BRITISH BORNEO. 7 i 
visited by the late Lady BRASSEY and Miss BRASSEY in April, 
1887, when British North Borneo was honoured by a visit of 
the celebrated yacht the Suxdeam, with Lord BRASSEY 
and his family on board. 
I accompanied the party on the trip to Madai, and shall not 
easily forget the pluck and energy with which Lady BRASSEy, 
then in bad health, surmounted the difficulties of the jungle 
track, and insisted upon seeing all that was to be seen; or the 
gallant style in which Miss BRASSEY unwearied after her long 
tramp through the forest, led the way over the slippery bould- 
ers in the dark caves. 
The Chinese ascribe great strengthening powers to the 
soup made of the birds’-nests, which they boildown into a syrup 
with barley sugar, and sip out of tea cups. The gelatinous 
looking material of which the substance of the nests is com- 
posed is in itself almost flavourless. 
It is also with the object of increasing their bodily powers 
that these epicures consume the uninviting sea-slug or 
béche-de-mer, and dried sharks’-fins and cuttle fish. 
To conclude my brief sketch of Sandakan Harbour and of 
the Capital, it should be stated that, in addition to being with- 
in easy distance of Hongkong, it lies but little off the usual 
route of vessels proceeding from China to Australian ports, 
and can be reached by half a day’s deviation of the ordinary 
track. 
Should, unfortunately, war arise with Russia, there is little 
doubt their East Asiatic squadron would endeavour both to 
harass the Australian trade and to damage, as much as possi- 
ble, the coast towns, in which case the advantages of Sanda- 
kan, midway between China and Australia, as a base of opera- 
tions for the British protecting fleet would at once become 
manifest. It is somewhat unfortunate that a bar has formed 
just outside the entrance of the harbour, with a depth of water 
of four fathoms at low water, spring tides, so that ironclads of 
the largest size would be denied admittance. 
There are at present, no steamers sailing direct from Bor- 
neo to England, and nearly all the commerce from British 
North Borneo ports is carried by local steamers to that great 
emporium of the trade of the Malayan countries, Singapore, 
