|uLY t, 1886.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST- 



13 



the distant effects may be good, the immediate effect 

 is to stir up any seeds of fever and other disease 

 that may be latent in the system and cause an 

 outburst of the disease. 



We make further extracts as follows :— 



Count Gei.oes d'Elsi.oo, the first Netherlander to 

 take upland in Biitish North Borneo, described m the 

 Java papers as " The land of promise," left Staidakau 

 for Singapore on the night of the S^d April by the 

 S. S. " Bauca." Count Geloes, who whs the Governor's 

 guest during his short stay, appeared -much pleased 

 and somewhat surprised at the liberal lines on which 

 the (Government of this territory is carried on ns com- 

 pared with the Dutch regime in the magniticient 

 Netherlands Possesions in these seas. He was more 

 amused than pleased with the freedom of intercourse 

 existing between the Europeans and the Chinese, 

 yulus, Malays and other nationalities. The Count 

 obtained on favourable terms the lease for 999 years of 

 2G,000 acres of land ip the vicinity of the Kanow river 

 in i\Iarudu Bay, making, with the 4,000 acres already 

 taken up by his agent Mr. Persyn, a total acreage of 

 30,000 acres. He also made certain propositionsj which 

 have been forwarded for the cousideration of the 

 Court of Directors, for the coucession of Mineral right 

 on the Segama river. 



Tobacco in Noeth Boenko. — The Dutch Count' 

 Geloes d'Elsloo visited the Suan Lambar Estate of the 

 Chinese Sabah Laud Farming Company, and is said to 

 have formed a high opinion of the ijiutlitij of the to- 

 bacco. It appears that oiie leaf of tobacco from the 

 Bauguey Estate had found its way to Java, which did 

 not stand the burning test, whereas the Suan Lambar 

 tobacco wa8 demonstrated to burn beautifully. Surely 

 it must be to tbe advantage of Planters that their 

 numbers in this country should bo increased, with the 

 result of better communication, cheaper supply of 

 labour, attaps, and so forth, and it is difficult to un- 

 derstand how the solitary bad leaf found its way to 

 Java. On the 13th April the Chinese Sabah Land 

 Farming Company had ready packed 110 bales of 117 

 pouiuls of tobacco each, and are only waiting for mats 

 to pack the remainder of their crop of about 430 

 pikuls. It seems that a large quantity of the mats 

 procured by the Manager had been destroyed by rats. 

 We learn that the German Borneo Company, Banguey, 

 have 50 bales of tobacco ready for shipment by the 

 S. S. " Paknam " in about a fortnight's time. 



Timber in North Borneo, — Mr. E. E. Abrahamson 

 has converted his business as a Timber Merchant into a 

 Company under the stylo of E. E. Abrahamson & Co. 

 The principal works of the Company at present are on 

 the right bank of the Dumoundong river in Sandakan 

 Bay, an hour and a half by steam launch from San- 

 dakan, where permission to fell over 100 acres of 

 Government Forest land has been acquired. A visit to 

 the locality would well repay any person who has not 

 had previous experience of the way in which heavy 

 timber is brought out of the jungle with a motive 

 power of Chinese and Malay coolies only. Biljian of 

 excellent quality abounds, also large quantities of 

 Sirayah (cedar) and some Camphor. About 30 

 rough tracks have been made up the small valleys 

 separating the undulating slopes and on these are 

 laid crossways from side to side wooden spars, at 

 distances of three to four feet, on which a sledge made 

 of billian, and kept well greased with tallow by men 

 running alongside, is hauled by Chinese or Malay 

 coolies. On this sledge heavy logs of billian 30 to 40 

 feet long are transported to the river, where they are 

 made up in rafts with light timber to float them off to 

 the ship. At the present time some 1,000 tons of wood 

 are ready for shipment including one raft of 400 tons 

 of Sirayah. The timber is as a rule squared by Chinese 

 at so much a foot, the Malays not being handy with 

 the large squaring axes. About 60 to 70 Brunei Malays 

 are engaged on monthly wages and on pieee work in 

 one part of the ground and in another about 30 Chinese, 

 who work entirely on contract, providing their own 

 tools, rope and other requisite appliances. Ou the 

 score of cost Mr. Abrahamson says there is little to 

 choose betweeu tbe Malay and Chinese coolies. 



