A LAND OF ETERNAL SUMMER.

Dunstan Times, Issue 2479, 3 May 1909, Page 8

A LAND OF ETERNAL SUMMER.

(By Orlando H. Baker, American Consul)

This country is under the protection of England, where, as in Australia, the people speak of England as "home. P Borneo is the second island ini swm the world, the southernmost part of which more than three-fourths of the whole) is Elder the control of Holland, and is rich in gold mines, precious stones, and petroleum : the trade of which, as of Sumatra and Java, is controlled by the ISethcrfands Government. As yet British Korth Borneo can boast of none of these sources ° tfSTind west of the Dutch possessions, bordering on the sea, lies fearawak, the kingdom of Rajah Brooke, ruling under English protection. , Sir James Rajah (Malay for kin-), acquired the territory from the lultL, then ruling the wild natives> m 1841, and broke up piracy on that coast. \s mv letter is 10 uo concerning British North Borneo, I cannot stop to describe S Torde k r'ing on Sarawak, Dutch Borneo and the Sulu sea, lie the possessions ot the British North Borneo Company, reaching from the fourth degree, of north latitude to the seventh, covering 01,000 square miles of territory; mountainous, containing the highest mountain in Borneo (13,698 feet); grand forests, with numerous rivers, navigable for small boats, and SSaSSd W from 150,000 to 200,000 6 enn ; civilised yellow people, of supposed, Malay origin. By the way, the hist Rajah of North Borneo, was an American named Torry, who, by purchase, had chained J claim to the territory from a Consul Ot the United States at Brunei, who had acquired it from the Sultan. Ihe Consuls name was Moses. Mr Torry sold his claim to the English Syndicate. Ihe Jinelish began de novo negotiations With the Sultans, and by paying them a tribute ot about £2332 annually, became absolute ownere of the land, with the royal right to govern the inhabitants. A royal charter was granted the company in 1881, since which time the company has governed the country through the officials appointed by the Court of Directors—seven members— a close corporation—office in 37 Threadneedleetreet, London. . , . L ■> Sandakan is the capital, situated ona fine bay of the same name, 8,000 to 10,UUU Asiatics, and from 50 to 60 Europeans. The white inhabitants consist of the employees of the Government and the heads of the two mercantile, companies. Asiatics fill all subordinate clerkships in the Government offices and the European firms. There is a force of 600 men in the constabulary, all Asiatics except the duel officers, with no hope or even a wish tc make Borneo a "white man's country. The retail merchants, the artisans, the fishermen, the gardeners, and, the pro prietors of the pawn-shops .and the gamb Ting-houses, are all Asiatics speaking th< Chinese or Malay language. Government white employees are mostly young, unmarried men from London, o: good families, well-educated, typical En glishmen; as also are the employees ol the English importing firm. They have a club house, tennis, anc cricket grounds (where they meet for re creation); there are also a few Germain here, who join heartily in the social hff of the place. The Governor and his lad} are people of high character and exemp lary habits. They come on contract t< remain five years. Sandakan is a city set on more ther "seven hills," and is picturesque in th( extreme. Almost every house commands a beautiful view of the bay and tht small islands rising like emeralds out o the water. There is a deep gorge cutting the site into about equal parts, with hill; on either side—-almost mountains. Wind ing along this gorge, under the hills, a a gentle elevation, is the fine road leading from the wharf and business part of th town to the Governor's residence, lb road, covered with metal and sand, i kept smooth with a great iron roller drawn constantly by four huffalos. Brand roads go off this around the hills, al kept in good order. This can be sai< only of the roads in the town. A shor distance out they become muddy foot paths. Borneo is noted for its lack o roads. Rivers take the place of roads. The conveyances are mostly two-wheel ed dog-carts," drawn each by a small pony owned privately; there is no livery stabl or any place where a conveyance can b hired. If you do not possess a cart yoi mu6t walk. A few people keep Sedai chairs or jinricshas. Occasionally a lad; and gentleman are seen early in the morn ing or late in the afternoon riding oi horseback. Motor-cars have not yet in vaded North Borneo. To meet condi tions, the motor would need to be : climber. Traffic, for the most part, L done by coolies, who carry their load swung on bamboo poles. There are a lev two-wheeled carts of primitive construe tion; most are for a single buffalo. Som< of the carts are roofed for protection fron sun and rain. The vegetable gardens are Hidden bad among the hills, being cultivated by i tribe of Chinese called "Hakkas." Th< women carry the vegetables in baskets at tached to a" bamboo pole, to market fron one to three miles. Besides the baskets the woman will sometimes have a bab on her back, sometimes she has the bab' in one of the baskets to balance the vege tables in the other. *- These women are small, straight, an< walk rapidly with their loads. There ar hundreds of them on the march down th main road every morning at daylight Sometimes a man is seen walking wit! them, carrying a load, but more oftei without. From the broken character of the grown on which the town is built, drainage i about perfect and rapid. Consequent! the place has very little sickness. Border ing the shores of the bay, there, is a nar row flat space on which the greater par of the population is crowded together The houses are two storeys, lower store, for shops, and the upper for dwellings The Chinese seem to defy all sanitar, laws, and it is a wonder that some pesti lence does not sweep them off, but th plague and cholera are unknown. Th fevers that are treated in the Sandaka hospital have generally been contracte on the tobacco and rubber estates in th "jungle." All reports as to deadly. fevers and other dreadful diseases, dangerou reptiles, terrific storms, and outrages b; natives are exaggerated and false, and ar spread by ignorant persons, who wish i> astonish their auditors, and appear wise People sometimes die from hardships am exposure here, as they do in all parts o the world. A very small part of the 31,000 mile has been alienated. There are ten tobacc companies, six Tubber plantations, eacl having several estates. There are also tw< coffee companies. The cultivation of cof fee has not been a success. The tota number of hands employed in these am other industries in 1907 was 10,467, mostl; indentured Chinese coolies. Coal is mined on the island of Labuan off the west coast of North Borneo, ant on the east coast, near the Dutch posses 6ion, at Cowie Harbor. The coal fron Cowie Harbor is brought to Sandakan it lighters, and stored at the wharfs to sup ply steamers calling here. Total amoun mined in 1907 was 9259 tons, employing seven white men and 563 coolies. As i seen, coolies do „II -the manual labor Steamers make ionnightly trips fron Sandakan to Hongkong, loaded with Bor neo timber, and planke sawn at the twi Sandakan mills. Heavy forests border th rivers entering the Sandakan Bay, whene come the logs. In these forests roam elephants, rhino ceros, wild dogs, deer, and other animals Monkeys and ourang-utans play in the trei tops. These animals sometimes invade tht tobacco fields and rubber estates, damaging

