to the
consequent)
Pg. 145, inserted missing period at end of sentence. (HOPE. In order
that the)
Pg. 145, "Zepyhyr" changed to "Zephyr". (in the Zephyr a few weeks)
Pg. 148, "acccustomed" changed "accustomed". (had been accustomed to)
Pg. 149, "desirabilty" changed to "desirability". (recognised the
desirability)
Pg. 152, "Expendiure" changed to "Expenditure". (Expenditure in 1887)
Pg. 163, apparently extraneous comma removed from inside parenthesis of
"(_Rusa Aristotelis_,),". (_Rusa Aristotelis_), the)
Pg. 164, "N better" changed to "No better". (No better description of
the)