330 BRITISH NORTH BORNEO. 



but bis lamented and sad death has temporarily put a stop to 

 the search for it. The same formations in which the silver ore 

 and antimony are found in Sarawak, are also met with in parts 

 of North Borneo, and from specimens which have been brought 

 in by the natives, it is reasonable to suppose that a systematic 

 search would disclose workable deposits. 



Mother '-o'fyearl. 



The sea also has treasures which form no small item of 

 export, such as mother-o'pearl, beche-de-mer (holothuria,) and 

 tortoise shell. The neighbouring oyster beds in the Sulu sea 

 have lately been attracting the attention of Europeans, with a 

 view to the introduction of proper appliances for the effective 

 working of the beds, which is impossible with the primitive 

 means employed by the natives. There is no doubt that as the 

 European government becomes known and appreciated, the 

 pearl oyster beds, which unquestionably exist round the coasts, 

 will be made to yield their riches. The grasping natures of 

 the innumerable petty chiefs of a former regime, who oppressed 

 the unfortunate pearl fishers, until their occupation — arduous 

 and dangerous as it was — brought them no profit, is the 

 cause assigned by the old men for the abandonment of the 

 pursuit, and the consequent losing sight of the exact locality of 

 the beds. On one occasion, whilst searching for an oyster bed 

 in a locality pointed out by an old man living on one of the 

 small islands off the coast, the divers who accompanied the 

 writer, obtained over a hundredweight of mother-o'pearJ, 

 valued at $45, but all the shells were isolated, and it was 

 evident that only the outlying members of the true bed had 

 been found. 



Fauna. 



Beasts of prey are conspicuous by their absence, the one 

 known exception being a small tree tiger f Felts macrocelh) 

 which is found in the interior. Deer of various kinds, wild 

 pigs, wild cattle {Bos gaums), and buffalo, are abundant, and 



