Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1922-09-20
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oaraWak Native WIN Knives win
PREPARED BY the National Geographic
Society. Washington. y. c.
A country such as might have been
the creation Of the Imagination of
Rider HaEgard Is Sarawak. On the
island uf BOrneo-the land u the
white njahs. There. In a territory
larger than Ohio. an English heredi-
tnry ujah rules over "a population Of
$4,000 Malays. Dayaks and Kayans.
with a sprinkling OF Chinese and other
Far Eastern peoples. And he rules
IN an exceedingly common sense way.
Three ajahs OF an English family
named Brooke have ruled over Sara
wax since 1SS9-uncle. nephew and
the son u tie latter. IL has been the
aim ~ each. as the first rajah stated
H. Ito rule FOR the people and with the
people. and 10 teach them the rights
81 frgemeu under The restraints Of
government" Harmful customs. such
as hcad-huntiuE. have been discouraged
~ prohibited, but not one Of their
harmless activities. however bizarre 90
the western mind. has been iuterfered
with. And though the white rujahs
have eulelvoued 10 develop trade. they
have sea their faces reSoluteiy against
anything that smaekel 81 the eXplolta-
ton Cf their people by either Euro
peans cor A~iatics.
The SamWuk jungle. inhabited by
what we>teEuers would call "sayages"
q better protected than many forests
~ the United States The jelutOn
tree. Tor example. yields a valuable
gum. hut is easily killed II improperly
tapped Inspectors have been app
pointed by the government TO insure
the proper handling o. this important
natural resource. Even BUTTERFLIES
and the country Is the home 81 some
81 the most beautiful Of these insects
are protected 10y the Sarawak game
laws.
The history Of the white rajahs o.
Sauwak began In 1850. AT that time
the Dutch occupied the southern por-
tion of Bonco. while the northern part
81 the island was nominally under the
rule q the Sultan % Brunei.
once Ruled BY Brunei.
Many years before. Brunei had been
one 81 the strongest kingdoms Of the
Malayan archipelago. Its sultans had
conquered a large part OF Borneo. as
well as several Of the southern islands /
81 the Philippines. industry was en-
couraEed and an extensive trade with
China was developed. But luxury and
corruption had done their work until |
there remained only a degenerate sui |
tan. with a retinue Of licentious Malay
an mobiles. whose sole occupation was |
90 rob the people Co order 10 cater % /
the pleasures u their master.
The sultan's capital was. and re /
mains today, the town 81 Brunei. about /
go miles from the northern extremity |
of B0rueo.
In the days n its glory. when the |
surrounding hills were covered with ]
pepper gardens and wealthy merchants /
came iu annually IN fleets Of junks laden /
with the riches ~ China. the town |
may have merited IN some degree its |
appeIIntion 81 the Venice 81 the East; /
but Tor the past century 10 has been /
nothing more than n few score OF small /
wooden houses hu.it on piles on a 1
muddy bank which Is bare az low tide. /
exposing an accumulation ~ refuse /
from which a stencil arises that Is n |
novelty even 10 one who has become |
accuS ulned 20 the varied Odors 81 the
East
Sarawak was Inhabited chiefly by
AIalays. Land Dayaks and Chinese. and /
had. AZ times. been independent under
Malay rulers: hut in 1850 It's govern
ment was in the hands 81 n vassal of
the sultan. the Rajah Muda Hasim.
weak and Incompetent. but apparently
an amlahle man. not entirely devoid
Of humanitarian instincts; for he did.
on one OCCASION. avail himself OF an
opportunity 10 render timely assistance
20 some shipwrecked English sailors.
mis- event was the cause ~ James
Brooks's 6rst visit 10 Sarawak, which