THE NORTH
BORNEO HERALD AND THE OFFICIAL GAZETTE
EDUCATIONAL
SERIES BY BORNEO HISTORY
No. I -
VOL. I. KUDAT, THURSDAY, 1ST MARCH 1883.
The North
Borneo Herald.
THURSDAY,
1ST MARCH 1883.
NORTH BORNEO
The Fokien, flying the flag of the British North Borneo Company,
arrived hero from Kudat and Sadakan this morning. The Fokien is the first
vessel bearing the Company’s flag which has entered the harbor. Captain Abbot
has been kind enough to favor us with the following report, which will no doubt
be read with interest.
Left Hong Kong Dec.4th, and
arrived at Kudat on the morning of the 9th. We
had no difficulty in making out port, though it was blowing a gale of wind and
raining hard. Steaming along the West side of Malludu Bay, about 5 or 6 miles
off the land, after passing the second point, the houses of Kudat come in view.
The harbor is about 3 miles broad by 6 miles long with an average depth of 6
fathoms. The entrance is well marked by beacons, on rocks, and reefs.
Within the harbor, tolerably well sheltered, a well-built wharf
has been run out into about 14 feet of water. This pier is about 100 feet long
by 60 feet broad. The Fokien could have worked both her gangways. At present,
with the exception of the Governor and his staff, the officials live at the
Rest House; but houses for the Resident, Land Commissioner, Treasurer, and
other officers of the Company will soon be completed, and they are pleasantly
situated about 100 feet above sea level. Government House, a substantially
built house of two storey, is airily situated on a bluff point, three sides of
which face the sea. A few Chinese and some Malays have started shop-keeping in
the town, and coolies are busy clearing the forest at the back of the
settlement; great progress has been made in this direction considering the port
is not yet twelve months old. Kudat starts its first paper on the 1st proximo.
H. E. the Governor, Mrs. Treacher, and nearly all the officials
honored the Fokien, on our arrival, with a visit, and dined on board.
On Monday, Dec. 11, at 7 a.m., we started for Sandakan. H. E.
Governor Treacher, with his Private Secretary (Mr. Hillier), Mr. Treasurer
Cook, and Mr. Commissioner Collinson were passengers from Kudat to Sandakan. On
our arrival at Sandakan Wharf, the Governor, who appears to be very popular
with all classes, was received by the leading residents, and a guard of honor
of Sikh soldiers in a most extraordinary yellow uniform. Sandakan harbor is a
very large bay, 10 miles long by 15 miles broad, with any water under 10
fathoms. Elopura, the present settlement, is situated on the N. E. side, just
within the entrance. The only danger, and, as it is well marked by a buoy, it
ceases to be a danger, is a rock in the middle of the passage which may be
passed on either side. The Fokien was boarded by the Master Attendant
before reaching this point. Ships drawing less than 12 ft. 6 in. can lie
alongside the wharf. A new Government wharf is being built, which will give
deeper water alongside. There is an unlimited supply of really good water here;
at Kudat we were also able to obtain water, but as yet not of the same
excellent quality.
The Native and Chinese part of the community live after the Malay
fashion, in houses built on piles over the water, which makes it convenient for
boats to go alongside nearly any house in the town. The streets, which are a
succession of the bridges built of split palm, average about eight feet above
the water. Everybody seemed in excellent health in Sandakan, and time certainly
does not hang heavily on their hands through want of work.
On the 14th
instant Mr. Pryer, the Resident at Sandakan, having to visit some estates on
the Sapagaya River kindly invited me to accompany him. We started at 7 a.m. on
the Sabine, a Government steamer about eighty tons, and drawing about eight
feet water, and we took in tow the Resident’s gig, and a native canoe. Governor
Treacher with his Secretary, and Captain Connor, R. N., were on board.
The Sapagaya, Dom-on-doung, with two or three other rivers, empty
into a beautiful bay about four miles wide on the south side of Sandakan Bay,
the average depth of water is about seven fathoms. We found a bar with two and
half fathoms low water, across the mouth of the Sapagaya. Mr. Pryer knew of a
channel which carried four fathoms right across. I believe Captain Connor will
soon be engaged surveying these parts. After the crossing the bar we got six
fathoms in the centre of the river for a considerable distance, but the stream
soon becomes too narrow for much traffic, though a double-ended boat the size
of the Honam for instance, could easily reach Denton, a distance of
about 10 or 12 miles. The Sabine anchored about a mile below Denton and
from this point we took the gig, towing the native canoe astern. About half a
mile up we landed on what was said to be an elephant’s track, and had only gone
a few yards into the jungle when we came across a python, whose skin (which I
have on board) measures 13 feet 7 inches. Mr. Pryer, who did not hesitate to seize
him by the neck, while a Sooloo attendant dispatched him with kris, said the
reptile was not full grown. Mangrove swamps lined each side of the river as
long as the water was salt or brackish, then with fresh water came the
beautiful Nipa Palm with its leaves, many of which measured 4o feet in length,
stretching over the river, and so narrowing our channel, that often the men
could hardly work their oars. Before reaching Denton we found the river
full of snags and fallen trees, so we had to take to the native canoe, and
after half an hour’s paddling we came upon a clearing of about 10 acres, which
is the site of the future town of Denton; here the scrub and undergrowth was
dead and dry, and Mr. Pryer thought it a good opportunity to fire the place. There
was hardly any wind at the time, but the heat caused such a drought, that in a
few minutes the flames were leaping 20 feet high.
What is most extraordinary, was that although we were little more
than five and half north of the Equator, and walking during the middle of the
day, (some of us without even the ordinary sun-hat) we did not find that one
quite enjoyed the exercise. Of course in the forest the trees give such
thorough shade that I can imagine it is always cool there. On board the Fokien
during our stay in North Borneo our exposed thermometer ranged from
seventy-three to eighty-three.
Europeans in North Borneo (I was corrected when I inadvertently
used the term foreigners there) usually take only two meals a day, breakfast at
10 a.m., dinner about 5 p.m. After dinner, we landed at Pulu Buy, an island in
Sandakan Bay, which is the property of Mr. Pryer, and is, I should say, about
eight miles in circumference. Here cocoa, coffee, sago, coconut, areca nut
palms, plantains, &c., are growing luxuriantly. Mr. Pryer, I believe,
proposes to make this place a cattle run, and the few ponies and cattle he
already has three seemed to thrive on the grazing. We noticed some
substantially built bungalows on the island which were tenanted by the
overseers. We returned to the settlement of Elopura about 7p.m.
We left Sandakan on the 15th for
Hong Kong. Nothing worthy of note transpired excepting that we verified the
position of Pasig shoal on the East Coast of Palawan, but found instead of 5
fathoms, as marked on chart, only 3 fathoms, with apparently less water to the
N. E. This shoal was plainly visible from the mast head by discoloration of the
water in its vicinity.
The latter part of the voyage was marked with strong N. E. winds,
and rainy dirty weather.” ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶ ̶ China Mail, 21st December,
1882.
-/ss
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