792
BRITISH NORTH BORNEO-LABUAN
E. L. Woodin, manager
Agency
South British Insurance Co.
ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY-BR. N. B. BRANCH Hon. Sec. and Treasr.-E. N. M. Ashness
SABAH STEAMSHIP COMPANY, LIMITED
"Labuan," 120 tons, A. Gardyne "Normanhurst," 56 tons, J. Peterson,
engineer in charge
"Taganac" 67 tons, E. B. McCulloch,
engineer in charge
"Borneo," 100 tons, H. Pfort, master Darby & Co., agts, and mang. directors
SANDAKAN BOOK CLUB
Librn. and Hon. Sec.-Rev. W. H. Elton
SANDAKAN CLUB
Hon. President-H.E. The Governor Chairman of Commitee-W. G. Darby Hon. Secretary-F. H. Beeston
SANDAKAN HOTEL
R. Lorentzen, lessee Sam Ah Lock, manager
KUDAT
Resident, Prov. Alcock-R. M. Little District Trer. & Har. Master-H. Palmer District Officer & Magistrate-W. B. Smith Assistant
do.
-R. A. Bennett Postmaster-R. A. Bennett
Apothecary-W. F. Oorloff
Secy. Sanitary Board & C. C.-S. Qui Boon
KUDAT HOTEL, Import and Export
H. Broese van Groenou Kwee Soon, assistant
LAWN TENNIS CLUB (SANDAKAN)
Hon. Secretary R. G. L. Horton
MANGANESE MINES, Taritipan, Kudat
J. E. Robertson, manager E. Walker, assist. do.
WEBSTER, J. B., Naval Contractor
LABUAN
This, the smallest British Colony in Asia, was ceded to Great Britain by the Sultan of Brunei in 1846, and taken possession of in 1848. It is situated on the north-west coast of Borneo in latitude 5 deg. 16 min. N., and longitude 115 deg. 15 min. E. It has an area of 304 square miles, and is about six miles from the Borneo coast. Although Labuan possesses a fine port, has extensive coal deposits, and by situation seemed likely to become a depôt for the trade of the north coast of Borneo, it has only partially fulfilled the expectations formed of it. The produce of Brunei finds a market in Labuan, but the volume of the trade is small. There are sago mills on the island, where the raw material is converted into flour, for export chiefly to Singapore. These mills were erected by influential Chinese introduced by the governor from Singapore; they have also put up tapioca mills and have arranged to plant 500 acres a year until 5,000 acres have been planted. Cocoanuts are being planted on the same land. There is regular steamship communication with Singapore, Sandakan and Manila as well as with the local ports. The Government is now administered by the British North Borneo Company, having been handed over to it by the Imperial Government in 1889. The population in 1890 was 5,853, of whom 25 were Europeans and 17 Eurasians, the remainder being chiefly Chinese and Malays. The Chinese, who number over a thousand, are the chief traders, and most of the industries of the island are in their hands. There are about forty Europeans now, including Government officials, the staff of the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company, the Coal Point mines and traders. The New Central Borneo Company are lessees of the Coal Mines in the island, and are developing a considerable trade in the coal, which is largely supplied to H.M's ships. The present output is about 50,000 tons a year. The revenue is chiefly derived from the farming out of licences to sell tobacco, spirits, opium, and fish. When the administration was transferred to the chartered company in 1889, the revenue was $20,000; in 1902 it amounted to $56,000. The imports in 1902 were $1,948,742; exports 81,198,945.