North Borneo History Enthusiasts

New Web Home

2012-03-10T20:37:00.002+08:00

Hello,

We are moving our blog to Wordpress platform. We will not be posting in here from hereon. However, we are not taking down this blog either but this platform will no longer have further updates. Please visit us at our new blog platform at nbhesabah.wordpress.com .

Slavery and Piracy in North Borneo

2012-01-26T14:24:00.000+08:00

By : Justin Sunam Wong

I was reading A Decade in Borneo, written by Ada Pryer or Ada Blanche Locke. She is the wife of the first Resident of the British North Borneo Chartered Company (BNBCC) in Sandakan and in North Borneo, Mr William Burges Pryer. It was published in 1893; fourteen years after the founding of Elopura or Sandakan and about six year prior to the demise of William B. Pryer on 11 Januay 1899 at age 54 *1. Sandakan was founded by Mr Pryer on 21 June 1879 *2.


Pryer's monument in Sandakan. Souce : http://www.aboutsabah.com.my/?p=2549

It is an interesting book because it gives a glimpse to the past, North Borneo or Sabah of old. At the time of this writing, I do not know how long Mr Pryer stayed in North Borneo, perhaps 10 years as what the title of the book suggests and why he left North Borneo? Health issue? Politics? One thing is certain though, Mr Pryer brought law and order and medicine to North Borneo. In my opinion, if it were not for him, the present Sabah would be a much different place, not for the better I would imagine.

The writing by his wife intrigued me. For example, who were the Buludupies? She said they lived in Labuk, Segama and Kinabatangan and was almost extinct because of piracy and slave trading. The Buludupies she said, had round eyes, Caucasion features and loathed violence. She also mentioned that the North Borneo Armed Constabulary (NBAC) was formerly formed in May 1882. Present Darvel Bay used to be known as Looc Sabahan [sic]. I think she meant Lok Sabahan. Lok is Bajau word for Bay.

She also mentioned Dato Kurunding, the pirate chief of the Illanuns who reside in Tuncu (Tungku). I googled Dato Kurunding and stumbled upon this gem! ; a news article,

From the Daily Times, October 29^th.

Piracy In Borneo

The following communication on the prevalence of piracy along the coast of Borneo, with which we have been favoured, is deserving of a careful perusal and consideration. The writer is one who is entitled to speak with authority, and we believe he has been prompted to take up the pen by reason of remarks that lately appeared in our columns concerning the cruise of Her Majesty's ship Kestrel along the shores of Borneo :-

For many generations past the Illanuns have been known as a tribe almost entirely devoted to piracy. In the year 1845 their villages on the North West Coast of Borneo were attacked and destroyed by Sir Thomas Cockrane. On this account, which, according to M. St. John, they broke up their communities and most of them who are addicted to piracy retired to the North East Coast to Tungku and the neighbouring rivers; those that remained in Tampassak long bore an ill name but now under the able management of the Resident, they are rapidly being reformed, and show considerable promise of some day taking high rank amongst the inhabitants of this important land. Those that went to Tungku however still retained their old propensities, and have continued their raids down to the present time, their Chief Dato Kurunding, boasts that with one cruise he has murdered 120 people on piratical expeditions; for the last year or two nothing has been heard against this man and it was hoped that the Tungku people were giving up their former evil ways. The Illanun expeditions have usually been amongst the Philippine island and down the Straits of Celebes. In the year 1872, I myself was in a village, not above a hundred or fifty miles South of Manali, that had just before been burnt by them, several of the people and much more valuable property carried off, and in another village there were 2 men who had escaped from them and returned home, their tongues had been cut out so that they should not give any information as to the pirates haunts; on one occasion not so very many years ago the Spaniards were challenged to meet them at a certain place but did not go, and the seas were virtually in their possession for some time. The following extract from Professor Bickmori's travels in the East Indian Archipelago will give on account of the proceedings of the Illanuns to the South East :-

“Piracy is described in the earliest Malay romances, and spoken by these natives not as a failing of their ancestors but as an occasion for glorifying in their brave deeds. They continue to infest the Sulu sea and the Southern part of the Philippines; they came down here in the middle of the Western monsoon so as to have fair wind both ways. The Illanuns are now the most daring pirates in these seas. Last year the man-of-war on this station had the good fortune to surprise five boats, one of them carrying as many as sixty men. At first they attempted to escape by means of their oars, but her shot and shell soon began to tear them to pieces, they then pulled in towards the shore and jumped overboard, but by this time they had come near a village and the natives at once all turned out with their spears, the only weapons they had, and scoured the woods for these murderers until not one of them was left alive. They seldom attack European vessel, but when they do and succeed, they take revenge for the severe punishment their countrymen receive from the Dutch warships, and not one white men is left to tell the tale of capture and massacre. They prey chiefly on the small schooners commanded and manned by Mestizoes by which most of the trade between the Dutch ports in these parts is carried on. One of these vessels was taken last year. While I was at Kema two Malays appeared; while they were fishing they had been captured by a fleet of pirates but escaped by jumping overboard and swimming. They applied for food and as such cases are specially provided for by the Dutch Government their request was immediately granted. A few years ago these pirates sent a challenge to the Dutch fleet at Batavia to come and meet them in the Straits of Macassar and several officers assured me that five ships were sent. To the Dutch almost exclusively belong the honor of having rendered the navigation of these sea so comparatively safe as it now is.”

Large parties of Illanuns such as are spoken of here usually came from the Southern Coast of Magindanao.

The Baligninis are another tribe of freebooters. Formerly their expeditions were carried down as far as the vicinity of Singapore itself, and there is now in Campong German (Sandakan) a Singapore Lingeabo, and a man named Armie of Meimbong. Proceeding with the utmost treachery, the division under Otto made a complete haul of a lot of Bajaus collecting trepang off the Paitan river, murdering most of the adult males, and bearing the females and children into captivity. Tuan Imaum, one of the Chiefs of the Bajaus here, supplied the names of 27 people, his immediate friends and relations, who were thus dealt with. By proceeding almost alone, and pretending friendship, he being known to most of them, and then bringing the pirates up quietly at night, Otto managed to get nearly every Bajau in those parts. But the following is an illustration of the usual mode of proceeding of these pirates. 4 men, 2 Bajaus and 2 Lingeabo people were asleep in a boat, a pirate depong stole up and her men suddenly jumping on board, killed two of them before they could stir, the other two managed to escape into the mangrove, and the pirates then carried off the boat and all its contents.

Several times pirates have been reported as being off the coast and more particularly I was informed by a man named Hiranee, one of the three in company had been taken by them, (5 sail strong) under Armie, 2 men who escaped were slightly wounded by gun shots and 3 others, in the depong that was captured, were carried off. Armie called out that he was coming in another month with forty depongs to raid this Bay, and also he is the man that fired his gun which wounded one of the men.

On leaving immediately after this occurrence the “Far East” came across two depongs at the entrance of the harbour, one of which was identified as the identical boat captured by the pirates, and now turned into a cruiser by them. She was full of men, who had 7 rifles amongst them; the other a larger one, with a fort in it, made of ironwood, was said to be under charge of the Capitan Laout himself. The “Far East” retook the first with a loss to the pirates, it was said, of 2 men killed and 1 wounded, the remainder escaping into the bush in Balhalla. On the next morning one or two Balignini shields were found, and a parang besides one of the original men of the depong who had escaped from the pirates during the previous night. The sail of the depong had been changed for a Balignini one with a private signal in the centre of it.

After finishing at Paitan the pirates are said to have crossed to Pongutaran, capturing on the way a Labuan bound prahu belonging to Cagayan Shefiff, murdering him and all the Crew, and at Pongutaran they are said to have captured or murdered another lot of some people. Since then they have made their appearance in many places capturing and murdering whenever they could find an opportunity. The original lot of captures are all said to have been taken to Tungku in the early part of June and from there were sent down South for sale. I think it not unlikely some of them may be found at Seeganan but doubtless the major part were taken to Booloongan.

The last information I have about the pirates is that having disposed of their captives and bought fresh supplies of arms, ammunition with the proceeds, they are busy making preparations for operations on a larger scale and challenge any one that may come saying that, whether English of Spanish, they will not seek protection of their walls and forts, but come to sea and “mine mine” there (have a dance). This is probably merely an idle boast, as it is quite at variance with their character, as far as I have been able to learn, for from what I gather I should consider them a set of sneaking, cowardly rascals, who take the greatest care to avoid the slightest chance of endangering their own skins. It would be bad enough if the slaves sold there were acquired even in accordance with the very bad laws of these parts, by being bought amongst the islands or simply sent there for sale by their masters; but the matter is far worse, as , it present stands. Encouragement is given to piracy, murder and kidnapping, on a scale it is almost incredible should in exist the latter part of the nineteenth century in any part of the world moreover by the slave being bartered for arms and ammunition, the pirates are fitted out for the committal of further atrocities. It is also said as if all these horrors were not enough, that a good many of the slaves, sold in Booloongan, are bought by the headhunters (Sagais) for the purpose of being butchered in the most cold blooded manner that their murderers, may have possession of a head, without the possession of one of which, it is, I am informed almost impossible for any man to find favour in the eyes of the females of those parts.

I have read somewhere that oral tradition of the Rungus suggest that Dato Kurunding was actually Aki Kulindod. Kulindod was a Rungus warrior that opposed the BNBCC and to prevent his family being targeted as retribution for his aggression, he asked his people to tell the British that he was not one of them and that he passed by the village (his village) for business. It was said that Kulindod was mistaken to be an Illanun because during the time of his capture or execution (cannot be certain at this juncture), he was pictured wearing an Illanun clothing.

However, until documentary proof could be produced to back this claim, I am inclined to think that this was perhaps a case of mis-identity. Nothing in Mrs Pryer's writing suggested that Dato Kurunding was captured by the British. In page 53 of the book, she mentioned that the old Dato Kurunding had died and that his son, Dato Baginda Putih had taken up his position.

As mentioned in the above news article, Dato Kurunding had boasted that he had murdered 120 people on piratical expeditions. From what I have read about all the Rungus oral tradition, they were traditionally an enemy to all pirates. They had protected the northern part of North Borneo's coastal areas against pirates. Simpang Mengayau is said to be their "watch tower".

Photo : Sabah Tourism Board

For a community that loathed pirates, I hardly think that Kulindod would associate himself with such murderous bunch. But then again, the book was written by the wife of the Resident. Hence, she might be biased in her information.

A Decade in Borneo is available for download, legally and for free. Just google the word. Happy reading.

*1 Source : Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser
*2 Source : British North Borneo - An Account of its History, Resources and Native Tribes by Owen Rutter

How places got their names

2012-01-19T12:13:00.001+08:00

The following is collected from the collective memories of NBHE members. It's not much but I thought it would be a waste not to share it.

Api Api was what Kota Kinabalu used to be known before the name was changed to Jesselton and later to Kota Kinabalu. Some Hakka still refer KK as Ya Pi. There are at least 2 accounts on how the settlement came to be known as Api Api. 1) Named after a big fire caused by rebels in 1897 which razed down the Pulau Gaya settlement. 2) named after some kind of plants which were plentiful in KK.

Karamunsing in Kota Kinabalu was named after a type of plant/tree used to be abundant in the area, which in local dialect was known as Karamunceng or Karamunsheng tree.

Keningau used to be known as Kaningau. Oscar Cook in 'Borneo the Stealer of Hearts' mentioned it as such. The town got its name from a type of cinnamon tree known as Kaningau in local dialect which grow/grew abundantly there.

Kota Belud was derived from Sama words, which directly translates to Hill Fort, or rather, Fort on the Hills. It was one of Mat Salleh's strongholds during the 1897-1900 uprising against the (British) Chartered North Borneo Company.

Labuan got it's name from the "Malay" word for anchorage i.e. Labu-an. In Sama language labu' means drop and labu-an is to drop, in this case dropping achor. A Bruneian would have pronounced it as Labu-han. A small village in Kota Belud shares both the name and the role as an achorage, albeit on a small river for small sampans.

Lok Kawi is named after Cowie. Lok is bay in Bajau language and Kawi is the Malaynised Cowie

Manggatal is the correct name not Menggatal, some overzelous outsider coined this Menggatal. The name was derived from a mango tree which found abound near the present river, the type of mango "kambasang" which is quite coarse and it irritates your throat hence gatal in Malay. The place has a lot of these species of mango, hence Manggatal was born.

Sandakan was said to have acquired its name from the word Sanda-kan, where Sanda means pawn off/sell off. This word is common among the peoples living in the area and Southern Philippines, as well as the Iranun people in Kota Belud. Obviously this refers to the British North Borneo Company (later chartered) acquisition/lease of the area from the Sulu Sultanate in the early 1870's.

Tenghilan named after a large Manggilan tree where people used to do their daily sustenance activities

Taun Gusi, a major village in Kota Belud got it's name after a major flood decades ago accidentally unearthed many ancient Chinese jars, similar to the ones that are very popular among many tribes in Sabah. The words Taun Gusi literally translates to Jungle of Jars in Sama language.

