The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-04-05 00:00:00

BORNEO, SOO LOO, and BANCA
COMPANY.
1. A Company, having amongst Its objects the development
of the rich Gold and Diamond Districts of Romeo, and the ex-
tension of the great natural advantages of that immense island,
the great source of wealth in the Eastern Hemisphere, is nearly
matured.

2. In the immediate vicinity of Borneo. and of not leas import-
ance. are the famous Soo Loo Pearl Banks. celebrated for the fine
and large Pearls which they produce ; and the Island of Banca,
containing valuable Ores and Minerals, but more especially rich in
Tin, of which a juste view cannot be given than in the words of
Mr. Crawford, the Resident of bincapore:—

" The quantity of Tin which the Mines of Banta ate capable of
affording is immense, the supply of ore is heist), indefinite, and
the facility of working great.
" The whole produce of Banca is Crain Tin, • pure metal,
superior in intrinsic value to block tin 211 per cent. Cornish tin is
obtained with rest labour by mining through obdurate granite,
often to the prodigious depth of many hundred fathoms ; Banes
tin, by digging through a few soft strata of sand and clay, and sel-
dom to more than three or four fathoms. To clear the Cornish
mines from water the most expensive and complex machinery is re-
quisite ; to clear those of Banca simple wooden wheel, costing a
few shillings. To separate the Cornish ore from its matrix it must
be ground in a stumping-mill, as well as subjected to the process of
washing : the Banca tin is at once separated from its matrix, and
fitted without further care for melting, by the simple process of
passing a stream of running water over in an aqueduct simply
lined with the hark of trees. The necessary result of all this is,
that the cost of producing a cost of Banca tin is but 221. dd.,
whereas that of Cornwall tin is not less than fits. 7d. ; and that,
while a Cornish mice seldom yields a rent of more than a tenth or
twelfth of the produce, often not more than • twenty-fourth, and
usually not above a fifteenth, the Banes mines yield no less than
one-half. This is the most exam and unquestionable test of the su-
prior fertility of the one over the other. The skill and ingenuity
of the Europeans, their capital, and their machinery, make sonic
amends for the inferior fertility of the Cornish mines, but such as
are far enough from counterbalancing the immense wealth of those
of Banes. Vere the Cornish workmen, with their ingenuity, their
capital, and machinery, to be employed on such mines as those of
Banco, no other mines in the world would in a short time be worth
working ; and, on the other hand, were the Banes Miners, with
their tools and simple machinery, to attempt such minim as these of
Cornwall, there can be no question but they would be as inacces-
sible to them for all useful purposes, as If buried a league in the
crust of the earth.

' It is but a small portion of en island containing an area of 3,400
geographical miles that has yet been examined. The mines at pre-
sent are chiefly confined to the northern and western pans of it,
whereas the south-eastern has hardly been touched. From one ex-
tremity to the other the alluvial lands are ascertained to abound in
beds of tin ; and from the analogy of other countries it is beyond
any doubt that the mountains abound in veins of it. To the diffi-
cult and expensive processes required for the mining of these last,
lit is at present superfluous to look, for the alluvial lands contain the
cheap and abundant supply of many ages."—Crawfonl's History
of the Indian A tchipelago,Vol. I 11. pp. 463, 466. Edinburgh, IC2O.
Of the rich Mines of Montradak, in Borneo, the same authority
states, that they are at present ch...:fly worked by the Chinese, to
the number of six thousand, who are nearly indbpendent of any
native authority, being governed by their own Chief ; the tribute
paid to the Raja of Sambas, in whose territories the mines are
situated, amounting to no more than 160 bungkais, whilst the an-
nual produce is 88,000 ox. of pure gold. The ore, from all ac-
counts, exists in inexhaustible abundance : the immense alluvial
tracts round the whole circaraference of Borneo everywhere contain
rich deposits of this metal ; whence it necessarily follows that
the primitive mountains of the interior must contain veins of it.
From the abundance of the ore, and the usual fascination of all

mining projects, especially those in quest of the precious metals"
the search for gold will be the first object to engage the attention of
very enterprising and industrious people settled in that country, of
whateini race. Amidst a great deal of anarchy and disorder, min-
ing has of late years heen reignited by the Chinese with surprise
tog spirit. it is not above eight or ten years since considerable ca-
pital and the use of machinery have been applied to it; and in
that time there has been a vast increase of producc—Sce Crawford,
Vol. 111.
Since the Diamond Mine' of Goloooda have been athaurted, the
only surply has been from Borneo, sod thence through chin.
nels sufficiently circuitous. Diamonds are in no repute amongst
the Chinese, or through the industry of that people we should,
without doubt, have long ago found the produce of the mines of
Borneo greatly multiplied. The Bugis ilderehatts are at present
the great dealers in diamonds.
Of the Soo Loo Fishery and its products it may be sufficient to
state, that rich as it is known to be at present, a greater share of
skill and industry than are applied to these fisheries would greatly
enhance the value and the amount of their produce. Steps have
already been taken to secure the full advantage to be derived tram
these objects.

The Capital of the Company will be 1,00,008 i. in Shares of MIL
each.
communicatio,a ft.r the present to b- trnAle to Mr. Ogle, No. e,
Clement's-lane, Le cr bare-street.