264 COMPENDIUM OF GEOGKAPHY AND TRAVEL 



into districts, each of which is administered by a Eesident, 

 who is assisted by European, Eurasian, or native sub- 

 ordinates. He acts as judge, using a modification of the 

 Indian Criminal Code, but in certain cases there is a 

 right of appeal to the Eaja. 



The State possesses a small standing army in the 

 " Sarawak Eangers," a body of about 300 well-drilled 

 natives, officered by Europeans, and armed with breech- 

 loading rifles. There are forts on most of the rivers, 

 mounting a few cannon only, but sufficiently strong to 

 withstand native attacks. In addition, some twenty or 

 thirty thousand men can be put in the field, the Dyaks of 

 the Batang Lupar, Seribas, and other rivers constituting 

 a reserve force to be called out in times of necessity. 

 These men, who were in old days head-hunters, are far 

 superior to any European troops for the work for which 

 they are needed, being well trained, thoroughly accus- 

 tomed to forest warfare, and unhampered by commis- 

 sariat difficulties. In consideration of their services they 

 are exempted from the poll-tax. 



The trade of Sarawak shows a slow but steady in- 

 crease. The chief products are sago, which is exported to 

 the value of about £70,000 annually; gambir and 

 pepper ; coal, of which from the Muara mines there is 

 now a large output ; various forest products, the most 

 important being gutta-percha, dammar, and rattans ; and 

 antimony, cinnabar, diamonds, and gold, the three first 

 of which show a tendency to decrease. Planting has of 

 late been much encouraged. The imports consist mostly 

 of opium, salt, tobacco, cloth, crockery, and brass ware. 

 The revenue is principally derived from the opium farm, 

 i.e. the right to import the drug and control its sale, 

 which is the monopoly of a single individual. Prac- 

 tically, this is a sort of capitation tax on the Chinese, 



