Auo: 1, 1892 
THE BRITISH HOETH BOENEO HERALD. 
263 
drilled witli Hinall holes, and ihese fdled with bright jbrass 
bars. 
“ The most curious of the lot to my eye is the so-called 
warrior’s two-bladed sword, from ITonan. It is only about 
two feet long, and in the scabbard looks very like the 
sword bayonet of our own army. Tlaft) scabbard is plain, 
but very neat, and covered with white shagreen or shark¬ 
skin, and trimmed with brass mountings. When you draw 
it the blade divides into two, each a facsimile of the other, 
double-edged and spear-pointed. The twin blades have a 
remarkable decoration made by drilling seven holes about 
an inch and a half in diameter and put in a zigzag line 
from hilt to point. These are filled with pure copper, 
which is ground down to form a smooth surface Hush with 
the steel, and polished to a mirror-Hke brightness. 
“ These seven stars, as the}^ are called, are found in 
nearly all the martial weapons of Honan, and are relics of 
the old astrologic faith that still prevails in many parts of 
China. Its hold is so strong that if the copper falls out 
of one of the sword holes it is accepted as a sure precursor 
venom is produced by steeping the blade in decayed human 
blood, and is one of the deadliest known to ph 3 ^siological 
science 
Correspondence. 
To THE EdITOK, 
British North Borneo lleratcL 
SandajvAN, 26th Jnhj^ 1892. 
Sir,— Under the heading of Planting Notes, in the 
July number of the Herald various products were men¬ 
tioned as being cultivated. Would it not be a fair trial to 
start Oil seeds (such as Castor oil seed, Rape and Sesame 
seeds ) instead of the palm oil palm ? 
A STRAY BIRD-. 
of death, and the luckless wielder of the blade usually 
commits suicide to escape further trouble. 
“ The short sta*l)bing daggers which find favor chiefly 
with pirates and revolutionists form a strong contrast with 
the weapons described. They are generally so ugly that 
they would be ludicrous were it not for the purposes to which 
they are applied, I have one which looks like a (j[ueerly 
made ace of spades fastened into a wirebound handle. To 
increase the artistic effect of the weapon, the armorer has 
hollowed out a shallow sponn-shaped concave on either side 
of the blade and filled in with blood-red lacquer, the effect 
of which, when suddenly drawn from a black sheath, is 
very startling. Spades are not the only suit in the pack 
that is popular in the Mongolian mind. I have another 
weapon whose blade is a perfect ace of diamonds:* All four 
sides are ground down to an almost concave edge and the 
blade is made hideous by Chinese rod lacquer-work made to 
represent drops of blood and gouts of gore. Still another 
dagger is about the clumsiest affair of the kind I ever hand¬ 
led. The blade is a foot long, about three inches wide and 
half an inch thick. With its heavy brass hilt and gigantic 
guard it weighs over three pounds. If set with a long 
handle it can be used as an axe. It is used chiefly by the 
“ Black-flags ” and other Celestial outlaws, who in addition 
to using it in the ordiiiarj' manner, throw it with fatal 
precision. 
‘• The ex-Eesident of Tonquin told me that during the 
late war he had known instances in which the knives were 
thrown with such force that they would go through a man’s 
bodv and show two inches of bloody steel beyond his back 
Thehaudlesof many of these instruments of death are finish¬ 
ed with what we call pistol grips. The most dreadful look¬ 
ing weapon of all is the executioner’s sword, used by the 
late headsman of Amoy. It is of Manchiu’iaii type, being 
long, almost straight, very heavy and keenly edged. It, is 
used with one hand and is shaped and wound so as to give 
the executioner a powerful hold upon his weapon. Ujion 
the blade near thp hilt are Chinese characters recording the 
tragic events in which it has taken active part. ^ly inter¬ 
preter told me that it records no less than one hundred and 
ninety-three human lives which it has taken out of this 
world. This record enhances its value. A new sword of 
the same kind could be brought for $10 or $12, but for 
this sword, v^ith its ghastly history, the thrifty broker 
wanted $200, cash. He evidently thought, although it 
came high, I must have it, and accordingly raised the ante. 
He was a very heartbroken creature when I returned it, 
with the editorial line so familiar to the spring poet; 
‘ Declined with thanks.’ A word of caution as to these 
Oriental swords and daggers: Very many of them are 
poisoned, so that a mere scratch will cause death. The 
fhonthly Reports. 
Ivx BAT, 16th June 1892. 
Sir, — I have the honor to forward my Report for 
May. 
I returned on the 1st of that month from vacation 
leave in Singapore and the Straits. 
Actual Revenue. —For the first 5 months of 1892 
permanent !|19,478.49 Estimated ^19,320.83. 
Actual Expenditure debited to Expenditure 
18,946.45. Estimated $8,963.33. 
Owing to local causes the payment of the Customs 
Farm’s Rent has been delayed for some months but the 
amount due will be settled later on, otherwise the 
Revenue would be somewhat in excess of the Estimate 
as |2,()87, profit of stamps, has been credited from 
Sandakan. i 
Trade Imports. —1st Quarter 1891 $53,571.83. 
1st Quarter 1892 $61,404.90. 
Export 1st Quarter 1891 $62,520.88. 1st Quarter 
1892 $15,567.75. 
The Increase in Imports is owing to Opium, and 
Specie. The Rotterdam Borneo Coy’s Estates ( 3 ) were 
still working during the first quarter of this year and 
the number of Chinese coolies was not diminished. 
The Decrease in Exports is due to the tobacco from 
Estates being shipped in May and June, with the excep¬ 
tion of 113 bales value $9,040 from Tandik Estate. 
Agricuture.—Tobacco. Messrs. Blydestein and 
Boss Sulpke, Administrator and Manager respectively of 
the Rotterdam Borneo Coy’s three Estates left last 
month. The closing of that Company left 6 Tobacco 
Estates working in the District. London Borneo Coy., 
with 4 Estates of 800 fields in Marudu Bay, the Ger¬ 
man Borneo Syndicate with one Estate 200 fields in 
Bengkoka and a private Syndicate with 120 fields in 
Banguey. The last Estate belonged originally to the 
German Borneo Syndicate, but the low prices of Tobacco 
necessitated retrenchment and the consequent closing of 
the more distant plantation. Messrs. Carnarvon and 
Kedenbiirg have now bought over the German Borneo 
Syndicate’s rights to 10,000 acres in Banguey and have 
begun work again on fields originally cleared by the late 
Syndicate. 
