Directory_and_Chronicle_1914 — Page 1615

BRITISH NORTH BORNEO

1575

tireback, and bulwer pheasants, wild duck, many varieties of wild pigeon and doves snipe, and quail.

Sandakan has a magnificent harbour and 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, oil, sugar, &c. The chief exports are tobacco, copra, timber, cutch and rattans, gutta-percha, rubber, birds'-nests, seed pearls, bêche de mer, sharks' fins, camphor, tortoise - shell, beeswax, and other natural products, which are brought in from the interior, the neighbouring Sulu Archipelago, etc. Coal fields are now being exploited throughout the territory. The Cowie Harbour Coal Mines at Silipopon have been worked with great success. For transporting coal there are three lighters capable of carrying 450 tons each, and two of 160 tons each. The collieries are at present sufficiently developed to yield up to 500 tons a day, provided an ample labour supply is available and some small additional capital expenditure incurred to put the surface coal-handling arrangements in order. The output in 1912 amounted to 46,560 tons. About 3,000 tons of coal is stocked at the mines and at Sebattik, and there are generally 1,000 tons at least in stock at Sandakan. The British Borneo and Burmah Petroleum Syndicate have acquired a large tract of land on the west coast in the Klias Peninsula, where they had located an oil-field. Following upon this discovery, they have taken upon lease 440 square miles of territory, and are now engaged in prospecting extensive areas and in developing property which affords every prospect of yielding oil in payable quantities. The Bataafsche Petroleum Mij. are now prospecting on the British portion of Sebattik Island, and on the mainland opposite.

The revenue of the territory in 1912 amounted to £197,544, and the expenditure to £115,656; in 1911 the revenue was £180,646 and the expenditure £106,198. Tobacco planting promises to become a great and profitable industry, and the tobacco already raised obtains a ready sale at very high prices. Cutch is extracted from mangrove bark and is being exported in increasing quantities. Rubber is the latest and most popular industry. There are now thirty companies operating in British North Borneo, the majority being engaged in rubber growing, while others are engaged in coconut and tobacco cultivation. There are upwards of 29,000 acres under rubber. The rubber exported in 1912 was valued at $961,253 against $435,812 in 1911. One company had a crop of 384,75 2 coconuts in 1912, and the export of copra was valued at $77,792 in 1912 against $73,132 in 1911. The value of tobacco was 82,264,378 against 82,143,316 in 1911. The export of timber wa valued at $697,716 against $679,465 in 1911. The popula- tion of the town of Sandakan, the capital of the territory, was 8,256 in 1911, of whom 66 were Europeans and 5,942 Chinese. There are several sections of railway, totalling about 130 miles now open. The longest line runs from Jesselton to Tenom, 98 miles. The railway is playing an important part in the development of the Company. The number of passengers carried in 1912 was 201,877 against 715,339 in 1911; and 14,148 tons of freight were carried in 1911 against 10,451 tons in 1911. The gross earnings amounted to £17,040 in 1911 and to £20,911 in 1912. A sum of £28,000 was spent in 1911 in improving and strengthening the line, and a further sum of £31,988 in 1912. Sandakan is distant 1,000 miles from Singapore, 1,200 miles from Hongkong and 660 miles from Manila. It became connected telegraphically with Labuan on the 7th May, 1897, and was thus placed in communication with Europe, etc. A wireless installation is now in course of construction.

The territory of British North Borneo was acquired from the Sultans 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. The area of the territory is 31,106 square miles, and the population as ascertained by the Census of 1911 is 208,183 as compared with 104,527 in 1901. The total included 355 Europeans, 167,586 natives of Borneo, 26,02 Chinese, 5,510 natives of the Netherlands East Indies, 5,503 natives of the Sulu Archipelago, and 246 Japanese. The Company's authorised capital is £2,000,000, but the amount subscribed so far is £1,844,184. A dividend of 5 per cent. was paid in 1911 and a similar dividend in 1912. The credit balance of the Revenue Account for the year ended December 31, 1912, was £179,705 against £142,330 in 1911. In May, 1888, a British Protectorate was established. The following officers have administered the Government of the Territory since its acquisition by the Company:-1881-1887, W. H. Treacher; 1887-1888, W. M. Crocker (acting); 1888-1891, C. V. Creagh, C.M.G.; 1891-1892, L. P. Beaufort (acting); 1892, C. V. Creagh, C.M.G; 1895, L. P. Beaufort; 1900, Hugh Clifford, C.M.G.; 1901, E. W. Birch, c.M.c.; 1905, E. P. Gueritz; 1911, F. R. Ellis, c.M.G. 1912 J. Scott Mason; 1912-3, A. C. Pearson (acting); 1913, C. W. C. Parr.