BRITISH BORNEO. 119 
that they cannot stand it quite so well as the men, owing, no 
doubt, to their not being able to lead such an active life and 
to their not having official and business matter to occupy their 
‘attention during the greater part of the day, as is the case 
with their husbands. 
Of course, if sufficient care is taken to select a swampy 
spot, charged with all the elements of fever and miasma, 
splendidly unhealthy localities can be found in North Borneo, 
a residence in which would prove fatal to the strongest con- 
stitution, and I have also pointed out that on clearing new 
ground for plantations fever almost inevitably occurs, but, as 
Dr. WALKER has remarked, the sickness of the newly opened 
clearings does not last long when ordinary sanitary precau- 
tions are duly observed. 
At present the only employers of Europeans are the Gov- 
erning Company, who have a long list of applicants for ap- 
pointments, the Tobacco Companies, and two Timber Com- 
panies. Nearly all the Tobacco Companies at present at 
work are of foreign nationality and, doubtless, would give the 
preference to Dutch and German managers and assistants. 
Until more English Companies are formed, I fear there will 
be no opening in British North Borneo for many young Eng- 
lishmen not possessed of capital sufficient to start planting on 
their own account. It will be remembered that the trade in 
the natural products of the country is practically in the hands 
of the Chinese. 
Among the other advantages of North Borneo is its entire 
freedom from the presence of the larger carnivora—the 
tiger or the panther. Ashore, with the exception of a 
few poisonous snakes—and during seventeen years’ residence 
I have never heard of a fatal result from a bite—there is no 
animal which will attack man, but this is far from being the 
case with the rivers and seas, which, in many places, abound 
in crocodiles and sharks. The crocodiles are the most dread- 
ed animals, and are found in both fresh and salt water. Cases 
are not unknown of whole villages being compelled to remove 
to a distance, owing to the presence of a number of man-eat- 
ing crocodiles in a particular bend of a river; this happened 
