A LAND OF ETERNAL SUMMER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 115, 12 June 1909, Page 3

A LAND OF ETERNAL SUMMER.

(By Orlando H. Baker, American Consul) This country is under the protection of England, where, as in Australia, the I people speak of England as ''home." Borneo is the second inland in size in the world, the southernmost part of which (more than three-fourths of the whole) is under the control of Holland, and is rit'h in gold mines, precious stones, and petroleum; the trade of which, as of Sumatra and Java, i- controlled by i the Netherlands Government. As yet,. British North Borneo can boast of none | of these sources of wealth. North and went of the Dutch possessions, Ixirdering on the sea, lies Sarawak, the kingdom of Rajah Brooke, ruling under English -protection. Sir James Brooke, rajah (Malay for king), acquired the territory from the Sultans, then ruling the wild natives, in 1841, and broke up pi nicy on that coast..

As my letter is to be concerning British North Borneo, 1 cannot stop to describe Sarawak.

Bordering on Sarawak, Dutch Borneo and the Snhi sea, lie the possessions of the British North Borneo Company, reaching .from the fourth degree of north latitude to the seventh, covering 31.000 ■square miles of territory; mountainous, containing the highest mountain in Borneo (13,008 ft); grand forests, with numerous rivers, navigable for small boats, mid inhabited by from 1511,000 to 200,000 semi-civilised yellow people, of supposed 'Malay origin. By the way, the first Rajah of North Borneo was' an American named Tony, who. by purchase, had obtained a claim to the territory from a Consul of the United States at ikuuei, who had acquired it from the Sultan. The Consul's name was Moses. Mr. Torry sold his claim to the English syndicate. The English began de novo negotiations with the Sultans, and by paying them a tribute of about £2332 annually, became absolute owners o'f the land, with the royal right to govern the inhabitants.

A royal charter was granted the company in 1891, since which time the company has governed the country through the ofticial B appointed by the Court of Directors—seven members—a close corporation— ollice in 37, Threadueedlostreet, London.

Sandakan is the capital, situated on a fine bay of the same name, 8000 to 10,000 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 (100 men in the constabulary, all Asiatics except a ™ chief ollicers, with no hope or even a wish to make Borneo a "white man's country."

The retail merchants, the artisans, the fishermen, the gardeners, and the proprietors of the pawnshop,.- and the gam-bling-houses, are all Asiatics fipeaking the Chinese or Malay language. Government white employees are mostly young, unmarried men from London, of good families, 'well educated, typical Englishmen; n s also are the employees of the English importing firm. They have a club-house, tennis and ricket grounds (where they meet for recreation); there are also a few Germans' here, who join heartily in the -ocial life of the place. The "Governor and his lady are people of high character and exemplary habits. They come in contract to remain five years* Sandakan is a city set on more than ''seven hills," and is picturesque in the extreme. Almost everv house commands a beautiful view of the ,bay and the -.mall islands rising like emeralds Out of ;hc water. There is a deep gorge cutting the s-ide into about equal parts, with hills on either side—almost mountains. Winding along this gorge, under the hills, at a gentle elevation, is the fine ■oad leading from the wharf and busi•iess part of the town to the Governor's residence. The road, covered with metal and sand, is kept smooth with a iron roller, drawn constantly bv r our uuiialoes. Branch roads no off this around the hills, all kept in good order. This' can be said only of the roads in the town. A short distance out thev be'ome muddy footpath*. Borneo is nofd lor its lack of roads. Rivers take the place of roads.