Remember this Song? Hand in Hand, we welcome you...

2012-01-17T14:27:00.000+08:00

A gift to Sabah. Courtesy of Mr Frank Faurillo.

Drop Off Box

2012-01-17T12:52:00.003+08:00

By Justin Sunam Wong

Bonding with Gaya Street (BGS) is a modest and yet unique exhibition in that where the conventional exhibition format, you have a designated venue and all the exhibition subjects are located in that one place. With BGS however, our Creative Director, Ms Yee I-Lann, opted for a more organic and personal touch, personal in a sense that it is the community that is telling its own stories.

I-Lann interviewing her subject. Photo courtesy of ProArt

Gaya Street stories will be told through visual, written and spoken words. By and large, this may not be an academically accurate exhibition but it is the collective memories of a community. Our goal is to give the younger generation a fresh perspective of Gaya Street. If after this, people start digging for answers on their own to reinforce or debunk what they read or heard during that event, then we would have achieved our goal.

Coming back to the format of the exhibition, the venue of the exhibition will be the whole stretch of Gaya Street, not on the street but rather in the shops itself. We have secured the agreement of a number of businesses there to turn their shops into mini exhibits and we are still actively looking for more businesses to participate. A list of participating shops will be published in due course. We are also encouraging businesses in Gaya Street to curate their own exhibits and if need be, they could contact NBHE for assistance in how to curate. Dig up your old photos, antiques, tell your story!

Meanwhile, we have set up our booth which we call our Drop Off Box at Kedai Kopi Seng Chong Wah yesterday thanks to some feisty young ladies!

Drop off Box

Nevada and Denise getting their hands dirty

Scanner cum printer courtesy of Fuji Xerox

The Drop Off Box is now operational. It is open from Monday to Sunday, from 11am to 5:30pm. Members of the public who wish to contribute their old photographs of Gaya Street can drop by, have it scanned and printed. Donated photographs or images of any kind, may be used in the exhibition and in any future publication done by NBHE. A copy will also be given to either the State Archive or Museum for preservation. Please note that the booth will not be opened during Chinese New Year while the owners of the premise are celebrating the festivity.

Location of booth

We also appeal for stories regarding Gaya Street. Don't worry about writing skills, it is not important! What is important is your story. You can even write a third party story. Perhaps your parents have told you some stories about Gaya Street. We may put up your stories on the day of the exhibition or we may even include them in our Coffeetable book which is being curated by our Ms Susan Bansin and Ms Tina Kisil. They are tirelessly researching and compiling stories for our inaugural publication. It promises to have tons of pictures and interesting and colourful anecdotes.

Tina all business at the Sabah Archive. No picture of Susan, she's a bit camera shy.

If you have stories to share, you may email them to bergaya2012@gmail.com .Last but not least, sharing is caring, please spread the news!

Click Like on our Fan page to get notified of further updates.

Bonding with Gaya Street

2012-01-08T14:06:00.000+08:00

By : Justin Sunam Wong, NBHE Founder

The cat is out of the bag! New Sabah Times has published our press release. In a way, this is kind of a soft launch of the event itself. It all started with a walk in Gaya Street in October 2011. A few of us enthusiasts decided to meet up and explore Gaya Street.

Some of our members in Gaya Street

Most of us take Gaya Street for granted. I personally, only think about Gaya Street when I have a craving for Bak Kut Teh in the evening. Incidentally, my West Malaysian friend was amused when I revealed to him that we have Bak Kut Teh in the evening. He told me with great authority that Bak Kut Teh should be taken in the morning as breakfast. Well, he might be right, Bak Kut Teh was a concoction conjured up by the coolies of old days, to give them nourishment and energy within their limited resources; Necessity is the mother of invention they say. Before long, they perfected their recipe and Bak Kut Teh evolved into the mouth watering fare of present day but I have digress.

Why do we want to celebrate Gaya Street in the upcoming 12th Kota Kinabalu (KK) City day celebration? Did you know that Gaya Street was practically the springboard to KK's present day status as a City? This spot is where it all started. The commerce and banking sectors were all concentrated in Gaya Street in the old days. Did you know that Gaya Street was once known as Bond Street? Well, I shall not reveal too much here less I spoil everyone's fun but come February 2012, come down to Gaya Street on 11th and 12th February 2012.

What on earth possessed us to want to do this event? During our walkabout, we stumbled upon this bronze plaque. I am sure you have walked past it many times but did you stop and read what is inscribed on it?

During World War II, Jesselton (what Kota Kinabalu was known then) was inundated by Allied bombings. All the shops in Gaya Street were decimated. After the war ended, naturally the first order of things were to rebuild Jesselton and overall, North Borneo. The principle 'rebuilder' was of course Britain, the British North Borneo Chartered Company (BNBCC) had surrendered their prized possession to their government because they could not afford to rebuild their colony. So now North Borneo was a Crown Colony. Must be mentioned here that the Australians helped out a lot in the rebuilding also. Anyway, on 10th September 1951, the government started building the first block of shops in Gaya Street to replace the decimated ones. Out of the ashes, Gaya Street rose like a Phoenix. So you do the numbers, the "new" first block of Gaya Street 'celebrated' its 60th year birthday last September 2011! Gaya Street is course older than that, perhaps 113 years old. Well, I cannot be certain about this, we are enthusiasts and not experts :P. But we are enthusiasts who actively sought out information.

We felt bad for Gaya Street, her birthday celebration was a mute one. Hence, started our quest to dig up as much historical information about Gaya Street as we humanly possible to do so. To our pleasant surprise, we encountered some 'Towkays' in Gaya Street who were eager to share their knowledge about the street. They were just waiting for eager ears to listen to them.

Before long, we have gathered a rather respectable materials and we asked ourselves, what are we going to do with these materials? Hey! What is NBHE all about? To discover, preserve and propagate Sabah's history of course! So we put our game face on and started knocking on DBKK's door(a member pointed out that KK will be celebrating its 12th year anniversary since getting her City Status), it was a long shot! Who have heard of NBHE? It was only formed in May 2011. Again to our pleasant surprise, DBKK opened its door to us.

Datin Fazar Datuk Arif and Mr Paul Lajumin, selling our event to Mayor Datuk Abidin Madingkir

Idea sold! Datin presenting Ms Tina Kisil's (standing right to the Mayor) book Footprints in the Paddy Fields to the Mayor.

We have since then met a lot of people from other government agencies, I will not bore you with the details. But I leave these tasty morsels to whet your curiosity, we will launched a Coffeetable Book, our inaugural publication, which chronicle the collective memories of Gaya Street community on 11 February 2012. Our publication is quite special if I may say so, for it is unpretentious and it is unadulterated. They are thoughts and memories of people who had experience live in Gaya Street. We don't claim them to be authoritative but we hope, these stories will drive our readers to search answers on their own. A catalyst of sort, we hope we can engage our audience and turn all Sabahans young and old, to become Sabah's "detectives"! Reclaim our history and identity.

In connection to this, we invite the public to contribute any stories of their own or people they know to NBHE. We may publish this on the event itself or in our future publication. If you are interested, you may email us at bergaya2012@gmail.com. This is of course on voluntary basis, we are non-profit after all. Any funds we get from the sale of our work will go towards funding future programs towards the community of Sabah!

To get further updates on our event, click LIKE on our Facebook page. We will post updates along the way. Stay tuned!

Train Trip to Tenom

2011-12-26T23:17:00.001+08:00

The first things I noticed were the raintrees standing at the edge of the padang. They were massive and must be very old and, therefore, have witnessed a lot of events. I wonder what they’d say if they could talk. The next thing I realized was the quietness and the leisurely way the people went about doing whatever it was they did.

Huge raintrees at the edge of the padang

After a glass of cold lemon tea and some toast, it was time to explore Tenom. Someone said we should go to the coffee place where we’d be able to sample the famous Tenom coffee and buy some to take home. We walked from one block of shops to another but couldn’t locate the place. So Tenom isn’t such a small place if something as popular as a coffee outlet couldn’t be located.

“Is that it?” I asked Justin.

“No,” he said, “that’s the market.”

And further down: “No that’s a food court.”

“Closed? No customers?”

Closed shops

Another closed shop

More closed shops; note the sky!

It was a Saturday but many shops were closed; their shutters pulled shut but unlocked. It was as if the proprietors have given their staff a break so they could go home for lunch and maybe take a nap before coming back to the shops.

We couldn’t locate the factory which produced the famous Tenom coffee so we walked along the quiet streets and five-footways to watch the people.

There were many used clothes vendors but hardly any potential customers rummaging through their goods. One could get bags and shoes, too!

There was a roomful of men enjoying themselves around the billiard tables… macam di KK. I was tempted to take a photo but those men would know I didn’t belong to Tenom so…

I passed through Tenom decades ago and I remember it as a vibrant, bustling place. It had been an important town during the NBCC era. With the building of the railway lines at the turn of the century, huge areas that were once inaccessible, virgin jungles had been opened up to turn them into rubber and coffee plantations. Because both these cash crops became huge revenue-earners, they later justified the building of the railway tracks through the uninhabited forests and along difficult terrain.

Tenom was also a busy town then because all traffic from the coastal towns of Sabah had to pass through Tenom to go to Keningau and Tambunan. (Tambunan was connected by road to KK only in the early 1970s.)

Since there was nothing much to see we strolled back to the railway station, stopping to see whatever caught our attention on the way.

People crossing the street despite the No-Crossing-Here sign. Note the closed shop.

Notice of road accidents. If there has been none since 1999, why bother updating the information? Good point!

Soon it was time to go. The train went pooot…pooooot! And Paul asked, “Is everyone on board?” No one appeared missing when the train pulled out of the station approximately two minutes before departure time.

But wait! When we were chugging along at ten miles an hour, and the Tenom Station was a faint dot in the distance, Caroline called! She had been left behind! Thank goodness for modern technology. Stop the train! Stop the train!

We discovered that not only the train could stop, it could reverse all the way back to the station!

Hello, Caroline and Annette. So sorry we didn’t notice you were missing!

There was no more exciting incident after that except at the stretch where a party of goats were strolling along the tracks dead ahead of our oncoming rail-bus.

Get off the tracks! Get off the tracks! But the goats, perhaps unaccustomed to the night train service, ran straight ahead. One poor, little goat must have been so tired it stopped on its track, turned around and looked up at us! Some passengers were already visualizing barbequed mutton—hot, moist and tender—beside their cold beers!

But the train slowed down and came to a complete stop. A few villagers standing near the tracks shooed the goats off the tracks into the dark night. We reached the station, happy that no goat was retrieved as a dead passenger.

The beautiful sunset was a fitting end to the great day!

Let me conclude this post with a delightful poem written about the North Borneo train. It appeared in the fortnightly North Borneo Herald and is believed to have been written in 1912 or 1913 by an un-named writer.

Over the metals all rusted and brown

Thunders the mail to Jesselton town.

Tearing on madly, racking not fate,

Making up time—she’s three days late.

See how the sparks from her smoke-stack shower

Swaying on wildly at three miles an hour.

Sometimes they stop to examine a bridge,

Sometimes they stick on the crest of a ridge,

Sometimes they find the line washed away

And postpone their advance the following day.

Beaufort to Jesselton—tour of delight—

Taking all day and the best of the night.

Over the rails all rusted and brown

Drives on the mail to Jesselton town.

(Thank you to Susan for pointing out the poem to NBHE! And our heartfelt appreciation goes to our gracious host, Paul, and the GMR and his SSR crew for making the trip possible!)

Thundering to Tenom

2011-12-19T00:02:00.000+08:00

No one now remembers when the idea of a train trip to Tenom was first mentioned. Was it a month ago? Two months? Three? It has been dubbed the ‘great train trip’, the ‘great train robbery’. Members have registered themselves for the trip and then pulled out because of newer, more urgent commitments. Then there were those who had expressed to jump on board hours before the train pulled out of the station.

Boarding the rail bus at Beaufort

I was so anxious not to be left behind for Saturday’s 7.45 a.m. trip that I woke up at four. When you get to be my age, and a train ride still excites you, plus you really look forward to meeting a bunch of complete strangers, I’d say ‘good for you’!

We—picked Meg and Justin on the way—arrived at the station in good time and saw the group members and their guests milling around the entrance. Hi Paul! Hi Adrian-from-KL! Nice to meet you Tony-all-the-way-from-NZ! Hello Rooney! Hello Joan and Andrew and Frank and Caroline and Margaret and Ariff and the rest!

The Sabah State Railways had given us one coach to ourselves and soon—poooot-poooot!—it was time to go. It had rained the previous night but the faintest bit of rainbow in the morning sky promised better weather. We enjoyed the changing scenery as the train rolled southwards and everyone took photos with their personal gadgets: handphones, point-and-shoot digital cameras, videocam, Ipads or DSLR cameras with lenses as long as my arm.

Nothing exciting happened until we were approaching the tunnel when everyone reminded Lakeming about his ‘lominit botol’ joke. (I won’t repeat it here. You’ll have to ask him yourself!)

