xvn] IN BORNEAN FORESTS 



about forty square miles. It is almost flat, the highest point reach- 

 ing an elevation of only eighty-six feet above sea level. 



Labuan is so intimately connected with the history of Sarawak 

 that I can hardly pass it by without mentioning the more important 

 events which led to its occupation. Sir Edward Belcher, with whom 

 was Captain James Brooke, the future Rajah, landed on Labuan in 

 December, 1844, and the suitability of the island for establishing a 

 station was at once recognized. A few days later Brooke received 

 from the Sultan of Bruni a letter, in which he offered to cede the 

 island to Great Britain. In 1845, Labuan was visited by Admiral 

 Keppel, at that time captain in command of H. B. M.'s ship Dido. 

 It was then decided that as a naval station it was preferable to the 

 island of Balambangan, farther north, which had also been thought 

 of for the same purpose. Coal of fairly good quality had meanwhile 

 been discovered at Labuan, and this had no small influence in de- 

 ciding its occupation ; for what was then wanted was a naval station 

 for supplies, and especially coal, for the men-of-war engaged in the 

 repression of piracy in the China Sea and among the Malayan Islands. 

 Victoria Harbour, as it came to be called, offered, in addition, 

 excellent shelter during the north-east monsoon, which is the bad 

 season in these seas. 



The occupation of Labuan was, however, only actually decided 

 upon in 1846. On December 18th in that year Captain Mundy, then 

 commanding H.M.S. Isis, got the act of perpetual cession of the 

 island to H.M. the Queen of England and her successors signed 

 by Sultan Omar Ali of Bruni, countersigning it in Her Majesty's 

 name. No pecuniary compensation was, however, paid to the 

 Sultan, as a punishment for his having insulted the British flag. 

 On December 24th, Vice- Admiral Sir Thomas Cochrane and Captain 

 Mundy hoisted the British flag, and formally took possession of the 

 island in the name of Queen Victoria. 



The hopes built on Labuan have only partially been realized. 

 The climate is not so healthy as was at first supposed, fever being 

 rather prevalent, and the coal has been the undoing of more than 

 one company, for its yield and exportation have fallen considerably 

 short of expectations. When I visited the island, the only Europeans 

 there were the Government officials, those in charge of a peniten- 

 tiary, and the employes of the company which had the working of 

 the coal mines. 



Near the sea and round the harbour were only a few houses, 

 though not badly built, belonging mainly to Chinamen. The 

 bungalows of the Europeans were more inland. The Governor was 

 absent at the time, and Mr. (now Sir Hugh) Low, the Colonial 

 Treasurer, was Acting-Governor. He was most kind and hos- 

 pitable, and wanted us to go and stay at Government House, where 

 he then had his quarters. Mr. Low had been one of the early com- 



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