494
SABAH.
in dried and salted fish are encouraging. The fact of the country, especially in the neighbourhood of Sandakan, being very sparsely inhabited offers particular facilities for planters as preventing any chance of complications with the natives, while the harbour lying almost directly in the track of the Australian steamers, it is hoped that large quantities of sugar, pepper, cocoa, sago, &c. may be grown for direct shipment to Sydney, Adelaide, and other ports. Several thousand acres have been applied for already in the neighbourhood of Sandakan, chiefly for the cultivation of sugar. Amongst the zoological productions of Sabah are to be noted elephants, rhinoceros, deer of three kinds, buffalo (Bos Ghaur as well as Bos Banteng probably), pigs, bears, &c. There are pythons of 20 feet and upwards in length, but other snakes, particularly poisonous varieties, are very rare. Of game birds there are a few, argus, fire backed and Buluer pheasants, three sorts of partridges, many pigeons and doves, snipe and quail.
Kudat, the principal seat of residence of His Excellency the Governor, is situated in Murudu Bay at the extreme north of the territory, and was selected on account of its central situation giving command of both coasts. It is but newly opened, and it is expected that a good deal of the trade of Palawan as well as that of its own district will be attracted to it.
Elopura, in the magnificent harbour of Sandakan, is the chief place of trade. The imports include cloth, rice, hardware, manufactured goods of all kinds, opium, Chinese tobacco, Chinese coarse crockery, matches, biscuits (a great many biscuits are consumed by the numerous produce collecting parties up country), oil, sugar, &c. The chief exports from Sabah are rattans, gutta-percha, india-rubber, birdsnests, seed pearls, trepang, sharksfins, camphor, tortoiseshell, dried cuttle fish, beeswax, and other natural products. These are brought in from the numerous rivers, the neighbouring Sulu Archipelago, &c. It is an interesting fact that both the exports and imports have alinost doubled every year, year by year, since the occupation of the country five years ago. The population of Elopura was about 3,000 at the beginning of 1882, and is now close on to 4,000.
The territory of Sabah was acquired from the Sultan of Brunei and Sulu by cession for a small annual payment in 1879-80, and the British North Borneo Company was incorporated by Royal Charter on the 1st November, 1881.
DIRECTORY.
BRITISH NORTH BORNEO COM-
PANY.
COURT OF DIRECTORS, LONDON.
Sir Rutherford Alcock, K.C.B.
James Brand, Esq. (Messrs. Harvey,
Brand & Co.)
John Cunliffe, Esq.
Alfred Dent, Esq. (Messrs. Dent Bros.
& Co.)
John D. Dewhuc, Esq. (Messrs. G. &
R. Dewhurst)
The Right Hon. Lord Elphinstone Admiral The Hon. Sir Henry Keppel,
G.C.B.
Richard B. Martin, Esq., M.P. (Messrs.
Martin & Co.)
Rear-Admiral R. C. Mayne, C.B. Philip A. Myburgh, Esq., Q.C. Secretary--Benjamin T. Kindersley, Esq. Offices-11, Old Broad St., Loudon, E.C. AGENTS.
Immigration Commissioner-Sir Walter
Medhurst, Hongkong
Brunei-Capitan Tummonggong Kim-
Swee
Calcutta-Messrs. Gillanders, Arbuthnot
& Co.
Ceylon-W. D. Gibbon