160 EAMBLES OF A NATURALIST. [Ch. Xi 



fessed that mercliant ships prefer to purchase British to 

 Labuan coal, although the former is much dearer. 



The physical characters and geological relations of Lahuan 

 coal seem to point out that it, Hke the Ke-lung coal, is a 

 recent formation ; in fact, a lignite. In the stiff clay roof 

 of certain seams, Mr. Low assures me he has found many 

 impressions of leaves in very perfect preservation, identical 

 with those of trees growing in the jungle at the present day. 

 In the coal there are very frequently found tears of pure 

 dammar resia, and the Dammar trees are still common in 

 the jiingle. This resin has also a great tendency to occur 

 in veins ; and I was informed that on one occasion a mass 

 of pure dammar 6 lbs. in weight was found. It was in- 

 tended that this unique specimen should be deposited in an 

 Enghsh museum, but a careless workman unfortunately let 

 it fall, and it was broken to fragments. The Dammar trees' 

 will exude resin while ia a state of decay, and so long as a 

 particle remains undecayed, that particle will continue to 

 produce its quantum of resin. Mr. Low informed me that 

 he knew of trees which for 12 years have been undergoing 

 a slow process of decay, and that the resin is yet distUled 

 from the small particles which remain. 



Two or three miles south-west of the coal mines, in a 

 deep nullah of the jungle, a petroleum spring has been dis-. 

 covered, and a path has been cleared through the forest to 

 the spot, which I visited. This path runs along a high 

 ridge, from which a grand view is obtained of the majestic 

 trees whose lofty stems ascend from the deep valley on 

 either side. Among the branches of these trees, monkeys 



written, wound up tljeir affairs. I understand, however, that a new Com- 

 pany has been formed, and that the coal continues to he worked ; and there 

 seems to be no reason to doubt that with judicious management, the work 

 wOl be carried on advantageously and successfully. 



