246 
THE BEITISH NOETH BOENEO HEEALD. 
[Aug: 1, 1892. 
Roties—<5ei?2ral. 
His Excellency the Acting Governor returned to 
Sandakan from a visit to Barvel Bay on the morning of 
July 1st. Owing to very thick and rainy weather outside 
the Government Cruiser Petrel was obliged to anchor oh 
the harbour on the night of June 30th. During his 
visit H. E. inspected the tobacco estates at the Lahad 
Data and Seganan, and visited the gold fields at Lahad 
Datu and Tabanac. He also visited the Selimbiikan 
river, Silam, Simporna, and Omadal. Mr. Pavitt re¬ 
turned also to Sandakan in the Petrel. 
Mn. Pavitt informs us that the gold appears to be 
scattered over a large extent of country and is found on 
each side of the ymter shed dividing the streams flowing 
northwards into the Segama river, and southward into 
Darvel Bay. The coarser gold is found in the streams 
to the southward, and to the northward ot the Lahad 
Datu tobacco estate. The weather was against the dig¬ 
gers, and there was some sickness. The men at work 
with very few exceptions are quite wanting in gold 
mining experience and are only washing the dirt with 
ordinary pans; although there was in one case an at¬ 
tempt at sluicing undertaken. The average earnings 
per man for a days work was about one dollar, but on 
account of bad weather and sickness, operations were 
greatly impeded. So far the finds have not been follow¬ 
ed up in any systematic manner; the diggers arc work¬ 
ing on the south waters in the immediate neighbourhood 
of the Lahad Datu Estate, and to the North not far 
from the Lamin (Segama) estate belonging to the same 
Company. 
Captaix E. a, Barnett Commandant, aiicom- 
jianied -by Ca])tain Pinson, and Mr. Ijcacli made a 
shooting excursion to the old 8uan Lambar Estate in 
Sandakan Bay on June 28th and 21)th last. The 
weather militated very much against the chances of 
sport, the rain falling almost incessantly. Captain 
Barnett managed to bag' a fine bull Tambadow, and 
tracks of elephants were seen about tlie deserted 
(dearing. 
A NU3IBER of miners engaged in working a coal 
mine beyond the Gate of Peking, who were determined 
to celebrate the Fifth Moon Feast in a wav suitable to 
the dignity of the occasion, came to grief in a remark¬ 
able manner. On the night of the oth the seventeen 
])ioneers gathered together to make merry over some 
viands and a large quantity of wine, which they had 
provided for the occasion, and began in earnest to enjoy 
themselves. Bowl after bowl they qnatfed of the sweet 
nectar, until soon they began to feel the effects of it, 
and one by one they fell asleep. On the following 
morning a miner in a neighbouring shaft, seeing that 
the inmates of this place were not up and out as usual, 
came to look in. To his surprise he found that of the 
17 people who indulged in the convivial I'epast the 
night before, 16 were stone dead, having died of 
asphyxia, the only surviving member being an old 
*Dlie-game” sixty years old, wlio alone was stiB 
breathing faintly and was restored to consciousness. 
Pearls from Ceylon, it is reported, will be scarce 
this year. Violent storms Inive washed away all tlie 
ovsters from the famous banks, so that the annual 
fishery, it is feared, must be abandoned. 
j The days ot “ treasure tiove are not quite passed 
I away as is made apparent lately in Japan. In the 
case under notice a “ Mr, Fukno, of Arima, is the 
fortnuate man. Lately he decided to pull down his 
godown and Imild a greater, a,nd in the course ot 
digging up the foundations found a jug containing 
1,000 Keicho kobau, an ancient gold (x)in of the Iveiclio 
era and now valued at over 13 yen a])iece. Lucky 
Mr. Fukno. 
Jarax like Chicago is preparing for a National Ex¬ 
hibition, and competition is keen for the honour, and 
! perhaps also the ])rofit, which is likely to accrue to the 
(ity selected as the site for it. Kyoto claims it in 
• commemoration of the fouudiug of tlie <itv as liis 
capital by a. late Ernjiei'or, who died sometime in the 
i eighth century, thongh tliat esteemed monarch knew 
I nothing prohahly of sucli commercial frivolities. Osaka 
' also competes for it, and now the Kobe Chainher of 
j Commerce has resolved to petition tlie Government 
I for the exhibition to be held at Kolie 
“ A siXGFLAR story is told in the 0.^alca Asr{7i/\ It 
is said that a shizokii named K. Takabayashi, of 
Kiiwana, has in his possession a stone wbicli lias been 
handed down in the family from his ancestors as a heir¬ 
loom. It has been deposited in a shrine from whence 
none of the family for a long time dared to extract it. 
In 1890 however, Takabayashi took it out and exhibited 
it to the Eov, E. H. Van Dyke, of Nagoya, who in¬ 
formed him that it was a diamond. There-upon the 
fortunate possessor took it to Yokohama and showed it 
to some foreigners who also expressed their opinion that 
it was a diamond. Takayahashi has sent it to the Im¬ 
perial Mint to be examined, and if it proves genuine it 
will ho exceedingly valuable, for it is of considerable 
size’”. 
“Ox AVediiesday, the Executive Council resolved to 
deport several Chinamen, including Mr. Lok (Lee Fo, 
the editor of a Singapore daily newspaper called the 
Sin(j Po, for being connected with secret societies. They 
were sent to China in the Ganaes on Monday — iStreeih 
Tinm ). 
“ Captain Byrne E. M. L. I. of H.M.S, Ihjmmih 
is to be temporarily attached to the Perak Sikh Police 
to work in Pahang under Colonel IValker, who has been 
shorthanded from two ot three of the Inspectors falling 
sick of fever and dysentery”.—( StredU Times). 
