1566
BRITISH NORTH BORNEO-LABUAN
The road from Brunei Town to Tutong (30 miles) was opened to through traffic in 1927 and a rapid expansion of development has already resulted. An extension was made from Tutong Village to the beach, and five wooden bridges were erected near the mouths of the main streams situate between the Tutong and Belait Rivers. They have made it possible to travel by motor car along the sandy beach from Kuala Tutong to Kuala Belait, the headquarters of the British Malayan Petroleum Company, Limited.
A wireless telegraphic installation of the most modern type was opened in 1921, with a central station at Brunei and subsidiary stations at Labuan and in each of the districts. It places every part of Brunei in telegraphic communication with Singapore and Europe.
Petty wars, head-hunting raids, and the jealousy of the numerous chiefs, coupled with the existence of slavery, rendered agriculture impossible in the past. Since the appointment of a resident British official, the common people have shown eagerness to take up land and plant coconuts. The rivers are fringed with the nipah palm; the forests of the interior abound in rattans; there are large areas of the sago palm, which is worked by the natives and sold to Chinese traders for export to the Singapore market. The wild rubber tree, Jelutong (dyera costulata), is common, and is worked for export. There are 4 European companies operating rubber estates. At Brunei Town, the Island Trading Company, Ltd., has its cutch factory, employing several hundreds of hands. The value of cutch exported in 1930 was $220,080, compared with
$185,802 in 1929.
In 1914, payable oil was found for the first time in the District of Belait, at a depth of 1,820 ft. At first the flow was 25 tons daily, but a week's pumping test reduced this to an average of six tons. The British Malayan Petroleum Co., Ltd., has now obtained a lease of this area and is conducting extensive operations. The prospects are promi- sing, and are even brighter still in the area along the sea-shore at Kuala Belait where the same Company is carrying on prospecting and where good "shows" of oil have already been located.
Native industries are few. Brunei silver-work and brass-ware enjoys a certain vogue, and would be appreciated if it could be expeditiously put on the market. The women also weave silk cloths and sarongs.
The natives are expert fishermen and the coast waters abound in excellent fish, which with rice-form the staple diet of the people. The principal imports are piece goods, tobacco, rice, kerosene and sugar. The main exports are cutch, rubber, sago and jungle produce. The export of rubber in 1930 was $1,980,816 lbs. Para rubber was exported for the first time in 1914-about 7,000 lbs. The value of rubber exports in 1930 was $377,927. Some Chinese have begun to plant pepper, a product for which Brunei was famous 150 years ago.
The public revenue in 1930 amounted to $333,069, as against $345,290 in 1929, and expenditure to $379,604, as against $344,092 in 1939.
DIRECTORY
Sultan-His Highness AHMAD TAJUDIN AKHAZUL KHAIRI WAD-DIN
Ministers of State and Regents-PNEGIRAN BENDAHARA AND PENGIRAN PEMANCHA
BRITISH RESIDNENT'S OFFICE
British Resident-P. A. B. McKerron Chief Clerk-Ibrahim bin Mohd. Jahfar
COURTS
Judge-P. A. B. McKerron Magistrate-Pengiran Shahbandar
do. -Dr. J. W. Winchester M.D.
CUSTOMS, MONOPOLIES AND MARINE
Superintendent-Chua Law Lee
Clerks-Pangiran Ahmad and Ahmad bin
Daud
MEDICAL DEPARTMNET
Medical Officer-J. W. Winchester
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.