120 LABUAN AND BRUNEI. [chap. 



lay the ruins of ironwork and gear of various descriptions. The 

 place seemed a second Pompeii. 



The mines have proved the ruin of no less than three companies, 

 in spite of the fact that the coal is both good and abundant. The 

 right of mining was leased by Government at an annual rental of 

 £1000, but the difficulty of keeping the workings clear of water 

 has hitherto alone proved an insuperable bar to success, although 

 other circumstances have combined to produce the failures. The 

 seams apparently extend throughout the length and breadth of the 

 island, and have been found as much as eleven feet in thickness. 

 The dip is not great, and the coal obtained, though burning very 

 fast, is extremely good. The output in 1876 was about 6000 

 tons, but in 1881 only 800 tons were raised. With more 

 efficient engines and Chinese labour, there is apparently no reason 

 why the mines should not be remunerative. 



Some twenty miles from Labuan, opposite the island of Moaro 

 at the entrance of the Brunei Eiver, another coal-mine was opened 

 in the autumn of 1882. Three seams of great thickness had been 

 found, running north and south, and the coal was of excellent 

 quality. Although the workings had only been in operation for 

 nine months, a considerable quantity had been raised, and the 

 captain of the Royalist, who had traded on the coast for some 

 years, and was largely interested in the venture, spoke most 

 hopefully of its success. From what we saw during our day's 

 visit to the place, his anticipations seemed well founded. The 

 price of the coal at the pit's mouth was $4 per ton ; at Labuan $6. 



The island of Labuan, which has been an English colony for 

 forty years, is well situated on the north-west coast of Borneo, and 

 guards the entrance to Brunei Bay. It is about ten miles in length, 

 by five in extreme breadth, and is distant 700 miles from Singapore. 

 Its population is under 6000, and the bulk of the inhabitants are 

 of Malay race. Nearly all the trade, however, is carried on by 

 Chinese, of whom there are over a thousand on the island. It taps 

 the neighbouring coast of Borneo, the Sulu Islands, and Palawan, 



