IN BORNEAN FORESTS [chap, xxiv 



rivers ; they are, beginning from the west : I, Lundu ; 2, Sarawak ; 

 3, Sadong ; 4, Batang-Lupar ; 5, Oya ; 6, Muka ; 7, Bintulu ; 

 8, Barram ; 9, Limbang ; 10, Trusan. 



The principal forest products of Sarawak are guttapercha, 

 indiarubber and rotangs, of which guttapercha is the most im- 

 portant export, being in great demand and fetching high prices. 

 The larger portion of that which arrives at Kuching to be exported 

 to Singapore now comes from the Rejang. The Government 

 makes a large profit from this valuable product, for the export due 

 amounts to $16 per pikul, but is only Sio per pikul on india- 

 rubber. 1 



The export of rotangs from Sarawak has lately shown a decrease 

 when compared to what it was a few years back, which may be 

 explained by the high prices obtained by guttapercha and india- 

 rubber, which give larger profits, and are thus more sought after. 

 The exportation of timber has recently attained large proportions 

 on the lower Rejang, where ships from Hongkong now constantly 

 call, the supply appearing to. be inexhaustible. In the lower 

 districts of Sarawak (Sadong and Sarawak) a small duty on the 

 export of timber has been recently established, with a view to 

 diminish the felling of forest trees. Elsewhere the export is free, 

 with some restrictions on that of bilian wood, on account of its 

 value. 



Amongst the forest produce of a certain value must be included 

 the edible nests of the Collocalia, or " bird's-nest swallow," from 

 which the Sarawak budget obtains an annual income of about 

 $3,000, the lease of caves which belong to the State ; but most 

 of the nest-yielding caves are the private property of natives. 



The principal agricultural products exported from Sarawak 

 are pepper, sago, and gambir. Pepper at present, owing to the 

 great demand on the Singapore market, is one of the most important 

 agricultural products m the country ; its plantations, cultivated by 

 Chinamen, have attained a large development and are on the 

 increase. Sago is always the main product of the soil in Sarawak, 

 and in 1900 336,173 pikuls were exported. The cultivation of 

 gambir, which was at one time quite extensive in the neighbour- 

 hood of Kuching, appears to have given place largely to -that of 

 the pepper-vine, which pays better. Rice has not yet been grown 

 in sufficient quantities for the local demand ; but as a 

 result of the great encouragement now given to Chinese immigration 

 on the Rejang river it is hoped that the produce of that staple 

 food-supply of the entire native population of Borneo will increase, 

 and eventually contribute also to the export trade. 



The internal trade is entirely in the hands of the Chinese, who 



1 A pikul is equal to 133 J lb. English. 

 374 



