British Borneo: Sketches of Brunai, Sarawak, Labuan, and North Borneo
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GIFT OF L-&Z f BRITISH BORNEO: SKETCHES OF BRUNAI, SARAWAK, LABUAN, AND NORTH BORNEO. BY W. H. TREACHER, C.M.G., M.A. OXON., Secretary to the Government of Perak, Formerly Administrator ofLabuan and H.B.M. Acting Consul- General in Borneo, First Governor of British North Borneo. Beprinted from the Journal of the Straits Settlements Branch of the Boyal Asiatic Society. PRINTED AT THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING DEPARTMENT. 1891. TABLE OF CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. PAGES i-n. THE Hudson's Bay Company's Charter, 1670. British North Borneo Company's November 1 88 1 as a territorial The followed Charter, , power. example by Germany. Borneo the second largest island in the world. Visited by Friar Odoric, 1322, by in in Berthema, 1503 ; but not generally known until, 1518 Portuguese, and 1521 Spanish, expeditions touched there. Report of Pigafetta, the companion of Magellan, who found there a Chinese trading community. Origin of the name Borneo; sometimes known as Kalamantan. Spanish attack on Brunai, 1573. First Dutch 1600 first British Diamonds. connection, ; connection, 1609. Factory established by East India Company at Banjermassin, 1702, expelled by natives. British capture of Manila, 1762, and acquisition of Balambangan, followed by cession of Northern Borneo and part of Palawan. Spanish claims to Borneo aban- doned by Protocol, 1885. Factory established at Balambangan, 1771, expelled by and abandoned the Sulus, 1775 ; re-opened 1803 following year. Temporary factory at Brunai. Pepper trade. Settlement of Singapore, 1819. Attracted trade of Borneo, Celebes, &c. Pirates. Brooke acquired Sarawak 1840, the first permanent British possession. Labuan a British Colony, 1846. The Dutch pro- test. Their possessions in Borneo. Spanish claims. Concessions of territory acquired by Mr. Dent, 187778. The monopolies of the first Europeans ruined trade : better prospect now opening. United States connection with Borneo. Population. Malays, their Mongolian origin. Traces of a Caucasic race, termed Indonesians. Buludupih legend. Names of aboriginal tribes. Pagans and Mahomedans. CHAPTER II. PAGES 11-33. Description of Brunai, the capital, and its river. Not a typical Malayan river. Spanish Catholic Mission. British Consulate. Inche Mahomed. Moses and a former American Consulate. Pigafetta's estimate of population in 1521, 150,000. Present estimate, 12,000. Decay of Brunai since British connection. Life of IV TABLE OF CONTENTS. children of the Modes of slaves : a Brunai noble ; of the ; women. acquiring ' forced trade.' Condition of slaves. Character and customs of Brunai Malays. Their religion, gambling, cock-fighting : amoks, marriage. Sultan and ministers and officers of the state. How paid. Feudal rights Ka-rajahan, Kouripnn, Pusaka. Ownership of land. Modes of taxation. Laws. Hajis. Punishments. Executions. A naval officer's mistake. No army, navy, or police, but the people universally armed. Cannon foundries. Brass guns as currency. Dollars and tribute from Sarawak and North Borneo copper coinage. Taxation. Revenue ; ; coal resources. CHAPTER III. PAGES 33-62. Pigafetta's description of Brunai in 1521. Elephants. Reception by the King. Use of spirituous liquors. Population. Floating Market. Spoons. Ladies appearing in public. Obeisance. Modes of addressing nobles. The use of yellow confined to the Royal Family. Umbrellas closed when passing the Palace. Nobles only can sit in the stern of a boat. Ceremonies at a Royal reception ; bees-wax candles. Mr. Dalrymple's description of Brunai in 1884. Quakers' meeting. Way to a Malay's heart lies through his pocket. Market place and hideous women. Beauties of the Harems. Present population. Cholera. Exports. Former water Nobles lower classes Chinese pepper plantations. Good supply. corrupt ; not. The late Sultan Mnmim. The present Sultan. Kampongs, or parishes and guilds. Methods of fishing: Kelongs; Rambat; peculiar mode of prawn- and line tuba Tobacco catching ; Serambau ; Pukat ; hook ; fishing. Sago. ; its and its use and effects. Costumes of men and growth use. Areca-nut ; women. Jewellery. Weapons. The kris ; parang; bliong ; parang Hang, The Kayans imitated by the Dyaks in a curious personal adornment. Canoes : to ancient dug-outs; pakerangan ; prahus ; tongkangs ; steering gear; similarity boat boat races. The Brunais teetotallers and Vikings' ; Paddling. temperate. Business and political negotiations transacted through agents. Time no object. The place of signatures taken by seals or chofs. The great seal of state. Brunais styled by the aborigines, Orang Abai. By religion Mahomedans, but Pagan superstitions cling to them; instances. Traces of Javanese and Hindu influences. A native chronicle of Brunai Mahomedanism