BORNEO 
243 
draw their entire subsistence, day after day, from a little 
plot under two acres in extent. 
It is only in the neighbourhood of the European 
settlement that the native embarks in agriculture for 
trading purposes, and even then only under the direction 
of a civilised master, excepting in the case of the Chinese. 
Copra, coco-nuts, areca-nuts, rice, pepper, and tobacco are 
the only field products which appear in the export lists of 
Dutch Borneo. Gambir and pepper and a tolerable 
quantity of rice are cultivated in the Sarawak territory; 
but coffee, sugar, and tapioca have not proved very 
remunerative. The Milanaus, however, grow large 
quantities of sago for export, and the trade is steadily 
increasing; but this article may be regarded as a forest 
product rather than as the result of agriculture. British 
North Borneo has developed rapidly of late, not a little 
owing to the success of the tobacco plantations, of which 
there are now many in operation. The land has proved 
to be as suitable for the growth of the special quality 
used for “ wrappers ” of cigars as Dili in Sumatra, and the 
high price of three shillings per lb. has been obtained 
for the leaf in the London market. This, however, is 
almost the only agricultural product as yet worthy of 
mention, although it is very probable that both pepper 
and Manila hemp will eventually bring a large revenue 
into the country. 
The natural products of Borneo are innumerable, but 
the country being so little known, and the natives in 
many parts so untrustworthy, very little has as yet been 
done to develop them. Timber of many kinds, of which 
bilian —-a species of ironwood resisting the attack of 
white ants—is perhaps the most valuable; rattans; the 
nipa and nibong palms—which furnish the material for 
the construction of almost every Bornean house; gum 
