Directory_and_Chronicle_1915 — Page 1585

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BRITISH NORTH BORNEO

other natural disturbances are unknown. The seas are teeming with fish, and the export trade in dried and salted fish is increasing. Trade with Hongkong, especially in timber, is well established, and steamers for Hongkong and Singapore, whence the majority of the trade supplies are obtained, are frequent. Amongst the zoological productions of North Borneo are to be noted elephants, rhinoceros, deer of three kinds, wild cattle, pigs, bears, and pythons. 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 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, etc.

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 pro- ducts, which are brought in from the interior, the neighbouring Sulu Archipelago, etc. Coal is being worked in the S.E. of the territory. The Cowie Harbour Coal Mines at Silimpopon have yielded good results. For transporting coal there is one lighter capable of carrying 550 tons, two of 400 tons each, and three of 100 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 1913 amounted to 56,060 tons. About 3,000 tons of coal is stocked at the mines and at Sebat- tik, 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 have 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 Royal Dutch Petroleum Company are now prospecting on the British portion of Sebattik Island, and the Netherlands Colonial Petroleum Company on the East and West Coasts.

The revenue of the territory in 1913 amounted to £234,930, and the expenditure to £125,234; in 1912 the revenue was £197,544 and the expenditure £115,656. Tobacco planting promises to become a great and profitable industry, and the tobacco already raised obtains a ready sale at good 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 1913 was 1,023,283 lbs. valued at $2,264,378 against 411,070 lbs. valued at $961,253 in 1912. The export of copra was valued at $98,604 in 1913 against $77,792 in 1912. The value of tobacco was $2,919,970 against $2,264,378 in 1912. The export of timber was valued at $869,463 against $697,716 in 1912. The population 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 1913 was 171,389 against 201,877 in 1912; and 20,703 tons of freight were carried in 1913 against 14,552 tons in 1912. The gross earnings amounted to £20,911 in 1912 and to £24,591 in 1913. A sum of £32,000 was spent in 1912 in improving and strengthening the line, and a further sum of £77,00 in 1913. Sandakan is distant 1,000 iniles 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 has just been completed.

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 iniles, 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, 26,002 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 3 per cent. was paid in 1912 and a similar dividend in 1913. The credit balance of the Revenue Account for the year ended December 31, 1913, was £119,603 against £179,70) in 1912. In May, 1888, a British Protectorate was established. The following officers have administered the Government of the Territory since its acquisition by the