established about ; connection ; 1478 of Chinese with Borneo; explanation of the name Kina-balu applied to the highest mountain in the island. Pepper planting by Chinese in former years. Mention of Brunai in Chinese history. Tradition of an expedition by Kublai Khan. The Chinese driven away by misgovernment. Their descendants in the Bundu district. Other traces of Chinese intercourse with Borneo. Their value as immigrants. European expeditions against Brunai. How Rajah Brooke acquired Sarawak amidst the roar of cannon. Brooke's heroic disinterestedness. His appointment as TABLE OF CONTENTS. V British confidential agent in Borneo. The episode of the murder of Rajah Muda Hassim and his followers. Brunai attacked by Admiral Sir Thomas Cochrane. Captain Rodney Mundy follows the Sultan into the jungle. The batteries razed and peace proclaimed. CHAPTER IV. PAGES 63-77. Sarawak under the Brooke dynasty. By incorporation of other rivers extends over 40,000 square miles, coast line 380 miles, population 280,000. Limbang annexed Sarawak. Further extension The Trusan river ' trowser by impossible. ; wearers'; acquired by Sarawak. The Limbang, the rice pot of Brunai. The Cross flown in the Muhamadan capital by pagan savages. A launch decorated ' with skulls. Dyak militia, the Sarawak Rangers,' and native police force. Peace of Sarawak kept by the people. Cheap government. Absolute Monarchy. Nominated Councils. The 'Civil Service,' 'Residents.' Law, custom, equity ' ' and common sense. Slavery abolished. Sources of revenue Opium Farm monopoly, poll tax, customs, excise, fines and fees. Revenue and expenditure. Early financial straits. Sarawak offered to England, France and Holland. The Borneo Company (Ltd.). Public debt. Advantages of Chinese immigration ' Without the Chinese we can do nothing.' Java an exception. Chinese are good traders, agriculturists, miners, artizans, &c. : sober and law-abiding. Chinese secret societies and faction death for Insurrection fights ; penalty membership. of Chinese, 1857. Chinese pepper and gambier planters. Exports sago and jungle produce. Minerals antimony, cinnabar, coal. Trade agriculture. De- scription of the capital Kuching. Sir Henry Keppel and Sir James Brooke. ' Piracy. Head money.' Charges against Sir J. Brooke. Recognition of Sarawak by United States and England. British protectorate. Death of Sir J. Brooke. Protestant and Roman Catholic Missions. Bishops MacDougal and Hose. Father Jackson. Mahomedans' conversion not attempted. CHAPTER V. PAGES 77-84. Incident of the Limbang rebellion against Sultan of Brunai. Oppression of the nobles. Irregular taxation Chukei basoh batis, bongkar sauh, tulongan, chop bibas, &c. The orang kayas. Repulse of the Tummonggong. Brunai threatened. Intervention of the writer as acting Consul General. Datu Klassi. Meeting broken up on news of attack by Muruts. Sultan's firman eventually accepted. l ' Demonstration by H.M.S. Pegasus. Cooking heads in Brunai river. Death of Sultan Mumim. Conditions of firman not observed by successor. Sir Frederick Weld visits and reports on North Borneo and Brunai. Legitimate extension of Sarawak to be encouraged. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS. CHAPTER VI. PAGES 84-92. The Colony of Labuan, ceded to England in return for assistance against pirates. For similar reasons monopoly of pepper trade granted to the East India Company in 1774. First British connection with Labuan in 1775, on expulsion from Ba- lambangan. Belcher and Brooke visit Brunai, 1844, to enquire into alleged detention of an European female. Offer of cession of Labuan. Rajah Muda Hassim. At Sultan's request, British attack Osman, in Marudu Bay, 1845. Brooke re- cognised as the Queen's agent in Borneo. Captain Mundy, R.N., under Lord Palmerston's instructions, hoists British flag in Labuan, 24th Dec., 1846. Brooke appointed the first Governor, 1847, being at the same time British representative in His staff of ' officers' Borneo, and independent ruler of Sarawak. Queen's ; concluded with Brunai ceased to be Governor Sir present treaty ; 1851. Hugh Low, Sir J. Pope Hennessy, Sir Henry Bulwer, Sir Charles Lees. Original expect- tations of the Colony not realized. Description of the island. The Kadayans. Agriculture, timber, trade. Overshadowed by Singapore, Sarawak, and North Borneo. Writer's suggestion for proclaiming British Protectorate over North Borneo, and assigning to it the Government of Labuan, has been adopted. Population of Its coal measures and the failure of successive to work them Labuan. companies ; now being worked by Central Borneo Company (Ltd.). Chinese and natives worked well under Europeans. Revenue and expenditure. Labuan self-sup- porting since 1860. High-sounding official titles. One officer plays many parts. Labuan celebrated for its fruits, introduced by Sir Hugh Low. Sir Hugh's influence instance when writer was fired