Page:Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (IA journalofstra13141884roya).pdf/380

remarks made by Mr. A. Dent when Sir Walter Medhurst's paper on British North Borneo was read before the Royal Colonial Institute on the 12th May, 1885:—"The progress in North Borneo has not been so rapid as was anticipated when we obtained the charter at the end of 1881, but still we can certainly point to steady progress since the company took possession in July, 1882. I find that the fiscal revenue for 1884 as compared with 1353 shows an increase of 60 per cent., land sales a decrease of 39 per cent., leaving a total increase of 28 per cent., which, considering the state of trade and universal depression, must, I think he thought n wholly unsatisfactory. Sir Walter has alluded to several new imports and exports. We hope în 1885 to show an export of gold. Last autumn we sent one of our best officers to explore for gold in the Segama and Kinabatangan rivers, and his report showed gold to exist in alluvial deposits in the 30 or 40 places experimented upon. He could not continue his explorations, owing to the wet season having just set in, but has recently gone back, and we hope soon to lear it confirmed that there are workable deposits of gold in the country. That the Governor and officials of North Borneo believe in it is evidenced by their having taken the trouble to publish regulations and proclaim certain districts as gold fields. Tobacco we look forward to as likely to prove an important enterprise in the country. This, as the paper says, is advancing but slowly, for, owing to many difficulties which occur in a new country, the 1884 crop did not come up to expectations. Considerable preparations have, however, been made for planting during the coming season. In February last one company had 330 coolies working on their plantation, and another company 100 coolies. From all accounts, this tobacco is likely to prove equal to the finest Sumatra. It is used for covering purposes. In sugar little has been done as yet, but large tracts of country have been taken by Australians, Chinese, and others. There seems to be a fair prospect that the depression in this trade will soon pass away, for prices have recently advanced 30 per cent. There is some reason to believe that the German Government are getting tired of the system of bounties, for I believe it is a fact that the sugar manufacturers and growers of beetroot in Germany owe the Government something like ten millions sterling, and the authorities are beginning to wonder whether they will ever see their money again. As regards timber, our export for 1884 amounted to $10,000. Part went to Australia and part of China. There is a great variety of timber in Borneo, some of the hardest woods in the world being found there. The Billian, or iron wood, is plentiful, and valuable for railway sleepers, wharves, &c.; and some other woods are suited for furniture, ship-building, and other purposes. One of the Chinese merchants has 200 men cutting timber for the China market, and the Australians are cutting tim. er freely for the Melbourne market. The report upon the experimental garden at Silam states that Liberian coffee, now rising to its third year, is very fine, and yielding freely. The younger plantations at Sandakan promise well The growth of pepper is all that could be desired. Cocoa, Manila be up, and gambia are, amongst other articles, easily produced in the territory. One of the main questions remaining for consideration is that of labour. Everywhere the question seems to be how, and where, to get labour. Many restrictions are, we know, put upon the importing of Chinese into America and Australia,