1918

LABUAN—BRUNEI
HOT
Labuan Recreation Club
President—G. E. Cntor
Committee-John Hardie, E. Roberts,
A. G. Vanscolina(hon. treasurer), K.
P. Menon (hon. sec.)
Rural Board
The Resident (chairman)
The Executive Engineer
The Medical‘‘Officer
W. W. Boyd | Lee Peck Keng
A. Abad, clerk and cashier
Sarawak Government Agency and Coal
Depot (Also Brooketon Mines)—Tel.
Ad: Lewis; Codes: A.B.C. 5th Edition,
Al, Watkin’s 1904, and Scott’s 1909
Thos. Lewis, general manager and
Sandakan Govt. Agent (Labuan and
Brooketon)
N. David James, shipping clerk
St. Saviour’s Church
Straits Steam Ship Co., Ltd., Singapore
BRUNEI
The sovereignty of the Sultan of Brunei has been reduced to a wedge of territory
of some 4(000 square miles, practically surrounded by Sarawak. With a coast line of
100 miles it embraces the Districts of Belait, TutongU Brunei, Tamburong and Labu.
There is only one town of any size, Brunei or Dar-ul-Salam (city of peace), which has
a population of 9,767 persons. The census of 1911 shows a total of 21,718 for the
whole State. Of these some 300 are Chinese. The Europeans numbered 8 in Brunei
Town. The town itself was formerly composed of houses built in the river on nibong
piles. With the establishment of peace and order, however, the natives have gradually
learned the advantages of cultivation and have migrated to terra firma, and all business
in the town is now conducted on land. The Chinese have built some 30 stone and
brick shops and houses, and all government buildings are on land. At Muara Damit
(Brooketon) leased to Raja Brooke, and where there is a colliery, there is a settlement
of 1,447 persons.
The land may be said to slflpe gradually from a backbone of mountains, of which
Mount Mulu in Sarawak territory is the largest, towards the sea. It contains no
noticeable peaks such as Kinabulu in British North Borneo. The bars at its river
mouths and the rapids which occur within 30 miles and less of the sea prevent any
but limited navigation. Launches drawing 5 or 6 feet can enter the Belait and
Tutong Rivers except in the monsoon season. Steamers drawing 12 feet can at all
times reach Brunei Town, situated some 12 miles from the river mouth at Muara. The
climate is damp and warm. The annual rainfall exceeds 100 inches. No marked
changes of temperature occur, in which respect the country resembles. the Malay
Peninsula. The nights are cool.
Petty wars, head-hunting raids, and the jealousy of the numerous chiefs, coupled
with the existence of slavery, rendered agriculture impossible in the past. Since the
appointment of a resident British official, the common people have shown eagerness
to take up land, and plant coconuts. The rivers are fringed with the nipah palm; the
forests of the interior abound in rattans; there are large areas of the sago palm, which is
industriously worked by the natives and sold to Chinese traders for export to the
Singapore market: The wild rubber tree, Jelutong ((hiera costulata), is common, and
is worked for export. Land suitable for cultivation of Para Rubber {hevea brasilien&is}
is alienated by the Government at an extremely low rental, and several European
Companies have taken out grants, and are actively proceeding with planting
operations. At Brunei Town, the Island Trading Syndicate has its cutch factory,
employing several hundreds of hands. The value of 48,559 cwts. of cutch exported m
1914 was $205,483 against 48,578 cwts., valued at $207,729, in 1913. Coal is worked at
Buang Tawar and at Raja Brooke’s Brooketon Collieries. For the first time in their
existence, the Brooketon mines had a successful year. Here 30,793 tons of coal were
raised, of which 24,815 tons were sold or supplied to vessels, the value at 15s. per ton
being £18,612 ($159,620?. Buang Tawar sold 563 tons valued at £392.