The conveyances are mostly twowheeled dog-carts, drawn each" .hy a MiiaU pony, owned privately; there j* no livery stable or any place where a TOiroeyanco can be hired. If vou do not •iosses s i( cart you must 'walk. A few 'leople keep .Sedan chair* or jinricslns Occasionally a lady and gentleman are <cen early m the morning or late in the tfternoon riding on horseback. Motor■ai's have not yet invaded Xorth Borneo, to meet conditions, the motor would need to 'be. a climber. Traffic, for the most partes done by coolies, who carry their loads swung on bamboo poles, there are a few two-wheeled cai'ts of ■ ?rnmtive construction; most are for a ■single luifialo. Some of the carts are roofed for protection fro,,, sun mid rain. ' The vegetable gardens' are hidden ba-k TrT S • JlilU ' ta '"S ''"'tivated bv'a tribe of Chinese called "Hakkas." The wome,, carry the vegetables in baskets attached to a liamboo pole to market from one to three miles. Besides the baskets, the woman will s ometi,nes have a babe on her back; sometimes she has the babe in one of the baskets to balance the vegetable in the otter Jtert- women are small, straight, and walk- rapidly with their loads. There lie hundreds of them on the march down ti'e mam road every morning at (lavish t. Soniet.mesaman k seen walking »ith them, carrying a load, but more Sften without.

From the broken character of the on which the t0".,, is l,„i|t. drain ■•go is about ported, and rapid. 'Coiwo«»tly the place has very' little sickie,s. Bordering the shores of the lmhere is a narrow flat h pace on which' rmvi Cl ' i';"' 1 °t, tI,P P°P"'l«tloii is or . °'i tIU ' I '' Tllc »«>»«•« are two ones, the lower story for shops and tlie upper for dwellings. The Chinese "'' tlml «°'»« Faience does not -weep ,lhem off, .but the pla-ue and Aolera are unknown. The fever! tl jre, treated i„ the Sandaka, I osp have generally been contracted on the tobacco and rnbher estates in he "J««gl«." All reports as to de-'dl fee m !\ ' Ifll '"t""'". Md outrages i,v natives are exaggerated and false Iml "• all parts of the world ' Vli tot h£ T" F*? 1 at l, "^l.00(1 miles "" 1,( "' 1 "'"'nated. There are ten to liacco companies, six rnbher plantation, each ,„ vin „ seWal P'™Ml,o,as

Coal is mined on tno island of oft the .west const of Xorth Borneo, an. ",',' M ;':, < ' o : wt . ""av the Dutch po s . session.attow.olwrJ.nr. The coal .f„,„ Come harbor to Sandakan "i lighters. ~,,,1 sioro.l Nt the wharfs to »»Ppi.v sloi.nuTS calling |„,,.,, TnM amount mined i ; 1 |. W was l)2:,!» ton. 'Ooiios As is seen, coolies ,]„ ~l| t| lo mannal labor. Steamers make fortnMnS > rip* from Sandakan to llo,,«kon« loaded with norm-,, timber, and ph nH £v; forests homer tl.e rivers entering the •Sai.dakan Lay. whence come the ■ ■■IlL ■ hrnocros -w,l, dogs, .leer, and other annuals. Monkeys and fl „rang.„tans piny ... the tree-tops. These animals sometimes mviiii,. the tobacco fields' and molier estates, damaging the plants. Crocodiles anil sharks also abound. T cannot dw/'ll on the wonders of these •forests, nor describe how the natives si.U.sii-it, their lial.its and customs'. Wars among the tribes and '•head-hnnting" no longer exist. There is a line field among them for the missionary, only .partly oreupied. , The Clovernment operates telegraph and. 'telephone, lines—Boo mile.;—which connect with ocean cable to all .parts of the world. Tlu' .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 I coast, none from Sandakan, It is one eternal summer, with nearly always a pleasant breeze. Vegetation never ceases growing, and fruits are nlway., ripening on the trees. This is' the I rainv season; now the rains come down in thick mist, as if the clouds themselves had settled; now in floods that make ' roiirhjr waterfalls of all the hillsides. 1/ !Wc,:oflcn wish some of. it could lie piriiwoil over to the interior of Australia. From 10 a.m. to 4 n.in., when the skv is clear, the heat in the open is not so hot a« it appears, .but produces a .peculiar effect oil those not acclimatised, a di?.-i----ness. sometimes severe head mills. Evr in/the, house one has a feeling of wenH ii'ess,'. The mornings and nights a~< simply glorious; no dust, no flies, am fopfpwHntoyjagriatanta.