the plants. Crocodiles ana snarks also ibound. I cannot dwell on the wonders these forests, nor describe how the natives subsist, their habits and customs. Wars among the tribes and “head-hunt-ing” no longer exist. There is a fine field among them for the missionary, only partly occupied. The Government operates telegraph and telephone lines—Boo miles—which cannot wth ocean cable to all parts of the world. The post office system consists of ten post offices, most of which are also reached by telegraph. About 120 miles of railway is in operation on the west coast, none from Sandakan. It is one eternal summer, with nearly always a pleasant breeze. Vegetation never ceases growing, and fruits are always ripening on the trees. This is the rainy season; now the rains come down in thick mist, as if the clouds themselves had settled; now in floods that make roaring waterfall's of all the hill sides. We often wish some of it could be passed over to the interior of Australia. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., when the sky is clear, the heat in the open is not so hot as it appears, but produces a peculiar effect on those not. acclimatised, a dizziness, sometimes severe head pains. Even in the house one has a feeling of weariness. The mornings and nights are simply glorious; no dust, no flies, and hut few mosquitoes. That you may see how we are situated, I give distances to principal places from SandakanManila, 660 miles; Singapore, 1000 miles; Hongkong, 1200 miles; the nearest Philippine Islands are but a few hours 1 sailing, and wo are- often visited by the island revenue cutters looking after smugglers.