The North Borneo Herald. SATURDAY, 1ST OCTOBER 1910. THE LATE MR. W. C. COWIE

THE NORTH BORNEO HERALD AND THE OFFICIAL GAZETTE

EDUCATIONAL SERIES BY BORNEO HISTORY

No.19 - VOL.XXVIII. SANDAKAN, SATURDAY, 1ST OCTOBER 1910.

The North Borneo Herald.

SATURDAY, 1ST OCTOBER 1910.

THE LATE MR. W. C. COWIE

The news of the death of Mr. W. C. Cowie, Chairman and Managing Director of the B.N.B. Chartered Company, Limited, on 14^th September was received by H. E. the Governor at Sandakan on 17^th Sept.

All flags were half-masted as a mark of respect.

The sad news is of the most vital interest to the country, with the fortunes of which Mr. Cowie has, since its first occupation, been closely connected.

In about 1870 Mr. Cowie first visited the Far Rest in a small steamer whose adventurous voyage was some years ago described in the Wide World Magazine.

Two years afterwards ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶̶ ̶ in 1879 ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶̶ ̶ Mr. Cowie was engaged running the Spanish blockade in a vessel called the Far East. In order to facilitate the blockade running he obtained permission from the Sultan of Sulu to erect a transshipment depot in Sandakan Bay at a spot some distance beyond the present town.

To quote Mr. Cowie’s own words in an article written for the London and China Express in 1909  ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶̶ ̶  “This was the first step towards the permanent occupation of North Borneo.”

Shortly afterwards Mr. Cowie formed the Labuan Trading Company which, with Baron Overbeck, took over certain concessions, given by the Sultan of Brunei, from Rajah Torrey (an American).

Later on Mr. Cowie joined Baron Overbeck (who represented a Syndicate formed by the Dent Brothers) and they obtained a concession from the Sultan of Sulu conferring full sovereign and territorial rights on Baron Overbeck and Mr. Alfred Dent.

In these preliminary negotiations Mr. Cowie took a leading part and eventually all rights were taken over by a Provisional Association which again sold all its rights to the British North Borneo Company which was incorporated by Royal Chartered, 1^st November, 1881.

Mr. Cowie also obtained rights from the Sultan of Brunei over the island of Muara and for some time worked the coal there  ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶̶ ̶  eventually selling his rights to the Rajah of Sarawak.

In 1894 Mr. Cowie was elected a Director of the Company and In 1897 was appointed Managing director of the Chartered Company. In 1898 he visited British North Borneo in connection with the trouble caused by the rebel Mat Salleh whom he named the “Rob Roy” of Borneo. A treaty was made with Mat Salleh, who however broke the treaty directly Mr. Cowie had left the country.

During the visit Mr. Cowie visited Tenom and other Stations in the country.

Since this time Mr. Cowie has guided the policy of the Court of Directors and has exhibited great financial genius which, combined with tenacity of purpose, raised the country from the verge of bankruptcy to its present position.

-/ss