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LABUAN.

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O. 882

1

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

See Blue Book of

1854.

THIS colony was established in 1848. Its maintenance was at first necessarily defrayed by Great Britain at an annual cost of £9,827. That charge has been gradually diminished, and has now altogether ceased. Though this is a favourable feature in the history of the set- tlement, it cannot be said that it has made as much progress in commercial prosperity as was expected, or that it has fully answered the ends for which it was established. The object on account of which Great Britain was induced to found a colony in this quarter of the globe was to make it a depôt for British trade, for sup- plying ships with coal, and for the extension of civilization. There is a society, formed of capitalists in this country, seeking a royal charter, called the Eastern Archipelago Com- pany, who lease the coal mines and work them; but from one cause or another their enterprise has not been attended by the success which was anticipated.

The population in, 1,410, The revenue for 1888, including balance of 1852, 23,249. The expenditure

24,307

n

1

There are 171 soldiers borrowed from the East India Company's settlement at Singapore.

A. B.

H