Photo courtesy of Philip Lai

We were given one hour to explore Beaufort so off we went to find a kedai kopi to get the breakfast we had missed in KK. Had we looked back instead of rushing out of the station, we’d have seen the others arranging themselves for a group photo!

After filling ourselves with coffee and the most delicious noodle soup in the whole of Beaufort we walked back to the station and boarded the rail bus which would take us to Tenom. There were about fifty of us (not including the staff of the Sabah State Railway who went along).

Most of the seats were already taken when Meg and I went up the rail bus and those without a human body in it had a bag placed by their friends. I walked to the back and found an empty seat. It just happened to be the engine driver’s—for the trip back to Beaufort. I had permission to sit in it as the engine driver would be at the opposite end for the trip to Tenom. Hurray! I just had to avoid touching the knobs, levers and switches, the railway staff told me. (My foot slipped once or twice and landed on some metal thing on the floor and the train went ‘Poooot! Poooooot!’ Did my foot just do that? It had no idea!)

After the smooth ride to from Tanjung Aru to Beaufort, we discovered that the trip to Tenom went clackety-clack clackety-clack most of the way and there was a good deal of side-to-side movement. The SSR staff, ever helpful, said the rough movement was due to the joints between the old rails. Anyway, our muscles had a good workout; a free massage, someone said!

This post isn’t complete without a short history of the North Borneo Railway…

When I saw the tracks several miles out of Beaufort, in the middle of nowhere, and where miles upon miles on one side of the railway was a perpendicular rock cliff and the other side was the raging Padas River, I wondered what the British saw when they were working on the railway more than a hundred years ago. What did the labourers think, these natives who had never, ever seen a train? Did they think the white men were crazy?

The railway track is carved out of the rock face.

The lines run on a very narrow ledge.

A tunnel has been cut into the solid rock.

The man behind the NB Railway was William Cowie. He pressed for approval to build the railway lines after he was elected Director of the NBCC in 1894. Around the same time, Cowie also built the telegraph line connecting Sandakan to Labuan and he sent the first telegraphic message to London in 1897. (This was the first telegraph line in SE Asia!)

In 1896 the construction of the railway began. Two years later, it was possible to travel by train from Beaufort to Weston although the railway was not fully completed until 1900. Because Brunei Bay proved too shallow for large vessels, Cowie was forced to pull the line 57 miles north—from Beaufort to Gaya Bay. The construction was undertaken by a British company, George Pauling Construction and completed in 1902. The line from Beaufort to Tenom was completed in 1905 and to the terminus in Melalap a year later. The railway services were crippled during the Japanese occupation due to massive destruction on tracks, bridges and locomotives.

Who laid down the tracks? It’s easy to assume that our grandfathers and great grandfathers (the natives) laid down the tracks under the supervision of the British engineers. But that assumption would only be half right because the Chinese immigrants brought into the country had to work two to three days a week on the railway line or on road building. There were also Javanese labourers employed by the NBCC.

The labourers used tools available in those days: hoes, picks, axes and perhaps dynamite for blasting off chunks of rocks. As a result of working on the railway lines, perhaps many people fell ill or met with accidents and lost limbs and lives.

Thanks to the engineers, the overseers and the coolies we now have a path carved out of the rock face so our train could clackety-clack all the way to Tenom while we recline in comfortable seats and admire the view.

Old Beaufort

2011-11-25T18:08:00.001+08:00

We dug up some old photos and decide to share them here. Some of the photos are undated. Hopefully someone out there could shed some light.

Kung Ming Primary School. Circa 1950s

Beaufort. No date indicated but its probably in the 70s

Aerial View of Beaufort. No date indicated

No date indicated

Probably on 16 September 1963. Notice the word "Bunap" ? It was Borneo Utara National Party

11 June 1960. Parade to celebrate the Queen's Birthday

No date indicated but likely a Malaysia Day parade

In Memory of the late Joannes R Labunda

2011-11-17T09:49:00.001+08:00

Joannes R Labunda was one of the earliest members of NBHE and one of the most active ones. He returned to God on 12 November 2011 and he will be sorely missed. He left us with a treasure trove of stories of which we think he would want us to share. After all, NBHE is all about preserving and sharing. Rest well dear friend.

Gosh! My dear friends! Thank you for all your prayers and well wishes! I miss you guys (that includes gals) too and keep myself entertained following up with all your running commentaries! Will explain my absence from this important group as soon as I am able! Thanks again and Nite. - 18 August 2011

Hi guys, I too heard about that long breasted ghost and I will ask my mum the name. I am a bit indisposed at the moment but I can't resist telling you about the ghost that my friend and I saw when we were kids. I would have been about 10 or 11 at the time and my friend Gerald Masudal was perhaps 4 years older. This happened in Lutong one day when Gerard's adoptive father Anthony Jomikik had been drinking at our house at Jalan Merikan. By about 5.30 pm he was quite drunk and told my mum that he wanted to go home because Gerard was alone in the house and they were yet to cook dinner. Mum told him she had already slaughtered a chicken and had started on dinner for everyone and told him that I would go fetch Gerard from their house which was less than half a mile away on the other side of town. So off I went on my stepfather's brand new Raleigh gentleman bicycle which I had just learned how to ride! It was still light on the way home. Gerard was riding the bicycle with me sitting behind on the spring carrier. I was so small then my feet reached only on the nuts of the hub. There is a club called the Lutong Recreation Club between our houses nearer to theirs than ours. This was one of our favourite haunts and we knew every inch of the grounds. We got to the white picket fence separating the carpark in the front from the playground at the back where at the end there were two Jambu trees growing side by side about 15 feet tall. As Gerard entered the open gate on the picket fence, he suddenly jumped off the bicycle and scooted off to the front of the Club. I fell over to the left still entangled in the bicycle. I had no idea what was going on but as I extricated myself from the machine I looked up ahead and saw a man in white standing between the two Jambu trees and he stood equally tall! I quickly picked up the bicycle and pushed it back to the front where Gerard stood ashen faced and hugging one of the two pillars that supported the roof over the stairs. All he said was "Did you see it?" We ran across the dancing floor of the Club to peer through the glass louvers but the apparition had disappeared. Eerily, we heard dogs howling in the distance. After that we took the main road home! - 16 August 2011

My late grandfather Bernard Mojikon was a primary school teacher at St Michael's Penampang before the War and he had a house at Tuavon. At one time he was transferred to Tambunan to start a Mission school there. So he had to uproot his family and took his wife, my mum who was about 10 at the time, and a couple of her brothers and sister who had been born then and set off up the bridle path to Tambunan. It was literally an uphill journey. There travelled with a larger group but my grandparents had to "baboi" the younger kids when they could no longer walk! That was besides carrying the Singaging containing their precious few possessions and all the food for themselves enough for the journey. My mum took her share of the load and said it took them SEVEN days and SEVEN nights to reach Tambunan! Along the way they slept in makeshift shelters some already provided and some they had to hurriedly make for the nite! My grandfather bought a piece of land next to the school he started and built himself a house with local materials and they lived there for one or two years. After he completed his work on the school my grandfather returned down the same bridle path with his family to Penampang. He donated the land and the house in Tambunan he had built to the school. In Tuavon he also donated the hillock on which the Sigar now stands, but this was the original site of The Society of Kadazan and was where Tun Fuad was picked as the Kadazan leader. - 12 August 2011

When I was a Stipendiary Magistrate in Miri, Sarawak I had a circuit to attend to and from Miri I would travel to the outlying sub-districts to sit in the Courts there, at Limbang, Lawas, Marudi, Niah and Bintulu and once we had to travel by boat deep into the Ulu right up to Long Lama for an exhumation in an Iban graveyard. Sometimes I would spend a week in one station. Anyway, at Marudi the court was in the old Fort from the days of the Brookes and a large part of it was solidly built out of belian. I quite forget the name of the Fort, Alice or Margaret or something, but on this particular day about 200 ulu people, mostly Kayans and Kenyah but with some Kelabits thrown in were gathered around the courtyard. Apparently some of them had walked for days to reach Marudi and some had come from far off tributaries of the Baram in their boats. A lot were in native attire and armed. They had all been charged with illegal felling and squatting on government land! The Court was packed too and when sessions began the Court Clerk called the name of the first Defendant to verify that he was in attendance. Perhaps they did not have NRICs in those days or the natives did not bother to carry them on their person...but at the call of Ding Wan, about ten of them stood up all claiming to be Ding Wan! I told them to sit down amidst an uproar of laughter. Then, the next on the list was, strangely enough, Wan Ding! Another 8 people stood up all claiming to be Wan Ding! Before the laughter could begin again, I quickly asked the Public Prosecutor if it was possible for him to identify the right Ding Wan and or Wan Ding in the Court. He said no, so I discharged all of them for lack of identification! - 12 August 2011

Some natives in the Bakam-Bekenu areas were also charged at my Court in Miri for the same forest offences. When I arrived in the morning on the day of reckoning a large spectacular group of natives numbering in the hundreds were encamped under the two Flame of the Forest trees outside the Court which was in the Govt office building on the side next to the Resident's office. My "alma mater" St Joseph's Primary School was located behind this Govt Office building so it was very much "terra familia" for me as was the whole of Miri town. I was proud to find myself suddenly sitting as a Magistrate in the town I grew up in. Inside the Courthouse it was packed like sardines. The Defendants readily admitted to staying on the land and cutting down trees there. Without exceptions they said it was ancestral land but had since become Govt property. Since they admitted to the charges against them I had no choice but to convict all of them. In sentencing I routinely asked them whether they had jobs and all that. I found out that mostly they each owned only a couple of blackened pots, a parang, maybe a shotgun, a few dogs! I said to them that given the facts of the case I had no choice but to find them all guilty as charged! Under the circumstances, considering their honest efforts to attend my court all the way from their longhouses in the Ulu and in the light of their poverty, I said I would impose a fine of RM10.00 on each of them and that if they defaulted in paying the fine, they would be jailed for a day! I also bound them by a good behaviour bond for a year! I don't remember whether they paid the fines but that was the year when my senior in school, R S, won the seat for Parliament in that constituency! - 12 August 2011

The full name of N is Homo Neanderthal or a human type of the Neander Valley where they were first discovered. The human that is thought to have wiped them out is Homo Sapiens (Cro Magnon) because they were thought more intelligent than H N and looked much like us whereas the H N had more distinguishing features like thick brow bridges. We are today Homo Sapiens Sapiens but I think not twice as intelligent as Homo Sapiens! The Homo label was used first for Homo Habilis -I think- "Handy man" because he had stone tools! Then - to keep the line straight - Homo Erectus - Homo Neanderthal. There are a few intriguing fossils indicating sub types in between and before but they are really controversial specimens. It is a great debate still raging when man became human. We separated from the Chimpanzee I think anytime between 7 -15 millions years ago, I can't remember exactly. Less than 2 % of our genes are different! Today it is believed that there was not only one species of man in the past. - 10 August 2011

I wouldn't say "purest" of HSS but certainly the original human breed. Having said that though, there are more different evolutionary human offshoots-i am unsure if subspecies is the correct classification-in Africa than elsewhere, where the genes show a rather boring consistency because they were all descended from at most two specific kinds of HE and or HS who left at different epochs! Anyhow, evolution is amazingly in that a black man 200kya is now born a caucasian or a mongoloid! Nobody can explain why life is so magical! - 10 August 2011

I think the Neanderthals were so heavily built that no humans today would dare dream of wrestling one of them but I remember telling someone that I won't be surprised if they mated, knowing men! Sorry, and Women! - 11 August 2011

So I don't think the N were slave material. It would not have been easy subduing them...after all they hunted the Mammoth! I think the weather changed too much for them and the more adaptive HS (Cro Magnon) thrived instead. That there are N genes in all of us today suggests that it was indeed almost immediately after HS left Africa that the interbreeding began, so it seems HS and N did live together, even if the N females were the more frequent to be found in HS settlements. This new findings change the whole human scenario from 200kya on. - 11 August 2011

The research is not clear whether the DNA are from down the mitochondria (and so female) line but I think they will soon sort that out... - 11 August 2011

Siou, Justin. The full scientific name would be Homo Neanderthalensis ...something like that. I wanted to highlight that N was Homo...oop! - 11 August 2011

Sonsomido...ha ha! I remember it well. I forget the words but the melody I know by heart!

I also liked the flute music...I thought it was brilliant!

Sonsomido and the flute melody...though the latter was a dirge...brings tears to my eyes!

Celine, I think not because before the War there was no need for such songs. We didn't think we had to be patriotic - we do that only when we are in danger of losing the country - we just took it for granted that it WAS our country. No question about it! That was our attitude.

