626 GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES IX MALAYSIA AND ASIA, 



striking instances of European influence in the better class of 

 buildings, including some Chinese shops and an hotel. As we 

 passed the sandstone cliflfs we saw the base a good deal perforated 

 })y caves, into which some natives were entering for edible birds' 

 nests ; but much more valuable harvests of the same nests are 

 gathered in enormous limestone caves about 18 miles distant 

 from Sandakkan. In some of this limestone I found fragments 

 of fossil Feuestella, Stenopora, &c. I take this opportunity of 

 recording the extreme hospitality with which we were received at 

 the North Borneo capital, where every one, from the Governor, 

 Mr. Treacher, to the least official, tried to assist us in every way. 

 I regret to add that many of those who welcomed us then have 

 since perished. During my stay I went across to Bay Island, 

 where 1 saw a large flotilla of about 50 canoes round a Bajow or 

 sea-gipsy settlement, constructed upon piles far out in the water. 

 I am afraid these Bajows would all be pirates if they dared. So 

 the presence of the North Borneo settlement is of the utmost 

 value to the safety of commerce, which is not the least service it 

 rendei's to the Indian Aichipelago. I visited a coffee estate and 

 tobacco plantation at Suna Lamba, where a good crop of tobacco 

 had been already obtained. 1 had rather unpleasant experience 

 in returning at night, being overtaken by a violent storm, which 

 exposed us to the wash of a cross sea for about three hours, and I 

 considered myself fortunate to escape being swamped. We had 

 been invited to dinner at Government House, but arrived instead 

 at midnight drenched to the skin. 



I saw at Sandakkan specimens of tin, gold, antimony, coal, and 

 corundum. These had been obtained in an exploring expedition 

 made by Mr. D. Daly up the Kinabatungan River. I have no 

 doubt that considerable quantities of alluvial gold will be found 

 eventually in North Borneo. 



SULU. 



From Sandakkan we pi-oceeded to the Sulu Archijjelago, 

 which we reached in two days. On our way we passed the 



