CHAPTER XI

.

SARAWAK AND ITS DEPENDENCIES.

First Visit--Appearance of the Country--Scenery--Lovely Isles--Turtle--Method of securing their Eggs--Their Enemies--Fish--The Dugong--Method of capturing them--Graves of Englishmen at Po Point--First Evening in Borneo--A Welcome to the Rajah--Boats--Salute and Manning Yards--The Muaratabas Entrance--The River--The Town of Kuching--Sunset--Arrival--A noisy Procession--Extent of Sarawak--A well-watered Country--The Rejang--Extent of fertile Soil adapted to Sugar--Its Inhabitants--Different Races and Tribes--Population--Kuching, the Capital--Increase--Trade--Sago Districts--Cotton--Seed sent by the Cotton Supply Association--Imported Labour required--Increased Production--Inferior Cultivation--Soil adapted to most Tropical Productions--Water Communication--Minerals--Coal, Antimony, and Gold--Indications of other Minerals--Former Condition of the Country--Difficulties of Management--Forced Trade--Comfortable Position of the Dayaks--Influence of New System on the Malays--Distant Voyages--Remarkable Honesty--Anecdote--System of Government--An unteachable Chief--Sons of Patinggi Ali--Their good Conduct--Effect of associating the Natives in the Government--The System introduced into all the Dependencies--Effect of Sir James Brooke’s Government--Anecdote of an old Chief--Gradual Developments--Necessity for Support--The Chinese an Industrious and Saving Nation--Soundness in the System of Government--England with a Chinese Colony--Future of Borneo--Chinese amalgamate with Native Population--Female Emigration from China--Administration of Justice--The Sarawak Courts--Character of the Malays 280

##