I think there are few people in the world who would stop whatever they might be doing to listen with rapt attention and breaths held whenever a mournful and plaintive melody on a bamboo flute floats out of the radio...they listened silently as the announcer recites the sudden demise of so and so from somewhere in the country! That was our family then! - 10 August 2011

You can find information on the Flag in the link: The British North Borneo Company administered British North Borneo from 1881 until its official demise (pace the Japanese occupation) in 1948. The shield on the coat of arms shows a lion above a dhow. The crest shows two human arms grasping a flag flying to the right. One of these arms appears to be that of a Caucasian and the other that of a person of darker hue. A deliberate and obvious choice, I feel. The small flag grasped by those arms was that of the Governor of British North Borneo as flown from about 1882 to about 1910. It was yellow with a red lion passant facing to the left as one looks at it.

After 1910 or so, the Governor flew the Union defaced with a yellow disc upon which was the same red lion. The disc was not surrounded by the usual garland as the Governor was appointed by the Board of Directors of the Company, rather than by the Crown. Notwithstanding this change to the gubernatorial flag, the small flag in the crest of the coat of arms remained that of the Governor pre-1910.

When the British North Borneo Company ceded control after the Second World War, the territory became a British colony. The flag of the Governor, from this point on an appointee of the Crown, changed again. The Union was now defaced not by the badge of the Company, but by the crest of the Company's coat of arms in a white disc surrounded by a garland. I have seen this flag (a scaled-down version for use upon a motor car) in the National Police Museum at Kuala Lumpur and I am pretty sure that the small flag grasped by the two arms in the crest was no longer the pre-1910 Governor's flag, but the Union Flag itself.

When British North Borneo acceded to the Malaysian Federation as the state of Sabah in 1963, the coat of arms was modified. The lion and dhow disappeared from the shield, but the two-armed crest was retained. Today, those same two arms grasp the current flag of Sabah. - 10 August 2011

You might want to know that Datuk Joe (Manjaji) began in the Police Force and he was subsequently "appointed" as the first MP for Penampang. I don't know the years but he was also a well known boxer and later became a journalist for Sabah Times. He and his family had to spend two years in HK to escape Tun Mustapha's wrath! I have had the privilege to read some of his letters and articles as well as some correspondences by Lothar. I was pleasantly surprised at their fluency in the English Language. Of course they also wrote in Kadazan. Like his father Datuk Joe was a patriot through and through! - 8 August 2011

Justin (that's nicer than FJW), this is only my imagination as I don't think there would be any documents or artifacts existing today to help explain why the Chinese decided to turn local in KP. But we do know that the Chinese have been coming around to this part of the world - 'poli' or 'puni' as they call it in their Annals - since the 9th century and even probably before the 6th century. It is even likely that they have been visiting us ever since they invented the junk! We also know that they came for trade of course, but we might forget that they were firstly seamen and would need to anchor in a safe harbour, the best of which was the Brunei Bay. I used to sail and I know that this is very necessary if you are on a boat and you wished to avoid being buffeted by the waves or blown onto the rocks or capsized by the prevailing Monsoon winds and occasional hurricanes. I read somewhere that are about 2500 junks at the bottom of the South China Sea today. Anyway, before I digress further, I do believe that trade is the principal reason why Brunei grew into a Sultanate. But many of these Chinese sailors and traders who came to Brunei primarily to trade also jumped ship and stayed behind, not only in Kota Batu in Brunei but in nearby Kuala Penyu, and even further up the coastline wherever suitable anchorages were available. They stayed behind to act as middlemen as the Chinese are wont to do in business! They would became comparatively wealthy and it is no surprise that the lusty local Kuala Penyu wenches (excuse the expression - no pun intended) would be mightily attracted to them. With a thriving business, a hardworking wife or wives and dozens of tiny tots running around the established gudang in Kuala Penyu surrounded by a large extended family, anyone would find it hard to return to China where one was more than likely to starve or worse be conscripted into war and killed. Furthermore, many of these extended families would have had relatives in Brunei, so would it not be good business sense to change your name so that you are now related to, say, a cousin of the Pengiran, or perhaps a Pehin? But since this would have been going on for more than a thousand years, I would agree that the majority if not all the original residents of Kuala Penyu and even Brunei have Chinese blood in them. Do you know that at one time a very large swatch of the land around Brunei were cleared for pepper plantations owned by Chinese. They say you can still distinguish the plantation area today if you fly over Brunei. - 7 August 2011

I don't think the Priest had anything to do with it. The British did not like them very much it would seem. In 1936 the Orang Putih DO of Penampang (no doubt egged on by the Mission) complained to the Orang Putih Resident of Jesselton that the Chinese should not be allowed in Penampang since they were teaching the locals how to distill arak and to gamble away their hard earned money!!! This prompted the angry Chinese community in Penampang, in cahoots with the Jesselton Chinese Chamber of Commerce, to draft a petition to the Resident singed by more than a 130 of them in which they stated that they had been here for several generations and were locals too. They said this included the two headmen OKK Lojunga (Tan Sri Richard's and YA Duncan's great grandfather and from whose big bungalow Lothar was taken by the Japs -see Celine Daya's post) and OKK Missi of Hungab who both readily admitted to be Chinese of Chinese descent. I think Danny Wong got the story in one of his books. - 7 August 2011

Justin, What we are doing now, collecting and discussing facts, exchanging stories, views and opinions, looking over evidence and historical details, generally devoting our precious time away from other pursuits - that to me is part of our beloved history too. Our pioneering efforts need only to be written down somewhere and we know we can't really leave that task to someone else less dedicated! That is no wishful thinking here at all but you are pointing in the right direction. Hehe! Let's see how big a group we can muster to meet Lynette! - 8 August 2011

Tina, I am half way though your book....your early escapades and the lost world you describe do remind me so much of my own early childhood. I suppose that would be so since at the time we were all still basically rice-planting peasants, although my grandfather was also a schoolteacher at St Michael in Penampang! My step father (Stan Golokin's father) was also a policeman from Tambunan --there's a picture of him just like the photo of your dad in uniform. He was in the Signal department but he went to work for what was at the time Sarawak Shell Oilfield Ltd in Lutong, 7 miles from Miri town. That was where I grew up and did all my schooling. But I were born in Guunsing 41 days after you so less than two months separate us. But unlike you, I was the eldest in a family of 9 including Morley who died in childhood of a hole in the heart. So I was in Seus' shoes really though it would seem as the eldest daughter you also had to shoulder many chores not unfamiliar to me! When I was in in Lutong it was my task to be tinker, tailor soldier jack of all trade - kitchen help, housemaid, gardener, nanny and all that you had to do too, including shopping which I liked cos I could then buy marbles and also treat myself to some sweets. The worst was changing nappies and looking after my siblings who came out all in a row without respite! In Tuavon I would volunteer actually to fetch water from the river as it was an opportunity to wade in the clear water and perhaps to catch a few shrimps hiding under the rocks. The river was nearby and often we had to be called back home under loud threats of a severe beating - "pataiyon kuiyoyu au kouno muli do boino" - but though I would be shivering and blue in the lips as I scrambled home I was never actually beaten. I am intrigued that your Dad could play the violin since my stepfather was a good kronchong singer and could accompany himself on the guitar. I could go on....but let me finish your book! - 7 August 2011

Gosh Tina, we must be twin spirits! One day I was alone on the Tuavon side and spied two young girls sitting on the sandbank on the other side. I was only about 4 then and hadn't yet learn to swim. So this happened about 1955. I tried crossing the river on foot a little upstream from where the girls were sitting. It was deep in the middle of the river so I stepped over a sandy ledge and suddenly went under and was quickly carried along downstream by the current. By the time the two girls realised what had happened and jumped in to pull me out I was already near the botung at the corner and had drunk a lot of water along the way. I remember flailing in the darkness below trying to get to the surface and was shivering uncontrollably and blue in the lips from the near fatal misadventure. I have always wondered who those girls were that it was worth for me to risk an untimely watery demise. There have been two other occasions when I nearly drowned but I will tell you about that next time. You did say in your book that you went to Penampang but what were you doing in Tuavon? - 7 August 2011

Wow, you came when I left. I wonder whether you know my family clan in Tuavon. My mum is Vinik the eldest of Bernard Mojikon's children and perhaps my grandfather taught you in St Michael, but surely you and or your mum would have had friends from my Kampong since everyone went to the Kasigui shops! You are right, it was just before is the water intake point and the botung was on the other side of the river. I believe those mermaids were sent from Nampasan. I was told then that I had guardian angels around me cos they couldn't believe how I managed to survive scraps like that. - 7 August 2011

Ah Jude, the Denisovans were the archiac humans who went north into Siberia ... and after interbreeding with the proto - austronesians from down in China and further south probably went on into America, etc. I read about them but forgot the name! Thanks for the clarification. - 7 August 2011

Hehe, thank you Celine. History is never dry if it is your own. When you indulge in that, sooner or later you find that you need also to know the history of other people in order to understand your own...it's a long process of self discovery actually! But you win't realise it in a classroom - 7 August 2011

It is not known whether Neandertal (American spelling) and archiac Humans (Cro Magnon Man) could interbreed although knowing men they would have tried anyway when they were living side by side. It is very probable they are different species. The idea that there could had been more than one species of humans is a defensible one, esp during the Australopithecine period (afarensis, africanus -gracile against robust). The Leakeys' theory of the origin of the human family have basically fallen out of favour now...and we do have a more complicated evolutionary line than was thought by them..."Lucy" I think was the beginning of it all... I have many books on this: All the Leakey books and also Donald Johanson's "Lucy" and "The Neandertal Enigma" by James Shreeve, etc. This is my favourite past time. - 7 August 2011

Yes Jude, the first human exodus out of Africa was about 2mya while we were still Homo Erectus. They probably gave rise to the Neandertal, etc. who existed before 200Kya though the Neandertal seem to have lasted a bit longer until archair humans arrived. In Africa Homo Erectus evolved into archiac humans and again left Africa 200kya. That's why we have the Homo Erectus in Asia before 200kya and the proto-Austranesians after 200ka. That's the theory that I know, at least. - 7 August 2011

Do you know Celine that a few days or weeks before the Petagas massacre the Japs who occupied the Lojunga Bungalow at Kg Kuai (near my house now) had called Lothar to the said house. Lothar and his Penampang colleagues were secretly planning a reprisal and they had sharpened their weapons in readiness for the day but unfortunately there were spies amongst them who leaked the plan to the Japs. Lothar bravely went anyway. At the river bank Datuk Joe Manjaji who was merely a boy then and who had insisted on following his father to the house was dissuaded from proceeding and was hurriedly taken away in a boat upstream. That was the last that anyone saw of Lothar. Danny Wong the local Historian came to interview Jane Manjaji and Lothar is mentioned in one of his recent books on Sabah, I can't remember which one. I will check and post. - 7 August 2011

I have always wondered why we were so fond of our "colonial masters" to the extent of becoming anglophiles while the Malays had endless conflicts instead. I think you guys are right. We were the wild men of Borneo and did not have any masters at the time. But whatever their intentions, the British left us pretty much alone and taught us government and law and justice and generally how to be civilized in but a few generations. That's a tremendous step forward for our people and I think many of our elders would have been sorry to see them leave. It's the same in Sarawak. The Dayak natives really loved the Brookes! I have a few books on them as well as an almost complete set of the Sarawak Museum Journal up to about 1970 which I ordered from the SM. I used to read them for entertainment! I also have a few original copies of books on Sarawak written before 1900. When I was attending primary mission school in Miri, I had already read and was greatly moved by poems by the likes of Wordsworth, Tennyson, Blake and the writings of Dickens, Chesterton, Macauley and even, I think, Thomas Hardy in our Royal Readers! Those were mostly excerpts and not the complete works, but it whetted my appetite for English literature and things British! Of course, I devoured Beatrice Potter (I was fascinated by her drawings of animals), Enid Blyton and the Williams series (can remember the author) etc to be had in the surprisingly large library there...so all my imagination were English though I was still Dusun and the only one in my class to come from Sabah. I wanted to be a writer too, then! This influence went on till the 6th form cos of the books in the library there donated by the previous British people when they left! I owe them my entire education! - 7 August 2011

Train To Tenom

2011-11-05T15:39:00.000+08:00

Note: Paul Lajumin wrote this for Facebook and has graciously agreed to have it posted on our NBHE blog. All the photos and words are his. I merely inserted a few punctuation marks and played a little merry-go-round with a few of his words. I know you’ll like his story as much as I did. Enjoy! ...TinaKisil

Beaufort Station

I was at the GM SSR Office at 8am and met Frisco who had arrived earlier.

“Mana opis GM?” I asked the PA.

“Saannna hujung,” she said, “ tapi ada orang dan dia mau jalan pigi outstation.” I realised she didn’t want her boss to be disturbed.

“Tell your Boss ada polis cari,” I told her. That did the trick. She hastened me in!

By the way, after the recent mishap Ir.—that’s French for Ingenieur—Hj Zain Said is the busiest railway Boss in the world.

I will refer to Ir Hj Zain as GM and Ir Frisco as FC here and btw in the olden days Railway GMs were simply called "JIMAR" after the acronym "GMR" ( General Manager Railways). I heard the staff called their Boss GM not jimar though.

