I
STATE OF NORTH BORNEO
This territory, formerly known as Sabah, situated at the northern end of the island of Borneo, has a coast line of about 800 miles. The population is made up of Malays, Bajaus, Dusuns, Sulus and Muruts, and at the census in 1931 numbered 270,223, which includes about 47,799 Chinese. The chief geographical feature in the territory is the mountain of Kinabalu, about 13,455 feet high. The principal river on the West coast is the Padas. On the East there are the Kinabatangan, Labuk, Sugut, Segama, and many other valuable rivers. The best harbours are those of Jesselton on the West coast, Kudat on the North, Sandakan and Cowie Harbour on the East, the two- last-named being very spacious and possessing great potentialities.
".
The climate is particularly pleasant for the tropics; the days are rarely very hot, while a blanket is often required at night; and little inconvenience is experienced from insect pests, such as mosquitoes and the like. Hurricanes, earthquakes, and other natural disturbances are almost unknown. The seas are teeming with fish, and there is a large export trade in dried and salted fish. Trade with Singapore, Hongkong and the Philippines is well established. A weekly steamship service is maintained between North Borneo ports and Singapore by the Straits Steamship Company, and steamers run regularly to Hongkong and the Philippines. A local fortnightly service is maintained by the Sabah Steamship Company to the West Coast ports, and a weekly service to the East Coast ports. There is a fortnightly service to Tawau from Dutch East Indies ports by the K.P.M. Dutch Line. The Osaka Shosen Kaisha run a monthly service between Java, Tawau and Japan. There are in all four lines of steamships maintaining communication with North Borneo. Most of the
trade supplies are obtained from and through Singapore; and with Hongkong there is a brisk and increasing trade in timber. Amongst the zoological productions of North Borneo are to be noted elephants, rhinoceros, deer of three kinds, wild cattle, proboscis monkey, orang-utan, pig, bears, pythons and crocodiles. Of game birds there are a few-argus, fireback, and, bulwer pheasants, wild duck, many varieties of wild pigeon and doves, snipe, and quail.
་
Sandakan, the capital, has a magnificent harbour and is the chief place of trade. Jesselton, on the West coast, is developing, and several of the Government Departments are located there. It is also one of the termini of the State Railway. The imports include cloth, rice, hardware, manufactured goods of all kinds, Chinese tobacco, Chinese coarse crockery, matches, machinery, biscuits, oil, sugar, etc. The chief exports are rubber, copra, timber, dried and salt fish, native tobacco, rattans, edible birds'-nests, seed pearls, bêche de mer, sharks' fins, Borneo crystalline camphor tortoise-shell, beeswax, and other natural products, which are brought in from the interior, the neighbouring Sulu Archipelago, etc.
Revenue in North Borneo amounted to £311,548 in 1934, as compared with £210,197 in 1913, the pre-war year. Expenditure in North Borneo was £220,200 in 1934 (in- cluding £28,837 for renewals, depreciation, etc.), as compared with £115,545 in 1913.
Timber and Rubber are now the largest industries in the country, having displaced tobacco from the premier place; and coconut cultivation is becoming one of the features of the country, in which there are large areas still to be exploited. Cutch, which is extracted from mangrove bark, is being exported in considerable quantities. There are now many companies operating in North Borneo, the majority being engaged in rubber growing. Over 128,590 acres are under rubber cultivation. The population of the town of Sandakan, the capital of the territory, according to the 1931 census, was 13,286 (as compared with 11,936 in 1921), composed of Europeans 111, Chinese 11,030, Javanese 562, Indians 193, Japanese 39, Malays 176, Philippine Islanders 248, natives of Borneo 1,356 and others 111. The British North Borneo State Railway has a total mileage of 127 miles. The main line runs for 56 miles through flat country to Beaufort. From Beaufort to Tenom it runs through 30 miles of the Padas Gorge, noted for its beautiful scenery; and thence on through undulating country to Melalap, the present terminus.
*D3