252 COMPENDIUM OF GEOGRAPHY AND TRAVEL 



formerly the capital, is the next most important station. 

 It is situated in Marudu Bay, at the extreme north of 

 the island, and has the maritime advantage of being 

 upon the Singapore" side of the difficult and dangerous 

 Mallawalle Channel ; but its trade is considerably less 

 than that of its rival, and it is no doubt less healthy. 

 The other Government stations are Gaya, Papar, Silam, 

 and ]\iempakol. The latter is a new settlement, chiefly 

 occupied in consequence of Labuan having fallen under 

 the administration of the Company. Silam, Papar, and 

 Gaya are small stations, the former being chiefly im- 

 portant from its experimental gardens, and Gaya as the 

 port of the chief cattle district. 



The British North Borneo Company does not itself 

 engage in trade, but is merely an administrative body, 

 drawing its revenues from a native poll-tax, which can 

 as yet be only very partially levied ; from various 

 duties, among which is that of 10 per cent upon all 

 jungle produce ; from opium and spirit licenses, which 

 are farmed out ; and from stamp duties, etc. The 

 revenue, which was $82,448 in 1884, has steadily 

 risen. In 1887 it was 8142,687, and in 1891 

 $417,028. The expenditure for the same three years 

 was $242,450, $204,343, and $509,535, so that apart 

 from land sales the budget still shows a considerable 

 deficit. The exports — the chief of which are tobacco, 

 birds'-nests, gutta, rattans, and sago — have considerably 

 increased, and in 1891 reached a value of $1,238,277. 

 As yet, of course, only the seaboard of the great area 

 owned by the Company has been at all brought under 

 European influence. The interior is an unknown land 

 which, at the risk of their lives, a few bold explorers 

 have here and there crossed. But it is probable that 

 not many years will elapse before it has been well 