At the Tanjung Aru workshop

After a quick breakfast at the SSR Canteen, GM took us to their workshop just behind the Main Station for a quick walkabout and to see the Halloween wreckage. The burnt locomotive and coaches were a write off.

The workshop houses the biggest and oldest (mostly) Lathe Machine I have ever seen. Some are more than 80 years old. Mind you SSR even mould their own wheels. You’ve heard of mould rubber tyres? This one’s a bumper. Imagine pouring molten steel into a mould to make train wheels! This is an engineering feat and done right here in Tg Aru.

There are many more gadgets to marvel at but I leave those for your own eyes when we come back next month. Btw the senior technician told me the holes on the roof of their oldest shed were made by Japanese warplanes. Apparently, the sheds doubled up as shelters in WW2 so the Zeros strafed them as well.

The Halloween wreck

We left Tg Aru Station about 8.30 am. Our next stop was the recent mishap site at Kapayan. It looked like a warzone that had been struck by a phosporous bomb. Massive thermal energy had melted the tracks at two points. Solid metal like railway tracks can melt just like that! Imagine the heat that melted and destroyed the NY Twin Towers on 9/11. We drove to Beaufort because the tracks from Tg Aru to Beaufort are still out of service.

We reached Beaufort and were warmly met by the Beaufort Station staff. They must have thought we were VIPs when they saw we had been driven together with their JIMAR! :-)

GM got a phone call from the Works Ministry Perm Sec to see the Minister ASAP to brief him in detail about the Halloween Crash. So GM left us in the good hands of SSR staff to continue our journey to Tenom by rail.

Waving school kids along the tracks to Tenom

At 11.00 am we boarded a maroon coloured railcar No. 2202 and started our journey. Including the Driver, there were seven of us altogether. The railcar is like my beaten up wheel barrow!

“How old is this railcar?” I asked the old timer driver. He shook his head before he answered.

“It has been here before me.”

“And how old are you, sir?”

“Nda lama lagi pencen; tahun ani juga,” the old timer replied. So I guess the juggernaut is about 60 years old or more!

We proceeded to our first stop, Rayoh Station, chugging through lush vegetation, rock-faced cliffs, the meandering Padas River and snow-white egrets flying alongside us.

This could have once-upon-a-time been a station master's house.

We saw schools, waving school kids, maintenance gangs, kuburan Sharrif, power stations and plantations. There was a group of elderly folks on the way home from a hunt. (A policeman can easily spot a neatly hidden bakakuk on a hunter’s side.)

The train horn was as irritating as it was assuring we didn't hit animals and humans along the tracks especially at blind spot corners. I could see the driver enjoying pressing the horn switch. He reminded me of the crazy PI and Indon taxi drivers honking for nothing!

Halogilat Station

We stopped at Halogilat Station. FC met some of his buddies still doing some work there. I used the toilet for first job. It was a clean and fresh smelling bathroom.

Btw, I wonder if Halogilat got its name from some swear word: ‘Heloo Gila!!’

It’s Tenom straight ahead after Halogilat and we reached this famous coffee town at about 12.30 pm.

Passengers waiting to board a Beaufort-bound train at Tenom

Many north bound passengers were waiting to board another train to Beaufort. I like the scene: passengers young and old, pretty maidens, farmers with live chickens and crates of beer, dating couple, mothers nursing babies and I bet I saw a group of elderly folks who were a bit high on ‘spirit'.

We continued our journey back to KK by SSR SUV. We stopped at Keningau for lunch after which I bought a Toto 4D 2202 at the outlet next to Restoran Sri Keningau.

The ride was enjoyable, the sceneries refreshing and I took many photos. FC and I will list out some side activities like visiting the Depot and Station for our trip next month.

I know the question of safety is uppermost on your minds especially after the recent mishap so let me assure you that train rides are SAFE.

Dusun Lotud Vanishing Rites

2011-11-01T12:32:00.000+08:00

by : Justin Wong

Recently, Mr Frank Faurillo was in Tuaran and witnessed the following ritual being performed by some old ladies of the Dusun Lotud. The following clip is made available courtesy of Mr Faurillo.

Could this be the Mamahui Pogun ritual, a rite to cleanse the universe? The Rungus has similar rite too. Done every 50th and 100th years to cleanse the land.

Frank found out that it was the last time the ritual was going to be conducted because the younger generation of Dusun Lotuds are not interested in continuing with the tradition. Most having converted to Islam and Christianity.

NBHE remembers and look forward for anyone to come forward to provide details of the Dusun Lotud's vanishing rituals.

Folklore from Kampung Takuli, Beaufort

2011-10-19T21:02:00.001+08:00

By : Justin Wong

Someone from the North Borneo History Enthusiasts group once asked me how Dusun people ended living in Kampung Takuli, Beaufort, which to his knowledge is a Bisaya kampung. I was stumped because I never thought of asking that question. I've taken for granted that the Dusun had always been there. I told myself that I would get to the bottom of this. Today finally I had the opportunity to do so.

A childhood kampung friend (distant relative in fact) came to visit my farm this afternoon, his name is Ilon or Lon. His baptism name is Godfrey in fact but I'm more comfortable calling him Lon.

First of all, he corrected my misinformation. He isn't a Dusun Tatana as I had mistakenly assumed nor is he a Dusun, he said this with affirmation. He said he is a Kadazan, Kadazan Kuizou to be exact. He said his ancestors had been in the area for a very long time. In fact, they have their own myth/legend in the area. Suggesting their presence in that area is indeed ancient.

Kadazan Kuizou community there used to be in great number. Their old settlement used to be in Kampung Landayan, nearby Kampung Takuli. They lived in a longhouse in Kampung Landayan.

Source : http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum/showthread.php/24308-Journey-to-northern-Borneo

One day, the Kuizou was celebrating. Everyone was happy, they drank their tapai, doing their dance and beating their gongs and kulintangan. Unfortunately, I do not know why were they so happy, I will ask the old folks when I have the chance. Anyway, the merriment went out of hand. The Kuizou has a taboo that they called Masab. It basically prohibits anyone from ill-treating animals which include making fun of it. On this day, perhaps of the abundance of alcohol, the Kuizou became uninhibited. They caught a frog and tied an anklet with little bell on it. They let go of the frog and the bells jingled as the frog tried to hop away. The Kuizou laughed at the sight of this.

Suddenly, the earth shook or perhaps opened up and the whole longhouse sunk into the earth, killing every Kuizou in it. It just so happened that one Kuizou family were not amongst the Kuizou in the longhouse when they had their merriment because this family had to attend to some business which led them away from home. Hence, they said, the present Kuizou in Kampung Takuli are descendants of this one family. To this day, among the kampung folks in Kampung Takuli, they still fear and will scold their children if they make fun of animals. "Masab nanti", they would say.

Source :

http://stan-teten.blogspot.com/2010/07/koleksi-pakaian-suku-kaum-di-sabah.html

The above is the traditional costumer of the Kadazan Kuizou in Beaufort. Another story that was to explain why the Kuizou's number had diminished in that area was that they were attacked by giant mosquitoes, as big as a chicken but I've yet to uncover the full version of this story.

I've checked KDCA's website, there is no Kuizou among the many natives listed but there is a Kuijau. I've checked with Lon, he said it is possible that Kuizou is a corruption of Kuijiau. Till next time.

Folklore from Bingkor

2011-10-18T18:57:00.001+08:00

As told by Fazar Arif, NBHE member as she was herself was told by an old Bingkor lady.

Edited by : Justin Wong

Many years back I met an old lady in Bingkor (before all our wooden shop in Bingkor burnt down). I asked her if she could tell me some folklores (taangen) from Bingkor. She did tell me a story and as far fetched as it was she actually believed her story to be real.

A long time ago in Bandukan, a man decided to go hunting. He brought his dog along with him to keep him company. They walked for a long long time and did not see anything. But as he went further in the jungle he suddenly saw a giant rock right infront of him. He was wondering why the rock was there in the middle of the jungle when suddenly his dog started barking like crazy. The dog barked non stop while it circled round the stone. This man tried to make the dog keep quiet but the dog just wouldn't stop. Soon he started getting curious why the dog wouldn't stop barking at the rock. So he looked for a very strong wooden pole that he could use to lift the rock. Once he found a strong wooden pole he sharpened it and pushed it underneath the rock. Because he was a strong man he managed to lift up the giant rock by himself. As soon as he lifted the huge rock he saw the ground underneath it opened up.

"Apa lagi nah... keluar bah itu satu satu... Itu orang-orang banyak betul dari bawah tanah.. Itu orang putih-putih semua." said the old lady. [People start streaming out from the hole one by one. Many of them from the underground. They were all very white]

But because the man was frightened to see so many of these people he had never seen in his life, came out of the ground, he tried to push back the rock to stop the people from coming out. But as much as he pushed it he couldn't lift it up anymore. And so he ran back to get the other villagers to get help.

When he got to the village he told everyone what happened and asked the men to go to the jungle and help him pushed back the rock and stop the 'fair' people from coming out. So the villagers ran to the jungle with him.

As soon as they got there they all helped him to push the rock back and cover back the big hole in the ground.

"Nah! sebelum itukan, itu raja baru saja mau keluar dari bawah tanah itu. Tapi belum sempat lagi dia keluar sudah itu lubang kena tutup. Pengikut-pengikut dia sajalah yang sempat keluar."[The King of the white people was about to exit when the hole in the ground was successfully closed. So only his followers got out]

So according to her, that is the story/reason why Bingkor had no raja (King). It was because the villagers from Bandukan cover back the ground with the rock before the king had a chance to come out.

"Bah yang diorang si anuh (she mentioned some names, I couldn't remember) diorang semua keturunan daripada itu orang orang yang dari bawah tanah. Kau tingu diorang semua putih-putih. Nah! Yang orang-orang yang keluar dari bawah tanah dulu-dulu itu moyang diorang lah tu."[You know so and so, they are all descendants of these people from the underground. You see all of them have fair skin]

"If you noticed these families (she mentioned their names) are all very fair. Those people who came out from underneath the ground were their ancestors."

Magical Gendang (Drum)

2011-10-17T20:41:00.000+08:00

As told by Mr Richard Nelson Sokial. NBHE member and resident expert on Sabah historical architectures. Visit his website at http://sabahwarriors.blogspot.com

Edited by : Justin Wong

Source : Mr Herman Scholz NBHE member. www.flyingdusun.com

Richard has spoken to many elders from various Dusun communities and noticed the recurring theme of a magical 'gendang'. He wonders whether the 'gendang' mentioned in each of the Dusun tribes are the one and same. Editor's note : No doubt there are other versions out there but we are recording the ones we have heard. If you have an alternative telling, you are welcome to share with us.

According to some Lotud elders, they did not come from Nunuk Ragang but from the sea (where exactly, we do not know). They built their original settlement at a riverside, at a place called Suang Indai. Legend has it that they were very rich and prosperous and whenever they had their Mengahau ceremonies, the river banks would be lined with 'kerak nasi' (rice crust) thrown out by the merry-makers. The Lotuds revered the Gusi (big jars) which they believed had magical properties. So they traded with the Brunieans for these jars.

The Lotuds tricked the Bruneians by giving them rocks coated with gold leaf paint. When the Bruneians found out, they were furious and put black magic curse on the longhouse of Suang Indai, one of them was a serpent called Tepirik which ate the children of the Lotuds.

The Lotuds caught the serpent and killed it, using its skin to make a drum. But when the drum was beaten, it caused a madness among the Lotuds who started to kill each other. Therefore people started to abandon the settlement. The drum, according to legend was cast into the river, never to be seen again but the Lotuds had dispersed elsewhere because of this incident.

Interestingly, that's when the story of the Bisaya and Tatana began...

a drum was found floating in the water by one of the Tatana.

What happened next...

So the Lotuds were to blame for the Tatana-Bisaya war.. :) or the Bruneian? Or maybe greed is the cause of all war..

My views are neutral on that matter, I just find the stories intriguing because they were told to me by different elders from different districts, many years apart. I'm just wondering if there's a link between the stories.

Anyway, the Tatana took the drum back to the village. When they beat the drum, the same thing happened. So they threw the drum back into the river and lo behold, it was picked up by a Bisaya who also took it home. Again, the drum made everyone go made. Thinking that the drum was sent downstream by the Tatana, it made the Bisayas angry and they bought metal weapons from the Bruneians to fight the Tatanas, driving them up to the tip of the Kuala Penyu coast. With nowhere to run, the Tatanas dug into the ground and hid in the earth, just before the Bisayas came to annihilate them.

Finding no Tatanas there, the Bisayas retreated back to their territories and thus the Tatanas emerged from the ground, and so named themselves "Tatana" (from the earth). That's how it was told to me, maybe others have a different version.

Datuk Peter J. Mojuntin

2011-10-17T15:07:00.000+08:00

Who was Datuk Peter J. Mojuntin? Why does this man has a statue of himself right in the middle of Donggongon Township, Penampang. If you guessed that he was a Sabahan politician, well, you're right but beyond that, what else?