Gold in North Borneo.— Mr. H. Walker returned 

 from the Segama on the 9th April with Mr. Ah 

 Chee, leaving Captain Beeston to prosecute his re- 

 searches further up the river, where he will be accom- 

 panied by Mr. Callaghan of Silam. It appears that 

 Captain Bueston is of opinion that the alluvial below 

 Sabandar Pungut's Oainpong is not rich enough to pay 

 working, but above that the river working will pay 

 Chinese and Malays well for some time to come, its 

 richness improving as the river is ascended. The gold 

 is confined to the bed of the stream, beiug continually 

 washed down from the sources or the upper waters, so 

 that in all probabiUty the ground will take a long time 

 to work out. Mr. Ah Chee appears much pleased with 

 what he saw and intends to commence operations at once. 



New Products.— Kef.rring to the paragraph in out- 

 last is.sue to the effect that the Government had 

 allowed a grant of §1,000 for the purpose of encour- 

 aging the planting of gambler and pepper we are 

 informed that the Chinese of Kudat have promised 

 to contribute a like sum tor the said purpose. Eesi- 

 dent Davies must feel gratified at this proof of the 

 confidence placed in him by the Chinese community. 



We hear that sport is good round Kudat just at 

 present. Ou the llth of April, Mr. G. L. Davies shot a 

 large boa-, his head being 22 inches long. On the 

 13th April Messrs. Davies, and Wheatley were out 

 again, when the former's dogs, brought a fine young 

 Buck across the road within 20 yards of them. The 

 den- fell with an express bullet placed just behind his 

 shoulder by Mr. Davies, and with another shot in the 

 stomach fiom Mr. Wheatley. Ou the same evening a 

 native also shot a fine young Buck. 



We hear that the results of the Tawarau expeditiou 

 have even exceeded the expectations formed by the 

 Resident Mr. G. L. Davies, and that fifty-two villages 

 have tendered their allegiance to the Government, and 

 agreed to give up head-hunting. To show that they 

 really mean it, they have already sent in part of the 

 Poll Tax, which would be due from them in about 

 one month's time. 



Gaya Sago Factory has been shewing greater acti- 

 vity during the past quarter. 500 piculs of Sago Flour 

 having been shipped to Singapore. A change oi man- 

 agement has recently taken place which will probably 

 act beneficially. 



BuKiT MiNDALONG.— Would not this fine mountain 

 be a good point at which to form a Sanitarium, if 

 one is ever contemplated, lying, as it does, an easy 

 distance from the Coast, on the true right bank of 

 the river Sayap, an affluent of the Tampassuk in the 

 true right bank of the latter, — easily approached up 

 the levell Tampassuk valley, and offering any elev- 

 ation up to 8,000 and 10,000 feet? The word " Sayap,'. 

 it may be added, is Illanun for the pointed, plaited- 

 straw hat, worn by the Dustms, and is synonymous 

 with the Bajau "•' Sadok," the Brunei "Sirahun," 

 and the Dusun " Siong." The Sayap valley owes its 

 designation to a lofty, peaked mountain at its head. 



In Consequence of the expedition against Pen- 

 assan and Sirambutan, some fifty four villagers have 

 signified their wish to come under tho flag of the 

 ComiDany. The country may be said to be quieted down 

 up to the banks of Kinabahi. This is a gratifying 

 result to have been achieved with so little bloodshed, 

 aud it is to be hoped the head-hunting Hydra has 

 been scotched, if not altogether killed. 



The Hon. Ealph Abercromby tra\elling round 

 the world, gives his impressions of North Borneo, 

 and states among other things :— 



There is not the slightest doubt that the soil and 

 climate of British North Borneo are eminently suited 

 to the culture of valuable big loaf tobacco. Two 

 plantations are already started in Eanguey and the 

 first samples arc now ready for market. 



Ou the whole Sandakan seemed to bo a very little 

 hotter than Singapore, damper but not so hot as 

 Colombo, much less baking than Port Louis in 

 Mauritius, and greatly less trying than SavainFiji. 



A well-known Ceylon Colonist Mr. L. B. von 

 Donop, was acting for Colonial Secretary during 

 the absence of Mr. Malcolm Browo and we real 



