New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-11-16
POLYTECHNIC BRANCH OF THE AMERICAN IN
sTITIJTE.

At the last meeting of the Polytechnic Branch
OF the American Institute Prof Tman in the chaiF inc
subject of mcteors taken up Dr. Feuchtwanger SAID
that on wednesday morning. wbe on the steamer Metro
potan he about 1000 of them Some were very or
liant all appeared TO DO at great hlght. patent
wasbner, railroad coupling a.d an lnsrnnen. LOT
multiplying pictures exhibited, and their merits
discussed. Mr. W Torrey, President Of the american
colony Of Kmangs, Borneo. exhibited yafious OF me
ared edible bird uesta These nests made by species
Of white swallow, and almost entirely composed 0,
gluten. They are almost taseless, hut are esteemed
q great delcacy by the Chinese. Europeans
commend them as food IN cases OF SICK
in the Hong Kong market $40 per ~ and me c4lored -
Some Borneo coal exhibited ltresembes the Camel
coal In appearance but it Is very light aud Is OF little
value. t the only tropical coal the speaker had Known
obe found IN the East All the coal used on tue In ,S
Frcnch-c0nos either from America or England. some
antlInony ore was also shOwn Inc american SonPPay
have already mined large quantity 81 this ORE but nave
not yet put any on The market specimens or spice Woo
were exhibited The meDers theh asheu ~ n |.S W
government, productions, etc, 10 when Mr Ioitey
replied At length giving statements ., c erenS IN IN
the world. The island from north to south was from
coo to 200 miles long Inc climate Is very even, .ae
variation being only about three or Tour Degrees rue
kind Of clothing may be worn the whoe year IOuu 10
August the wind blows one direction, and the remain
There has NOT beer, strong gale Of wind for twenty
years. During the months OF April, Dy, June, jury ana
August 10 rains ia tho afternoon of nearly every day
The rain usually begins falling O'Clock D. and CON
tlnucs ul midnight The mornings OF tuis season are
usually pleasant. The remaining months OF the year 60
form what Is called dry season. the ram during
these months falling at Intervals. About the Only eNeT
which seously troulps the Europeans IL tho typhoid
or called IN orneO, the swamp jungle fever Las
j. not very formidable In tue Old settlements @ = quits
sure toage where the lands which m We moi peer m %
for untold centuries broken The ptodncs Oh tho
island varied and SOME of them very Valuable Inc
woods are particularly fine. The immense slabs OF Bor
neo wosi OK exhibition ut the Fair Of the Amer
Institute. were presented ny Mr. IorIcyl. OIed'
quantities uf sago found. Tea. coffee, spices cam
the products There more bees than ia any Itiu nc
had ever seen The rubber gum BOrnco docs rot come
from tree IN south America, hut Is from vine The
not entirely destroyed IN obtaining tue gum
only small quantity obtained, rho natives only doing ~
little work possible, but the speaker had been informed
by tho chiefs OF the interior that the supply Is almost
exhaustibe. Wild cotton grows Ina various districts
but II Is OF short staple: Tue bananas are NohueLlul
things some Of them being 30 inches long The number
elephants II great that from one district cOScr
bile quantities OF ivory are exported Inc Oufahsonehk
hOnshes also the wild hog. There are three Duteh
settlements, and one American aud one English. The
English mold Island. fee simple, ten miles square
English the latter the only Europeans who may hold
hand ia fee simple The American setlemens %s es1Su
sed IN 1895. t Is In the north part OF ihe sana Inc
name OF the sottemcut-knlanassig sweet Wool
called the large numbers OF eassia trees thes
arc now about IS people IN the settlement, or
whom IS Americans. the remainder being
Chinese and native laborers. 1t Is - lolnt stock
company formed by men from Maine Massachusetts, and
NewlOrk They have leased 1900 square miles OF inc
Sultan. for which they annually pay 5000 These lands
nre under the jurisdiction Of the Rajah of Amboug and
Maludu. The President is supreme ruler before the
Mheelwrght the authority of ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, with
supreme powers IN tho Governors absence. Ihe colo
niss have thus Tar been very successful They have
cleared largo tract Of land, have made coffee panta
tons roads. &C. and have vessels the stocks.
They have expedition consisting OF three Ameri
cans fifteen Chinese aboTers, ana twelve haays leO
miles further into tho interior than any other expedition
has penetrated THIS expedition was purely commercial,
and unfortunately scientists accompanied H. but tile
leaders, although Of unable TO give very accurate
Information affirmed that their route nbOunded IN
wonderful and valuable products. The interior
~ great plateau, somewhat resembling our pTaifes
The grass here grows eight nine feet high Near the
sea the country "a mountainous. The speaker was
asked about pirates. He replied that they heard many
stories about pntes. but the Amrricaus had only seen
one party which were said 10 belong 10 that class and
received from them only courteous treatment Ra1ah
Brooke with English feet quite etectuay broke the
bower the pirates iS5 The ecacOast IS now held by
The Maays and the interior by the ab0rnes the latter
much resembling the natives OF New-Guiuea. These
abOrgines disappear before civilization IN the same way
as do the nes OF America. In reply TO questions
concerning the Chinese the Island, the speaker
affirmed that they made good labOrer-, but were tine
worst coOnists IN the world It was impossible 10 give
them liberty. The Chinese lab0rer must be kept In his
place. with tho masters foot upon his meek. lie eX-
piaod the comparative of Chinese labor IN Can,
fOrnia by saying they not cOlOnss there theY d
not Ia the main, have their families with them; they dd
Intend to remain in the country But In Horned they
were planted regular coOnsts To give them liberty
there he had found, meant Gully their determination OF
that VI the Europeans