BRITISH BORNEO.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6437, 5 January 1889, Page 4

BRITISH BORNEO.

AN ENCOUNTER WITH THE . NATIVES. [Special to Pbess Association.] SINGtAPOEE, Jas. 3. The British Borneo Company have been forced to take up arms against Boine of the natives on their territory, and an encounter has taken place, but no details are to hand. [The royal charter for the British North Borneo Company was granted in 1881 • the country having been previously ceded— in j 1877-8-^by the Sultans of Brunei and Sulu, to a private Company of Englishmen. The chartered Company is independent of the British Government, its administration being in the hands of a Governor, assisted by a Council, and by Residents appointed to preside over Provinces and Districts; the machinery being similar to that in Crown Colonies. Malays and Dyaksform the bulk of the- people, with a sprinkling of Chinese and Arabs. When in September, 1841, the title of Sir James Brooke as Eajah of Sarawak was confirmed by the Malay Sultan of Borneo, "complete anarchy prevailed ; Malays were fighting against Malays, and Dyaks against Dyaks." How well Sir James succeeded may be illustrated by the testimony of Mr Wallace, author of "The Malay Archipelago." He says : — " The success of this system of rule was never better shown than during the Chinese insurrection, when, having narrowly escaped with his life— his friends killed or wounded, his house burnt down, and much of the town destroyed — the whole population^ Malay and Dyak alike, rallied round the English Eajah, drove out and almost exterminated the invaders, and triumphantly brought him back to rule over them." The present Eajah is a nephew of Sir James, who was formally adopted by the Malay chiefs.