Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-02-01
BRUNEI ENGLAND'.S.
THE ANCIENT KINGDOM OF THE
 ISLAND or BoRNRo.
A Recent Agreement with the Sultan Makes Provision for British Resi- dent-Glance at the Territory
 Under British Protection.

We have long looked upon the great Island of Borneo as divided between the Dutch and English, but just re- gently the latter nation had fall to her In that tropic land. the sultan of the kingdom of Brunei, which lies between British North Borneo and Sarawak, making an agreement providing for the, appointment of British resident with powers to control the general admin istration of the state. s
 The Dutch held possession of south ern Borneo, the British have kept to the north. Politically the whole island Is divided into British Borneo and Dutch Borneo, the two separated by a mountain barrier. The northernmost part held by the British North Borneo' company since 1888. has been under. the formal protectorate of the British. government. Sarawak has for nom- inal governor a native rajah, but is under British protection. Brunei up to now had for 3 ruler native sultan, but. like the others, was considered subject to Great Britain
 Brunei, or Brunai, gave the island its name, Borneo, a corruption of the word. Brunei was Malay state. and the Malays were the dominant race, their rule extending practically over the island. When Pigafetta, friend of Magellan. visited the island, he was entertained most royalty by the poten- tate at that time holding sway. This, potentate had numbers of trained eie- phants and horses, forts with heavy ordnance, gold vessels and spoons, silk embroideries, porcelain dishes, and, in short, all the adjuncts of a high civ, ilization good deal of it, no doubt, borrowed from the Chinese, whose money was in sole use"
 It was early in the sixteenth cen tury Borneo was first discovered by Europeans. both Spaniards and Portu- guese visiting it at this period. Very soon after their discovery, the Portu- guese established commercial relations with the natives, and considerably later the Spaniards opened trade re- lations; but neither country exerted | lasting influence At the beginning of the seventeenth century the Dutch and English traders appeared, the latter gaining foothold in the south. Pres kntly the Dutch forced the English out. They reappeared some time afterward, in the northern part of the island. but let their power wane, and for 50 years there was no progress. Early in the last century, an English. man, Sir James Brooke awakened the interest of his countrymen in the neg. lected country, and commercial rela' tions presently were advanced.
 That portion of British Borneo known as Sarawak. lies southwest of Brunei. It has an area of about 5O,0Oo square miles, and a population Of about 60O,O00 It is of considerable i'm portance commercially; the chief prod. icts are tobacco, sago, rice. gums, cof- lee. spices, jungle product and dried Ash. There is an abundance of coal; and the precious metals. diamonds and mercury are found. British North Borneo has an area of 3l,0O0 square miles and population of perhaps 175.- poo. It has considerable commercial importance. A marine cable connects Labuan with Singapore, and there is telegraphic communication to the cap ltal city. Brunei is of small extent, it's area but 15,OO0 square miles, and population only 45,000.
 The principal town is named Brunei. and Is situated on bay of the same name. The few Englishmen that touch there. pronounce Brunei most interesting, built entirely on piles in the water. It is called the Venice of the east. A sketch in the London Graphic tells us: Vessels anchor in