Source : Mr Frank Faurillo, NBHE member

Invariably, people have described him as caring, was fiercely loyal to his friends and comrades, was not afraid to fight for what he believed in and he loved his people, the Kadazans. It's a shame if our future generation of Sabahans and the rest of the Malaysians even, if his deeds and achievements disappear from the annals of Sabah's and to some degree Malaysia's, history. The following are compiled from written accounts of him and also from the recollection of people who had the pleasure of knowing him personally, one way or another.

While every endeavor has been made to be factual and neutral in our presentation, we must qualify that we are, in no way. attesting that what we present here is the absolute truth. In some instance, we relied on news clipping, information in public spaces and testimonies of people who had the pleasure to know him, cross path with him. directly or indirectly, even if it was just briefly, to come up with a "composite" of this man.

Early Life

Born Joinob Mojuntin on 10 October 1939 in Kampung Hungab, Penampang, to a poor family. His father was Mojuntin Matanul, a farmer who tilt his own land and mother, Minjaim Lim, a Sino-Kadazan. Some would argue that our reference of his mother's race is incorrect because the term Kadazan, had not been widely used then yet. Granted, but this post is not about how the term Kadazan or Dusun came about, so to make it simple and not confusing, we will just refer to any subject's race in this post as what they are known now.

Joinob was the third child among the Mojuntin brood. By the age of 8, Joinob already understood the value of education. He was wise beyond his age and this characteristic would serve him well in the future. His father was not receptive of the idea of sending Joinob to school when he needed extra hands at the Padi field. Unperturbed, little Joinob seeked his mother's intervention. His mother relentlessly pursued the matter with his father until he finally gave in.

So little Joinob enrolled to the only school in that area then, Saint Michael, Penampang. The school was about 2 miles from his home. So Joinob would walk to school daily, barefoot because his parents couldn't afford to buy him a pair of slippers, let alone a pair of shoes. He was this shabbily dressed pupil, son of a poor farmer, among mostly better clothed and shoed pupils but if he was conscious of his condition or felt less confidence because of it, he did not show it obviously because he excelled in his studies.

The tenacity and bright mind of this grubby looking kid caught the attention of the school principal's attention, Father Preyde, who took him under his wing and personally mentored him. And no doubt through Father Preyde, little Joinob discovered Christianity. He embraced Catholicism when he was 15 and had been a devout Christian since then. He chose the name Peter, the first Pope of the Catholic church, as his Catholic name. Hence, he was known as Peter Joinob Mojuntin. Peter formed a lifelong friendship with his teacher/mentor Father Preyde. When Father Preyde heard of Peter's tragic death, it was said that Father Preyde wept openly.

When Peter finished schooling at St Michael, he decided to sit for the Overseas School Certificate Examination. The only school he could go and get this certificate was the Sacred Heart Secondary School at Tanjung Aru, which was about 16 miles away. For the next one year, he cycled to the school daily on a bicycle that his older brother George bought for him. Fortunately, on the second year, there was an opening in the school's hostel and he became a boarder from there on.

Peter sat and passed the exam in 1957 and became one of a handful of Kadazans in possession of the certificate in those days. With education, came enlightenment and Peter became acutely aware of the problems of his community, his people.

Upon leaving school, Peter worked briefly as a teacher at St Michael's primary school and then later with the Commonwealth Development Corporation(CDC). Peter remained active and vocal in his community and this young upstart would again caught the attention of someone who would become his mentor and close friend, Donald Stephen. Donald Stephen poached Peter from his then employer, CDC. Peter went and worked for him as his Personal Assistant at the Kinabalu Sabah Times. Donald Stephen needed an able lieutenant in his political career and he knew he found him in Peter J. Mojuntin.

North Borneo's Independence

The British was leaving and the Federation of Malaya which had gained independence on 31 August 1957, had courted North Borneo, Sarawak and Brunei to come together with them to form Malaysia with Singapore in 1961. The people of North Borneo were split about this. The natives in the interior, led by G.S. Sundang, were wary of the proposal as did Donald Stephen initially but the latter was subsequently convinced that it was a viable merger.

The natives were split on the matter. Hence, a few political parties emerged to represent the opposing camps. G.S Sundang formed his National Pasok Momogun Organisation (NPMO), Donald Stephens with his United National Kadazan Organisation (UNKO), Datu Mustapha with his United Sabah National Organisation (USNO) and others. A 22 year old Peter Mojuntin became UNKO's Secretary General.

Upon hearing of the setting up of the Cobbold Commission which was tasked to collect the views of the natives of North Borneo concerning the Malaysia idea, Peter was among the various leaders that traveled throughout North Borneo to consult and collect the views of the natives.

Some sources claimed that UNKO came out with the Twenty Points then and presented it to the Cobbold Commission which incorporated most of the recommendations into the Malaysian Federal Constitution.

On 16 September 1963, Malaysia was borned. UNKO and NPMO would later merged and became United Pasok-Momogun Kadazan Organisation (UPKO) for the sake of unity and Peter Mojuntin was again elected as Secretary General of the new political entity.

Kadazan Unity

The Kadazan or Dusun community in pre Malaysia days were scattered mainly in towns like Penampang, Ranau, Tambunan, Tuaran, Keningau, Kudat and Kuala Penyu. We know from old folks that these communities were not united then. They viewed each other with suspicion. For example, the Dusun of Tambunan and Kadazan of Penampang had a less than frinedly, if not an acrimonious relationship and the Rungus viewed the Kadazan as their enemy who would usurp their rights(Source : George Apwell interview).

The Kadazan Youth in which Peter was the leader, was credited by some with the union of UNKO and NPMO. They helped in establishing dialogues between the leaders of these communities. With the union of these two political parties, the natives which for expediency we will collectively referred to as Kadazan, had been united.

It established the foundation towards a grouping of these various natives into one "Homogenous" KadazanDusunMurut bumiputra group in the years to come (visit KDCA Sabah for more information on the grouping).

Assemblyman

Prior to Sabah's first election in 1967, the Member of Parliament(MP) in Sabah was by nomination and Peter was nominated as an MP to replace the late Mr Ngui Ah Kui, whom had passed away, making Peter the youngest MP in whole Malaysia at the age of 24 on 25 September 1963(Source).

In October 1963, Peter represented Malaysia in the United Nations General Assembly. His task was to counter the Indonesian government which was leveling accusations against the newly formed Malaysia.

In 1967, Sabah had its first State Legislative Assembly election in 1967 and Peter ran under the UPKO ticket at Moyog constituency. Peter could only campaign in Moyog for only a few days, most of the time he was out of the district, traveling into the deep interior like Kinabatangan to meet up with the native chiefs to tell them of what UPKO was championing for. Despite his short campaigning in Moyog, when the result came, Peter had the distinction of being the only candidate in that election to win a major landslide, his rival was an USNO candidate. He remained Moyog's Assemblyman until his death in 1976. A testament to the trust that the Moyog constituency placed upon him.

Unfortunately, UPKO failed to win enough seats to form the government. Trailing 2 seats behind that of USNO. Hence, Peter and his fellow UPKO Assemblymen found themselves in the Opposition.

Socio-Economy

Peter was very active in his community. He wanted to uplift the socio-economy of the Kadazan people and he knew that education was the key. Hence, when St Michael school, the very school that gave him his early education, offered him a teaching post, he accepted it enthusiastically. He became a teacher at the school in 1958, he was 19 years old. Naturally, Peter became the ground mover at the school. He and other like minded teachers, introduced additional extra-curriculum to enrich the minds of their charges. He was a charismatic leader, his energy and his drive naturally drove people to gravitate around him.

In 1959, he was selected to represent the Kadazan community, North Borneo, in the Scouts movement's World Jamboree at Manila. The community was proud and elated that such an honour was conferred to one of them. Peter proved to them that if they worked hard for it, it was possible to rise above one's station. By and large, the Kadazans of the old days were apathetic and did not believe in offering one's service for others. Basically they were a selfish lot and contented to be complacent and Peter was determined to change this mindset.

Even when Datuk Peter was active in politics, he set aside his time towards his pet cause; education. He was the Chairman of the Penampang-Teacher Association. Datuk Peter also donated his land for the building of a school building.

Double 6 Tragedy

On 6 June 1976, barely 53 days after Sabah ushered in a new era, after the fruition of Datuk Peter J. Mojuntin's and others' efforts in restoring democracy in Sabah, Datuk Peter J.Mojuntin perished in an aircrash dubbed the Double 6 tragedy near Kampung Sembulan Baru. He was 37. Whole of Malaysia and the world were shocked with this tragedy.

Double 6 Monument. Source : www.sabahtourism.com

NBHE member's recollection of him:

Admirable man of his time. Such character only comes once in a while in a century. Peter loved to be among his folks. His house too subjected to floods. He could have built his mansion up a high ground, but, he seemed not to prefer that. Bravo to him. Peace unto his brave soul..

I heard his voice in the debating chamber of the old colonial assembly house in the vicinity of the present museum ground. Quite forested during that time. Peter was in the opposition camp. He had the articulation of a statesman. His voice was rather thunderous but courteous. His English was superb. He interjected phrases in Malay too. I could see certain tremors instilled among the government bench. After all, Peter was the star. He spoke teacher-like. There should be an archived recordings of his speeches. Very pleasant and intelligent indeed.

T. Lammert - October 2011

Of course, this short post couldn't possibly cover all that he had contributed and achieved but it serves to put a human face to that bronze statue of him in Penampang.

Sabah's 20 Point Agreement

2011-10-01T11:51:00.002+08:00

The 20 Point Agreement

Point 1: Religion
While there was no objection to Islam being the national religion of Malaysia there should be no State religion in Borneo (Sarawak & Sabah), and the provisions relating to Islam in the present Constitution of Malaya should not apply to Borneo

Point 2: Language
* a. Malay should be the national language of the Federation
* b. English should continue to be used for a period of 10 years after Malaysia Day
* c. English should be an official language of Borneo (Sarawak & Sabah) for all purposes, State or Federal, without limitation of time.

Point 3: Constitution
Whilst accepting that the present Constitution of the Federation of Malaya should form the basis of the Constitution of Malaysia, the Constitution of Malaysia should be a completely new document drafted and agreed in the light of a free association of states and should not be a series of amendments to a Constitution drafted and agreed by different states in totally different circumstances. A new Constitution for Borneo (Sarawak & Sabah) was of course essential.

Point 4: Head of Federation
The Head of State in Borneo (Sarawak & Sabah) should not be eligible for election as Head of the Federation

Point 5: Name of Federation
“Malaysia” but not “Melayu Raya”

Point 6: Immigration
Control over immigration into any part of Malaysia from outside should rest with the Central Government but entry into Borneo (Sarawak & Sabah) should also require the approval of the State Government. The Federal Government should not be able to veto the entry of persons into Borneo (Sarawak & Sabah) for State Government purposes except on strictly security grounds. Borneo (Sarawak & Sabah) should have unfettered control over the movements of persons other than those in Federal Government employ from other parts of Malaysia Borneo (Sarawak & Sabah).

Point 7: Right of Secession
There should be no right to secede from the Federation

Point 8: Borneanisation
Borneanisation of the public service should proceed as quickly as possible.

Point 9: British Officers
Every effort should be made to encourage British Officers to remain in the public service until their places can be taken by suitably qualified people from Borneo (Sarawak & Sabah)

Point 10: Citizenship
The recommendation in paragraph 148(k) of the Report of the Cobbold Commission should govern the citizenship rights in the Federation of Borneo (Sarawak & Sabah) subject to the following amendments:

* a) sub-paragraph (i) should not contain the proviso as to five years residence
* b) in order to tie up with our law, sub-paragraph (ii)(a) should read “7 out of 10 years” instead of “8 out of 10 years”
* c) sub-paragraph (iii) should not contain any restriction tied to the citizenship of parents – a person born in Borneo (Sarawak & Sabah) after Malaysia must be federal citizen.

Point 11: Tariffs and Finance
Borneo (Sarawak & Sabah) should retain control of its own finance, development and tariff, and should have the right to work up its own taxation and to raise loans on its own credit.

