1378
BRUNEI
In 1914, payable oil was found for the first time in the District of Belait, at a depth of 1,820 ft. At first the flow was 25 tons daily, but a week's pumping test reduced this to an average of six tons. The British Malayan Petroleum Co., Ltd., has now obtained a lease of this area and is conducting extensive operations. The prospects are promi- sing, and are even brighter still in the area along the sea-shore at Kuala Belait where the same Company is carrying on prospecting and where good "shows" of oil have already been located.
Native industries are few. Brunei silver-work and brass-ware enjoys a certain vogue, and would be appreciated if it could be expeditiously put on the market. The women also weave silk cloths and sarongs.
The natives are expert fishermen and the coast waters abound in excellent fish, which- with rice-form the staple diet of the people. The principal imports are piece goods, tobacco, rice, kerosene and sugar. The main exports are cutch, rubber, sago and jungle produce. Para rubber was exported for the first time in 1914-about 7,000 lbs. The value of rubber exports in 1927 was $892,627. Some Chinese have begun to plant pepper, a product for which Brunei was famous 150 years ago.
The public revenue in 1927 amounted to $402,134, as against $367,344, in 1926, and expenditure to $426,981, as against $297,894 in 1926.
DIRECTORY
Sultan-His Highness AHMAD TAJUDIN AKHAZUL KHAIRI WAD-DIN Ministers of State-PENGIRAN BENDAHARA AND PENGIRAN PEMANCHA
BRITISH RESIDENT'S OFFICE
British Resident-R. J. F. Curtis Chief Clerk-Ibrahim bin Mohd. Jahfar
COURTS
Judge-R. J. F. Curtis Magistrate-Pengiran Shahbandar
CUSTOMS AND GOVERNMENT MONOPOLY Officer-in Charge-Chua Law Lee
MEDICAL DEPARTMENT
Dresser--Leong Ah Ng
BRITISH MALAYAN PETROLEUM CO., LTD.
(Incorporated in England)
Board of Directors-The Right Hon. Viscount Bearsted, M.C., Sir Robert Waley Cohen, K.B.E., Andrew Agnew, C.B.E., Admiral Sir William Lowther Grant, K.C.B., Walter Maclachlan Hon. T. G. Cochrane, D.S.O., gen'l. mgr. Labi, Brunei
O. S. Dickson, local manager
G. H. Webster (office and stores) W. G. Clancy (labour & transport) Field Staff
G. C. Bryson
E. V. Dallimore
J. Josh
J. Norman
Seriah, Brunei
G. D. Randall
G. J. Ross
L. G. Shaw
H. E. Tracy
T. M. Browne, local manager
H. S. Mansbridge (office and stores)
POLICE FORCE (Brunei Police)
Chief Inspr. in charge (Brunei and La- buan), residing at Brunei-G. A. McAfee
POSTS AND TELEGRAPH DEPT. Officer-in-charge - Pengiran Mohd. bin
Pengiran Piut
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT Officer-in-charge (P.W.D.)—C. E. Tull Clerk of Works-E. B. Keasberry
TREASURY DEPARTMENT Treasury Clerk-Liew Thian Tai
Field Staff
J. M. Black
B. de L. Bullock | D. McKinnon G. McFadzean J. H. MacPherson
R. M. Smith
J. A. Mackenzie
ISLAND TRADING CO., LTD. (Incorporated in Great Britain), Cutch Extract Manu- facturers, etc.-Brunei, Sarawak; Tel. Ad: Acreage, Brunei; Codes: Bentley's, Western Union and Broomhall's
Thos. A. Robarts, gen'l. mgr. for East W. H. Doughty, manager
W. B. Falconer, assistant
Gadong Estate
J. K, B. Coghill, manager
S. G. Fraser | K. E. H. Kay Guthrie & Co., Singapore, agents