IN BORNEAN FORESTS [chap. 



covered by primeval forest, rose-bushes yielding a wealth of 

 flowers now grow. Higher up, where the air is pure and the climate 

 temperate, the Rajah has had a small house built, which is used 

 as a sanatorium for the European residents in Sarawak. 



Other cultivations have been tried in Sarawak with various 

 and varying results, such as that of the oil-palm (ElcBis Guineensis), 

 tapioca, kapok (Eriodendron anfractuosum), the nutmeg, cinnamon 

 and cacao. Many others might be tried, for tropical plants grow 

 splendidly as long as the forest humus can be supplied. 



I do not know whether at the present period, when the cultiva- 

 tion of what are generically termed colonial products has under- 

 gone so great an extension in many parts of the world, it would pay 

 to employ European capital on a large scale in Borneo on agri- 

 cultural speculations. I am, however, fully persuaded that the 

 Government of Sarawak will reap manifold advantages and largely 

 benefit the population by promoting and encouraging amongst the 

 natives the cultivation of those plants which experience has shown 

 to be profitable. 



In order to attain this result in Sarawak, the establishment of small 

 agricultural stations in different localities, where culture experiments 

 of various kinds could be undertaken on a small scale, would be very 

 useful. Without being in the ordinary sense of the term botanical 

 gardens, they would be quite as advantageous. Another suggestion 

 I should like to see adopted is that a considerable extent of primeval 

 forest be preserved in proximity to the capital, in its natural con- 

 dition, somewhat on the lines of the National Parks in the United 

 States. For this purpose the tract of country between Kuching 

 and Gunong Mattang might be chosen, where if the forest were 

 cleared the soil would in all probability after a short time become 

 unproductive and get overgrown with lalang grass. It should be 

 remembered that if the destruction of the forest diminishes the 

 frequency and the abundance of rain, it would nevertheless cause 

 a notable increase of temperature around the capital. Such portions 

 of the forest as offer favourable conditions might be utilised for 

 the cultivation of forest products, such as the different species of 

 Sapotacese and Apocynaceae, which produce gutta percha, india- 

 rubber and solid oils ; certain choice kinds of rotang, as " rotang 

 sega," " rotang jernang " (dragon's blood), " rotang semambu " 

 (Malacca cane), etc., etc., which are now getting very scarce in the 

 jungle. 



There are good reasons to suppose that the existence of gold 

 and diamonds in Borneo was known in remote times, both in India 

 and in China. This fame of former days has helped considerably 

 to maintain even to the present time an erroneous and highly 

 exaggerated idea regarding the mineral wealth of the country. 

 Gold in the dominions of Rajah Brooke is only found on the 



370 