Point 12: Special position of indigenous races
In principle, the indigenous races of Borneo (Sarawak & Sabah) should enjoy special rights analogous to those enjoyed by Malays in Malaya, but the present Malays’ formula in this regard is not necessarily applicable in Borneo(Sarawak & Sabah)

Point 13: State Government
* a) the Prime Minister should be elected by unofficial members of Legislative Council
* b) There should be a proper Ministerial system in Borneo (Sarawak & Sabah)

Point 14: Transitional period
This should be seven years and during such period legislative power must be left with the State of Borneo (Sarawak & Sabah) by the Constitution and not be merely delegated to the State Government by the Federal Government

Point 15: Education
The existing educational system of Borneo (Sarawak & Sabah) should be maintained and for this reason it should be under state control

Point 16: Constitutional safeguards
No amendment modification or withdrawal of any special safeguard granted to Borneo (Sarawak & Sabah) should be made by the Central Government without the positive concurrence of the Government of the State of North Borneo

The power of amending the Constitution of the State of Borneo (Sarawak & Sabah) should belong exclusively to the people in the state. (Note: The United Party, The Democratic Party and the Pasok Momogun Party considered that a three-fourth majority would be required in order to effect any amendment to the Federal and State Constitutions whereas the UNKO and USNO considered a two-thirds majority would be sufficient)

Point 17: Representation in Federal Parliament
This should take account not only of the population of Borneo (Sarawak & Sabah) but also of its seize and potentialities and in any case should not be less than that of Singapore

Point 18: Name of Head of State
Yang di-Pertua Negara

Point 19: Name of State
Sarawak or Sabah

Point 20: Land, Forests, Local Government, etc.
The provisions in the Constitution of the Federation in respect of the powers of the National Land Council should not apply in Borneo (Sarawak & Sabah). Likewise, the National Council for Local Government should not apply in Borneo (Sarawak & Sabah)

The Kinoingan Question

2011-09-26T14:52:00.002+08:00

The following article was written by Tan Sri Herman Luping and published on The Daily Express on 4 September 2011.

Source : www.thesabahsociety.com

THERE is a difference between the Nunuk Ragang legendary first person, Kinoingan and Kinoingan the accepted name in Kadazandusun for God in the Bible.

I mentioned this in my article in this series. I thank Marcel Jude, for understanding precisely what I meant.

Marcel is a practising lawyer and has a fine grasp of the law as well as history and social sciences.

He is also well versed in Kadazan legends. His account of the history of God is very sound.

He must have read the book written by a former nun, Karen Amstrong entitled " The History of God".

According to the Tangaah of Penampang Nunuk Ragang story or legend, two children, male and female, came out from a rock which had split open at the banks of the Tampias river. The rock was underneath a big nunuk tree (banyan or fig tree) and the two children lived under the canopies of the tree whose foliage when seen from afar was red - hence Nunuk Ragang. The two children's name, according to the Penampang legend were Kinoingan and Suminundu. They were human beings with supernatural powers, therefore considered semi divine, but not God.

(God in Kadazandusun is Minamangun or Creator.)

They begot children who later spread out to populate the whole of Sabah. They had 8 children, six males and two females. The eldest was a girl and she was named Huminodun. It was Huminodun who was sacrificed by Suminundu so that her flesh became the staple diet of the Kadazan - padi - and other parts of her body were turned into fruit trees, vegetables etc.

Huminodun today is remembered during the Harvest festival celebration.

Her spirit is called "Bambaazon", the spirit who guards the padi.

Today, once a year a beauty contest is held amongst the young Kadazan girls to commemorate Huminodun. Incidentally a Japanese social scientist had written an article about the origin of the Harvest festival and said that Huminodun could have been a male. The name Huminodun does not necessarily mean female, he wrote. But in our Tangaah opinion and belief, Huminodun was female, the first daughter of Kinoingan and Suminundu.

The Tangaah argue that the food for the people from Huminodun's flesh and bone are females.

The padi in the fields are all females; the fruit trees like bananas are females; so are the langsat, the bununu, the tarap etc.

If there are bambangan trees or mango trees not fruiting, this is not because the trees are males but because they are "barren" incapable of pollination. So, goes the argument to show that Huminodun was female.

The name for God in Kadazan is Minamangun - meaning the Creator.

And indeed, in the rinait or incantations by the Kadazan type of Bobohizan in Penampang, the term Minamangun is mentioned as the Creator of the world. (The other type of Bobohizan's inait is Tangaah).

Indeed, the creation of the world is not far from the Bible's story in Genesis.

In the Kadazan version, the Creator created the world, the land and the sky from the dirt of his body (ngingi) as he washed himself in a cascading waterfall.

Meanwhile, The term Kinoingan for God was believed to have been introduced by the White foreign missionaries, particularly the main stream Christian denomination, the Roman Catholic Church.

From the moment they set foot in North Borneo (Sabah) beginning in the late 1700s, they decided to learn the Kadazan language - especially the Tangaah of Penampang dialect. They started to collect words and learn to speak them. They also started to translate the English version of the Catechism, the prayer book and even portion of the Bible into the Tangaah dialect. And I believe the word "Kinoingan" was introduced to them by the first catechists they employed to help them to reach to the people.

These catechists were also employed as school teachers. Amongst the early catechists and teachers before the second world war were such persons as Louis Majapul, John Goyopong and Bernard Mojikon.

Datuk Anthony Gibun of Tambunan was also amongst the first school teachers employed.

These early educated Kadazans helped the foreign missionaries to learn and speak the language.

The term "Kinoingan" for God the almighty, the Creator, was preferred to be used for the prayer books instead of Minamangun.

Thus, when I first went to school after the war, and St Michael Primary was reopened in 1946, (I was nine years old) we were taught the catechism.

The very first sentence is "Who made you? Ans: God made me".

And the translations was "Isai minonoodo diau? Kinoingan minonoodo dogo". I believe these translation into Kadazan were done with the help of the Kadazan teachers such as Peter Lansing, Samuel Majalang, Stanishlaus Tindahal and Bernard Mojikon. They were the teachers after the Second World War - replacing Louis Majapul etc. The first Kadazan dictionary compiled and edited by Rev Fr Antonissen was made possible, I understand because of the help of these teachers.

God the Creator, the Almighty, or Yaweh in Hebrew or Allah, was and is Kinoingan in Kadazan today.

And the use of this name for God in the Bible has nothing to do with the name of the first Kadazan person, named Kinoingan in the Nunuk Ragang legend.

I suppose there are similarities today in regard to the name of God.

To the Roman Catholics, there is but one God also but there is also the "three persons" ( persona in Latin) in one God - - God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. All are equal and indeed God.

This believe of the three persons in one is contained in the Church's Apostle Creed and also the Nicene Creed. The latter was introduced by all the churches leaders in Nicene, Turkey, in the year 300 or so.

Both contain the pillars of the belief of Christians, particularly the main stream denomination.

Jesus is the Son of God - the Second Personae. We believe He is God, but He is also known as Joshua in Hebrew and Isa in Arabic. And both these names are used liberally by many as a name.

And so is the name "Jesus".

I suppose there is nothing wrong with that. And the use of the name Kinoingan as God the Almighty is also acceptable if the early missionaries also decided to use the name of the Nunuk Ragang legend to call God for the Kadazan instead of Minamangun. The position of Kinoingan and Suminundu in Nunuk Ragang was that they were equal in rank and status.

No one was above or ahead of the other. Both had supernatural power.

They sat together as equal, I am told.

When the Huguan Siou Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan was or is performing his duty as representative of Kinoingan and Suminundu at Nunuk Ragang, I believe his position or status is the same as his wife who is seen as representing Suminundu. Remember, there is no suggestion that these two first beings are the Creator, the Almighty. They were humans with supernatural powers. Both Huguan Siou and his wife should therefore be seated together, next to one another for no one is "higher" than the other.

I would repeat that in the Tangaah Penampang and Papar Nunuk Ragang legend, the term Kadazan was first used at Nunuk Ragang.

It means the people. The term Kadazan in fact is also mentioned in the Inait or Rinait of the Bobohizan of Penampang - to refer to the people living in the Tampias area. The term Dusun was never mentioned.

This is not surprising. Dusun is not a race or people. It was a term used by the Brunei overlords who owned and controlled the Putatan river and Papar river as slur words, derogatory words to call the Kadazans under their control. The people living along the river valleys were their "properties" and they were made to pay "buis" (taxes) annually to the Pengirans who owned the rivers. Besides, the Kadazans were practically all pagans or have no religion. Islam has become the religion of the royals in Brunei by 1400, according to the history book. The non-Muslim Kadazan did not convert or took to the new religion.

To the Brunei overlords who were Muslims, the Kadazans were kafirs - dirty infidels, village yokels - dusun! No wonder the Kadazans fought a lot in school when they were called 'dusun"! Indeed, there was a case about a Kadazan young man working in Brunei who felt insulted when a group of people called him "dusun", meaning a village yokel. He punched the offender but the offender's friends came to his aid and in the ensuing fracas the Kadazan got killed. Another Kadazan who had a gun became so angry to see his fellow Kadazan killed that he shot to death the assailants and then turned the gun on himself.

He died too. This is a story told many times but considered based on hearsay!

Korom Anduat

2011-09-22T15:09:00.000+08:00

By Justin Wong

Korom was an early 20th century Murut warrior. The Murut is one of the oldest community in Borneo. They inhabit the interior and south-western parts of North Borneo and the territory straddling the Kalimantan and Sarawak border.

They were the last ethnic group to renounce head hunting in North Boreno. Some account that they did this when they embraced christianity. The word Murut means "Hill People".

As head hunting community go, they were probably the most troublesome group. Other ethnic groups collected heads only during time of war with other villages or "country" as what the natives called other village then. For the Muruts, the rite of passage for a man was for him to collect a head from other villages. Failure to do so, would mean he would not be able to get married.

The other great warrior of the Muruts was Ontoros. Unlike Ontoros, Korom it seems, do not get much publicity. There's not much literature on him.

The Muruts referred to Ontoros and Korom as guru na amul, teachers of amul. It was said that Korom was born blind, that is why he was named Korom. In Murut, it means "his eyes was closed".

One day Korom fell asleep under a bamboo tree, the spirit came to him in the form of a beautiful woman and told him that she would give him supernatural powers, all he had to do was to take her as his wife. I guess he did.

Pic from the book Blood Brothers by author Lynette Ramsay Silver

These are feats that he was said to be capable of :

He drank poison and eat broken glass but could not die,
If he hit someone with his bare hands, the person would die immediately,
He was in a boxing match and he hit someone in the jaw, the jaw was severely damaged,
He was good in tracking. He could hear the sound of wild boar by just putting his hand on the earth.
During the Japanese occupation, he used only a "parang" or a machete to kill 4 Japanese soldiers. They say his "parang" was magical. It stayed short while in its scabbard but when Korom pulled it out, it would grow longer.
When the Japanese captured and imprisoned him, he mysteriously escaped despite being guarded heavily,
When he was caught again by the Japanese, they chopped him up and burned him alive. When the Japanese checked his burning body, they saw that it had turned into a log,
The British heard of this Murut warrior's magical power and wanted to test him and gave him a challenge which Korom gamely accepted. They tied him up and put him into a sack which they also tied. They threw him into the middle of the sea. To everyone's amazement, he was found later drinking in the coffee shop.

During World War II, Korom was a rebel and some said he was a Sergeant with the North Borneo Armed Constabulary. It was claimed that he spied for the Allied Forces by pretending to be working for the Japanese. He provided intelligence on Japanese positions and some credited him with the escape of 500 Allied POWs.

More research should be done on Korom's background. It's a shame that his deed might soon be forgotten. Was it because he was friendly to the British as I do not find any account of him rebelling against them unlike Ontoros. Was it because of this that he was dropped from being mentioned as a hero for Sabahans?

Source - Shamanism : an encyclopedia of world beliefs, practices, and culture, volume 2 - Page 826. Available for preview at google book.

The Story Behind Tambunan's name

2011-09-21T13:10:00.000+08:00

For the uninitiated, Tambunan is a town in the interior of Sabah, about 80 km away from Kota Kinabalu. Its populace are mostly Dusun. According to Low Kok On of Universiti Malaysia Sabah, in the early 20th century, the social structure of the Tambunan Dusuns consisted of seven sub-tribes namely Tuwawon, Tagahas, Tibabar, Bundu, Gunah, Palupuh and Kohub. Today, the Tuwawon, Tagahas and Tibabar sub-tribes are still concentrated in Tambunan.

So what's the story behind the name Tambunan? Long long long time ago..... The area that is called Tambunan in present day was only but a thick jungle with abundance of wild animals and jungle produce. Over time, the people from Nunuk Ragang explored the area and decided to open a settlement there. One of the first group of people that ventured to this area was led by a man named Gombunan. Among the party were Gombunan's wife and child.

Gombunan, besides being a warrior amongst the people of Nunuk Ragang, was said to be a wise and kindhearted leader who always looked after the welfare of his charge. The women folks planted corn, tapioca, rice, while the men hunted for wild games like deers and wild boars. The area that they settled in proved to be fertile. Everyone was happy. Eventually, more people trickled in to the area and more areas were opened for agriculture activities.

One day, the people's tranquil was shattered when a group of warriors from a tribe called the Tonsudung from a nearby village to the east of Gombunan's settlement came and raided their settlement. These fierce warriors destroyed whatever and whoever in sight! A number of Gombunan's people perished. However, Gombunan and his warriors managed to repel the attack and chased the Tonsudung out of their settlement.

Enraged by their defeat, the Tonsudung plotted their revenge on Gombunan. One day, Gombunan was out and about his orchard alone, when a group of thirty Tonsudung warriors captured him. They murdered Gombunan and took his head back to their village. There, they put Gombunan's severed head on a long pole so that all the villages could see it and made fun of Gombunan's people at the loss of their leader.

