TFTK EASTER X ARCHIPELAGO. 



135 



irt its Timiri featmiM! tlmt of a crown colony. The rnjjih is the aWdute 

 hwul of thu Stale, with full power of gpoutaneouK nnil independent nctinn, 

 t.v L i ■ -1 1 , boWOVQT, lit- rs.iv I y DTPTOlwill. bcm^ nan-illy Advised on local matters 

 by lii- LaJj^tuYtta t.Nuiin'il of two Kuro[K!JUi* uiid fj v. ■ M i] ty diM"-, A 

 gene ml (ri^nria] assembly of ihu priu^-i pn I native and Em'opeitu represent- 

 atives of the several district i.i held, sad sometimes a|ieoiully summoned 

 on urgent occasions. Any imimrtaul elmij^j in like bw or mollification of 

 native tastum would lie. referred to this (itmurnl foundl. 



Tin' government of the. vtirioiiH dislrii-K oatpostl, land riverain forts h 

 mainly entrusted to European Kflsidrttt^ aided by Atlfotant JLe&ideiila, 

 nativJ, Knrosiivm nr Chinese clerks. The European -hoi mot \ium\-rs 

 about twenty altopithfr. Although a mild system of hluvery still exists, 

 lh«i general tendency of the government ]um lu-m tn jrr.idiinlly ivdm-p it 

 within the UArrowe&l limits,, with a. view t» its total abolition, which is now 

 imminent. 



British North Borneo — A m^Unr remarkable experiment in the 

 jtdiuiiit.-ftrntion rjf nin ivilix-d eOttUnnnitie$ is exemplified in Hrilidi 

 North Borneo, or the territory of Kabah, lately acquired by u chartered 

 trailing company fruin the sultans of Brunei rind Sum. Origin- 

 ally Rtrctt'liinjT from the Kumuni* lo the Sibueu river on (ho east 

 coast, villi a seaboard of about 3Q0 ufcilcs, it has been quite recently 

 extended towards Brunei, to ;u? to include the river Padas, with 

 an area of 2l3 t OOO square miles and a mixed population of 200,000 

 Du-uns {hulf-canUj Chinese and native.*), Dyuks, Bajams Ilanox, 

 Jhil ml notes, Stilus, Malays nnd Chinese. Occupyitt^ the north- 

 eastern Q&nMT of Bornen, between 4 J end 7" N. bit., and 11C — 119" E. 

 long., it i-s washed on ihn>- U-h by the China and t'elobe*. Seas, and 

 bnuiicli-i] southward:* by llniuc-i mid Dutch territory ; hut not ttkott 

 than forty or fifty square miles of this extensive region have yet been 

 Settled, chiefly round Sandukan Bay mi the eu^i sddc. Here is the 

 town uf ftftmldk'ftu {bl^'p'ti.i ), jire^i-nt -cat "t <i< ovrniijeiit. other 

 rising station* being Kmhtt nu .Maruilu Kay; Aimi on Tji]ii]»Limk 

 Buy ; i'a/wr, KiuuiuiA, and ttn\nt on the west const. Tbe last- 

 nientiot:i:d ^ives itd ijiliih' to mie of the linesl natural Imrbours in (he 

 ar^lii[>ulugt> t Siiid to comprise ten admire milen of good unchorngc in 

 depths of from five to twenty fathom*, ft is well sheltered from all 

 winds, might be easily defesuleil from attack, and occupies a con- 

 venient commurcinl position near the trade route between Ilonkong 

 and Singapore, abi^nt midway between those great wnport?. I hit at 

 pre^'TH iiiiist nt' tlie i'X]»iirt tia b' \< i'4-rittvd in Sandsikun Bay, which, 

 though mtttb *lialb»wer iban Oftys, Jh tvi'ii iH'tter sheltered,, being for 

 twenty miles almost completely landlocked, 



Nnrih I'MriH-n rnjnv- :i ieiii*-]j cmiler climati- than imHt pfaces a> 

 neiLr tin: tqptf0S f the exirv^nie Hammer heat rarely exceeding 85* F, 



