The weekly Butte record., 1867-02-16
San Francisco corre.po,Aenee.
sAx FRAxc1sco. Ftbruary 5, lses
Afew days ago the following was found in tn

IN Americans under the title of the American Ira
ding Company Of Borneo, the entire northern part
OF the island with three adjacent Islands. with ju-
risdiction over the inhabitants
1t is very surprising how little seems TO be known
by the civilized world Of those =. Beautiful Lands
of Summer across the sea- There are thousands
of islands in the Indian Archipelago that are
scarcely known 10 civilization, and yet they are
teeming with all the valuable products of the East
ern Hemisphere. Among those islands the largest /
and perhaps the most worthy Of notice is the ISL /
aud Of Boreo which IS eqnal in extent Of territory
some of our largest States: and yet. up to this
time, rem aims almost terra incosnifG, after cen
turtles of communication with their shores. This is
owing to the policy that the various powers have Z
pursued while ruling over those islands. The |
climate of Borneo along the rivers and low lands
is much the same as other tropical countries, and
is subject TO diseases incident to that character OF
low ard marshy land but in the neighborhood Of
Kina Boclon." 1.-THE highest mountain on the is
and being Is COG feet high) the climate is most de-
lightfnl the thermometer ranging from 60 to so
dogs. in the shade
The population of Borneo is about 240 600 andi
made up of the different tribes that nhabit the
island among which are the land and Davaks,
together with the Maays and Chinese, the different
tribes all speaking different language. The prin-
cpal settlement is Sarrawack. The capital of Sar-
rawack is Kuehing. and spenser st. John, in his
Life in the Forests of the Far East. says: When
Sir lanes Brooke first reached this spot there
few inhabitants except the Malay Rajas and their
followers who subsequently, for the most part, re-
moved TO Brunec, the residence of the Sultan. l
saw Kuchng in ls4s, when it was bit small place.
with few Chinese King shops, and perhaps not
over 5000 Malay inhabitants. There little
trade, the native Prakus were small, and saw but
few of them. The jungle surrounded the town
and hemmed in the houses, and the Chinese gard
ems had scarcely made an impression on the place.
As confidence inspired, so the town increased,
and now including the outlying parishes its popu
lation Numbers not less than Is 900. The
merce of the place has kept pace with it and from
rare schooner finding its way over to return with
patry cargo, the trade has risen until it is of
importance of 100000 pounds sterling, of exports
and imports per annum. The articles constituting
the exports are for the most part, the produce of
the jungle. The principal exception is sage, which
is imported from the districts to the east of Cape
Silk to be manufactured at Kuching into the pearl
and flour of commerce The population of the en-
tire Archipelago is perhaps 80 COO, as can
be estimated.
The coal mines of Borneo are inoxhaustible. The
success of these coal workings is matter of ma
tiona Importance, as the possession of inexhausti
BILE mines of cheap fuel will be of paramount i'm
portance in time of and of great service to
and to all nations in time of peace.
Pav on ha porth fern i-n
of the finest harbors in the world being perfectly
sheltered. with eight fathoms of water. The east
ern coast is considered unhealthy. Gaya Baya, on
the north western coast. is also considered fine
barbor.
The woods of Borneo abound in many species of
balloons and apes, many of them still unknown to
the naturalist. Among the principal animals
which frequent the forests of Borneo, may be found
the rhnoceros tapir wild cattle, deer swine, bear,
small panther, and variety of felnes. The wild
boar sometimes stands forty inches high. The ee-
plant existed there until within few years back,
but is now nearly or quite extinct having been
hunted down by the natives for the ivory one of
the finest rivers in Borneo is the Rayiang, which
has deep entrance, not less than five fathoms at
high water, and when inside the bar, never carries
less for above $50 miles. Borneo is one of the best
watered countries in the world possessing several
rivers of the first class, the Raang, the Sarawack,
and the Batang Lupar, besides numerous rivers of
the second class, which run through the great sago
producing districts and possessing forests of palm
which. as yet are perfectly unexpored.
Buffalo, cattle and pigs are in abundance in Bor-
neo, besides variety of the eathered tribe, some
of fhe brt lpnU of the kind md haau
tiful plumage
The soil is generally very rich, and the Island of
Borneo, if well cultivated would alone produce
enough do support 100 600 900 population.
The washings for gold in Borneo, so far has
been confined to kind of ground sluieing They
have never yet, so far as my knowledge goes, tried
the deep dggings. My impression is that if few
of the experienced California gold miners were to
emigrate to Borneo, they would make perfect
success Of their enterprise. The largest nugget
found in Borneo, far as heard from, weighed
seven ounces. The principal exports from Borneo
consist of cotton, rice rattan spices tobacco
edible bird nests, the latter being of cousisence
of the finest glue OF isinglass and is exported to
China and Japan. These nests are found in large
caves which the swallows frequent for the purpose
of breeding. Some of these caves are very exten
sive, and very grand to look at. Borneo has long
been known for its diamond mines which are, at
the present. worked by the Chinese and Malays.
Occa sionaly very pretty diamonds are brought over
from the Dutch settlements to Sarawack. 0cca-
sionally some very fine pearls are brought to Lab
uan for sale. l have seen. says Spencer St. John,
some very fine ones myself, some perfectly round
others Of pear shape.
Ninetenths of Borneo is almost entirely covered
with forests so that it is very hard even to conjec
ture what may be the extent of the mineral pro-
ducts of the country: bat coal. anthony, and
gold are known 10 exist ard ard is extensively dis
tributei over the island, the fruit in the greatest
abundance. In the vicinity of Sarawack is grown
coffee, pepper. indigo, 'apiaco and arrow root.
OF the products of the jungle l may mention
the principal-ihey are ine timber of many varie-
ties. gutta per cha. India rubber. wax and rattan.
In the interior, in the vicinity of Kna Boeu there
is magnifceut cascade of water. pitching over
distance of l 500 feet. And in this vicinity may
be fonnd the Nepeuthe Rajsh, or Great Pitcher
plant. 1t is, indeed one of the most astonishing