186 LABUAN COAL. [1844. 



body of the island, (and I have subsequently ascertained 

 again crops out on the west,) it may therefore be inferred 

 that good coal underlies to the southward, the upper beds 

 being but the precursor of our English coal districts. 

 Specimens of the coal from Brunai, as well as from the 

 different positions on Labuan, with the rocks composing 

 the accompanying strata, were forwarded to the Lords 

 Commissioners of the Admiralty, and from a special 

 examination made upon them, at their request, by Sir 

 H. De la Beche, the talented Director of the Ordnance 

 Geological Survey of Great Britain, the coal was pro- 

 nounced to be " of a quality quite equal to our best 

 Newcastle." 



I am still of opinion that coal could at all times be 

 landed direct from England at less than the cost of 

 raising it, either here or at Brunai, independent of the 

 almost insurmountable difficulty of obtaining labourers : 

 and I am perfectly satisfied that it would prove advanta- 

 geous to load vessels, intended for any settlement formed 

 here, with coal as ballast, to which may be added the 

 very small tonnage of dry goods, which might be re- 

 quired ; and having delivered here, take in timber for 

 Hong-Kong, which could readily be procured either at 

 Labuan or the adjacent land, and would prove a valuable 

 article at that colony. 



The land on the northern part of Labuan is elevated 

 about forty feet above the level of the sea, covered with 

 a rich black loam highly charged with oxide of iron, on 

 which there are good timber trees ; whilst the vegetation, 

 generally, flourishes luxuriantly : water is also abundant, 

 but more particularly on the low lands to the south- 



