60 SEARCH FOR COAL. [1843 



except by boats. At low water numerous mud banks 

 appear, on which are also great numbers of rush-roofed 

 houses ; many dwellings, moreover, are situated on the 

 firm banks of the river." 



Having completed our business with the authorities, 

 we moved on to Pulo Chermin and Areng,* to examine 

 the coal, and ascertain how far it could be worked at the 

 surface without going to the expense of unwatering the 

 beds. Either by the misinterpretation of former visitors, 

 or too great a desire to set forth the riches of this part of 

 Borneo, these strips of coal have been much over-rated. 

 I was informed, that by great exertion, the Honourable 

 East India Company's steamer ' Diana ' obtained two 

 tons from Pulo Chermin for trial. On my arrival I was 

 promised thirty tons for H.M.S. ' Vixen ', in which vessel 

 I proposed to test its quality, having in some measure 

 detained her to accompany me for this express purpose ; 

 with all our exertion, however, not more than thirty 

 pounds of good coal could be collected, without clearing 

 away to a depth of six feet, rubble, below high-water mark, 

 and all the native labourers that could be collected would 

 not have procured one day's consumption for that vessel 

 in less than a week. This coal, although of good quality 

 in the small strips in which it occurs, is merely an indi- 

 cation of what may be found underlying, and that cannot 

 be worked (if prudent to do so) without the assistance of 

 pumps or steam machinery. The cost of procuring it from 

 the natives, which I imagine would be from sources of 

 which we are at present ignorant, (probably up the river 

 near the city) would be near thirty-four dollars per ton, 

 * The Malay name for coal. 



