144 AUSTEALASIA. 



Labuan. 



At the time of its cession to Great Britain in 1846, Labuan, the island of the 

 " roadstead," was completely uninhabited and covered by dense forest. But in 

 annexing it to their colonial empire despite the claims of the Dutch, the English 

 hoped it might become an important station on the highroad between Singapore 

 and Hongkong. It lies, however, somewhat out of the direct track of shipping, 

 while its coal mines, actively worked for some years, have been deluged by the 

 tropical rains of those regions. They are of older formation than those of the 

 mainland, which belong to the Jurassic and even more recent epochs. The island 

 is inhabited chiefly by Malays and Chinese, and although provided with a governor 

 and legislative council, had only nineteen Europeans in 1884. Since the suspension 

 of mining operations its trade has considerably diminished. 



Sarawak. 



The territory of Sarawak, lying between the state of Brunei and the Dutch 

 possessions, and skirted on the west by the main Bornean range, forms part of the 

 British colonial empire only since the year 1888. It belongs to the Brooke family, 

 which holds it as a fief, and the head of which takes the Indian title of Eajah. 

 But these English vassals, more powerful than their Malay suzerain, have steadily 

 enlarged their dominion since 1841, and Sarawak is at present more extensive, 

 more densely peopled, and far more opulent than Brunei itself. But it is still 

 very sparsely inhabited, containing perhaps not more than 300,000 souls in a total 

 area of 86,000 square miles. A recent treaty secures to England the control over 

 its internal administration. 



Like most other towns on the Bornean seaboard, the capital, Sarawak (properly 

 KiichitKj) lies on a navigable river, some distance from the coast, and above the 

 delta, whose two chief branches are accessible with difiiculty to large vessels. 

 Commanded by woodland heights and surrounded with gardens and orchards, the 

 town presents a pleasant aspect ; although its British residents regret that the 

 capital has not been placed some 20 miles to the north-east, on the breezy and 

 salubrious slopes of a headland at the entrance of the Moratabas river. But it is 

 now too late to displace a town which possesses some fine buildings, warehouses, 

 covered markets, docks, rich plantations, and quite a network of well-kept roads. 

 Its Dayak, Malay and Chinese population is rapidly increasing both by immigra- 

 tion and excess of births over the mortality, and Kuching, an obscure village in 

 1850, has now over 20,000 inhabitants. 



Some antimony and quicksilver mines in the upper basin of the river formerly 

 yielded large profits, but have now lost much of their value. They are, however, 

 still occupied by Chinese miners, who also work the gold washings, and the 

 diamond and coal fields of the Sadong valley. The most promising districts at 

 present are those of Lundu, west of Sarawak, where the planters cultivate rice, 

 gambler, and pepper. One of the bays on the Lundu coast is noted for its turtles. 