Gombunan's people were saddened at the death of their leader and mourned for many days. They named their settlement Gombunan thereafter in honour of its namesake. The people Gombunan swore that they would avenge their leader's death.

Around this time, a tribe located at the west of Gombunan, migrated to the nearby area of Gombunan. This tribe was called the Tamadon. The people of Gombunan and the Tamadon were on friendly terms. The Tamadon realized that eventually, the Tonsudung would attack them. Therefore, they offered their alliance which I'm sure the people of Gombunan gladly accepted.

So it came to pass that the Tonsudung decided to conduct another raid against the people of Gombunan. Thinking that they had weakened the people of Gombunan, they were rudely surprised tto find hat their opponents were way larger in number than they had anticipated. Half of the Tonsudung raiders perished in the raid while the remaining scattered into the jungles.

The people of Gombunan and the Tamadons celebrated their victory by having a large feast. Plenty of food, plenty of dancing no doubt and definitely plenty of Tapai (rice wine). At the end of the revelry, with the approval of the elders from both sides, they renamed their settlement to Tambunan. You guess it, Tamadon Gombunan. There these two tribes lived united and happily ever after.

From Dudley Colliery to Borneo - by Marshall Creswell

2011-09-12T19:39:00.002+08:00

By : Justin Wong

I found an interesting journal written by one Marshall Creswell who traveled to Sarawak sometime in 1856. The document is freely circulating in the internet, so I'm going to reproduce it here and I will highlight parts that I found interesting. For your information, I downloaded the document from www.scribd.com.

So, join me for a trip to Sarawak of old -

Credit of course to the original author and to Mr Martin Laverty who transcribed and annotated this piece. Annotation at the bottom of page.

as serialised in the Newcastle Courant, 18th January - 12th April, 18781

From Dudley Colliery to Borneo

by Marshall Cresswell

18th January

In the latter part of December, 1856, while working at a pit in the course of sinking near Sherburn Station3, in the County of Durham, I heard of my employer (the late Wm.Coulson4) wanting three or four sinkers5 to go to Borneo on an engagement for three years. Not knowing whether it was east, west, north, or south, nor even caring a great deal, I resolved to apply for the situation, and after two or three interviews with our junior employer, I was duly engaged to go on an expedition in a land I had never even heard of before. When the first week in January had passed, I learned that the vessel I was to go with was chartered to sail from London about 1st or 2nd of February, and in the interval I made all sorts of inquiries about the distance it was, and how long it would take us to go, and what sort of clothes we would need, and several similar matters which I thought might be of interest to me. As January was drawing to a close, I left Sherburn to spend a few days with my father and mother, who were living at Dudley Colliery6, leaving my address with Mr Coulson, who arranged to send me word when I was to proceed to London. The 1st of February passed and the 2nd came, but with no word for me to take my departure.

Impatiently I waited till the 6th, when I received a letter stating that I was to go to Durham, and thence to London. After bidding my father and mother adieu, and shaking hands with my brothers, sisters, and neighbours, I left Dudley as though I had been going to a neighbouring colliery to work. I reached Durham at five o'clock in the evening and saw Mr Coulson, who supplied me with money to pay my fare to London, and wishing me God speed in my journey, and every success on arriving at my destination, I thanked him kindly and bid him good bye. I left Durham at 7.40 P.M. By express, changing at Belmont, and was comfortably seated in a second-class carriage till I reached York. There I again changed carriages, and was told that I would change no more till I arrived at King's Cross. On our arrival at Peterborough, the guard told us there would be ten minute's stay for the engine to get water and passengers refreshment. I thereupon entered the refreshment room, where a young lady was in attendance. Taking up a small orange I asked the price, “Twopence, sir,” was the reply. I laid down the money, and at the same time said, “Wey, hinney, aw cud a'bowt five like that in Newcassel for tuppence.”7 We were soon all reseated, and a shriek from the engine's whistle announced we were again in motion for the great Metropolis.

At times I had the compartment to myself, and at other times a half-dozen or eight fellow passengers. I did not care to talk to any of them, as few of them seemed to understand the Tyneside vernacular; so I now and again let a little spirits down to keep my spirits up, often wondering how much further I had to go before I reached London. As my watch indicated the hour of five A.M. I found I had safely arrived at King's Cross. On walking outside the station I engaged a cab to drive me to No. 9. Mincing Lane, and in less than half an hour I was standing at the office door of the Borneo Company (Limited)8. All being shut up, and being rather weary, I went to an inn close by and got a bed, and after having four hours' rest I went to the company's office, and met with two of my fellow-passengers, who had been sent by Mr Coulson, and who were then arranging with the company's secretary for lodgings till the vessel was ready to sail. He gave us a note to go to the London Dock eating house, where we had everything we could wish for; and, after doing ample justice to the good things offered us, we spent the most of the day on board the Gwalior9, the ship we were to go with, which was lying in London Dock, taking in stores, water, &c., and making preparations to sail. After purchasing various articles that were necessary for the passage, such as soap, bed, bed-clothes, and a few light clothes for tropical wear, we finished the day in the enjoyment of the social glass.

Next morning being Sunday, after breakfast the three of us from Durham engaged a man to take
us up to the West End; and, taking a boat at London Bridge, we were soon at Westminster, viewing from the river the dome of St.Paul's, Barclay and Perkins's Brewery, and several other places which were interesting to see. On getting our feet again on terra firma, we proceeded to view the Houses of Lords and Commons, Buckingham Palace, and Westminster Abbey, where we heard a portion of an excellent sermon. On leaving there we wended our way into Pall Mall, where our guide pointed out the residence of the Duke of Cambridge, Northumberland House, and several residences of some of the highest gentlemen in our land. Trafalgar Square was the next place which was most interesting to us – to look at the monuments in commemoration of the greatest warriors England ever produced. The remainder of the day was spent in roving anywhere our guide chose to take us; and towards night we landed back at our lodgings weary and fatigued.

On the Monday morning we all met at the company's office, and found there were two miners from Airdrie, and a lawyer belonging London, in addition to the three of us from Durham, which made six passengers altogether. We all got our agreements signed and stamped, and were informed that the vessel was then on her way to Gravesend, and we were to go by train, and enter into our new floating place of abode, where we were told she would be lying at anchor. The six of us walked over London Bridge, and booked for Gravesend, where, on our arrival, as we walked out the station, we were accosted by six or eights stalwart-looking watermen with, “What vessel do you want?” I whispered to one of our party, “They've shoorly nawn we were comin'.” On replying we wanted the Gwalior, they all with one voice said they knew where she was lying.

We bargained with two of them (who were mates, and most likely to take care of us) to give them 6s. to carry us safe on board. Our party now consisted of eight, and the hours of postmeridian not being far spent, we went to a respectable hotel to have a drop of that which cheers as well as inebriates, as we thought it would be some time before another similar opportunity was offered to us. Although we all indulged rather freely, the watermen did not render themselves incapable of performing the duty they had taken in hand, and at seven o'clock we were all safe on board the Gwalior, there to stay until we reached some foreign land we knew not whither.

25th January. From London to Rio de Janeiro – II

The next morning we expected to weigh anchor and set sail, but were detained in consequence of some slight mistake in our captain's manifest, but enjoyed ourselves very much all day looking at the number of ships and steamboats that passed up and down the river. Our bill of fare being fresh meat and soft bread, with other things to correspond, we thought if that was to be our diet we should be the happiest men alive. The following morning, at daybreak, our captain came on board, and brought with him a strong, robust, weather beaten, respectable-looking man, who seemed to have weathered the gales of fifty winters. We soon learned he was the pilot, and after partaking of breakfast he took his stand on the break of the poop, and with a voice that might terrify a nervous man, exclaimed, “All hands at the windlass.” I looked at him with amazement and said to one of my mates, “Aw say, Jerry, what dis he say?” He replied, “Noo, how is aw te knaw; aw understand nowt but English.” However, we soon found out what he had said, for in less than a minute every one of the sailors were on the forecastle, and dividing themselves equally at two handles, commenced to sing a song which was really delightful to hear, and might be heard a mile distant. After ten minutes singing and clanking of the windlass our vessel was floating down the river with the stream, and soon they had the anchor hanging at the bow of the ship.

Then was the time confusion commenced, and we passengers were glad to keep out of the way. The pilot certainly tested the strength of his lungs, and all hands seemed anxious to obey his orders. Not one of us landsmen understood a single word he said, and we were astonished to see the dexterous manner they spread the sails and put the yards in a position to suit the wind. As we glided down the river all hands seemed to be busy, and appeared to know their work. The first and second mates working as energetic as any man on board, the captain at the same time, remaining in his cabin, and did not appear to take any acting part whatever. I asked the steward the reason of the captain's absence, and he said we should not hear the captain give a single order while the pilot remained on board. Towards noon we were out of the Thames, and at night dropped anchor in Margate Roads where we lay till daybreak next morning, the clanking of the windlass and the sweet voices of the sailors again indicated preparations being made to resume our journey, and at eight o'clock A.M. We were gliding along before a steady breeze.

The steward brought us a list of our rations, which showed our allowance of porter was a quart per diem for each man, and two bottles of grog per week for the six of us. Dover soon appeared in sight, and the day being rather cloudy we could not see the coast of France, which we all had a desire to do. As we passed Dover and got into the English Channel, the pilot shouted from the poop, “Get your letters ready.” Being anxious to send another letter home, all of us that could write were hard at work till he was ready to leave us. As we one by one handed him our letters, his two men had his boat already alongside, and, wishing us a hearty good-bye, he stepped down a rope ladder into his boat, and on us giving him three cheers, he left us in charge of our captain and crew.

Brighton was then in sight, but in less than an hour we lost sight of land entirely. By this time we found out the real nature of our diet, and our Cockney companion (William Baulsam), who appeared to have never had any hardships to encounter, exclaimed in a very serious manner, “I can't tackle that there junk” (salt beef). My Durham mate (George Noble) said, “When thoo com here did thoo expect thoo wis comin tiy a London eating hoose?” “If I did, I'm suck'd in,” was the reply.

As we left the land of our birth behind us, we ceased to see ships, and our vessel soon began to ship seas, which made us remember the old adage, “It is not all plain sailing;” and we were told that we were in the Bay of Biscay, I could not conceive how they knew, as I saw nothing to indicate a bay at all, only a mountainous sea before us and an angry threatening sky above us. I thought if we were then in a bay, I did not care much about bays. On the 21 st of the month a French vessel hoved in sight, and the weather being a deal more favourable, our chief mate with four of his men lowered a boat and told us if we had letters ready he would try to get them sent home for us. We each sent a note with him only to be brought back and given to us, as the Frenchman would not take them. The 25th brought the islands Porto Santo and Madeira in sight, and at either we could have comfortably spent a few days had we been permitted to do so. On passing the Canary Islands we began to be highly interested in seeing large numbers of porpoises, dolphins, bonetas, and flying fish. The last seemed to be pursued by the dolphin and boneta, and would rise up in shoals like a flock of sparrows from a stackyard. On hearing the report of a gun, several of the fish flew on board our vessel, and were a dainty morsel to those who had the good fortune to pick them up. As we drew near the Equator, we were several days without having a breath of wind, and only at intervals on other days, when we had squalls, accompanied with heavy rain and terrific thunder and lightning, so that we had the disagreeable misfortune of being nearly three weeks in making a hundred miles advance, which certainly made it a weary, tedious passage.

On the 1st of April we crossed the equator, and had winds more favourable. On the 15th we passed the Island of Trinidad, and were spoken with by a vessel called the Emerald, bound for Falmouth, which our captain told to report us well. On the forenoon of the 19th, while we were enjoying the pleasure of a fresh breeze, and imagining everything was in our favour, the captain came on to the poop and called out, “Take in all stud sails and furl the royals.” This order had scarcely been obeyed when foretopmast, maintopmast, mizentopmast, and flying jibboom were all carried away with a tremendous crash. At that moment I thought destruction was to be our doom as I looked at the bulwark broken away by the fall of the huge heavy masts and the vessel nearly on her beam ends. This incident made me imagine I should never have any desire to be a sailor, as all the poor fellows were harassed till sunset in clearing away; and our captain decided that we should go to a port called Rio de Janeiro to get our vessel repaired. We were then 1,400 miles from it, and from the rate we were sailing at, minus our masts, we knew that it would be some time before we reached that place of refuge. On the 2nd of May, while at our dinners, we heard the joyful shout of “Land ahead.” We all rushed to the forecastle, and what we were told was land seemed to be be a mere speck on the water. As we got nearer it appeared larger, and at six o'clock, P.M., we were abreast Cape Frio.

Next day (May 3rd) we were safely anchored in the port of Rio de Janeiro.

1st Feb III

The next morning we were sadly disappointed to know we could not get ashore until the Customs officers came on board our vessel, and we had to remain where we were until the morning of the 5th, when our captain took us ashore in his own boat. We first of all sought to change our English money into Brazilian coin, where each of us got nine milreis for a sovereign. We then resorted to a hotel, and as brandy was the same price as rum and whisky, we fancied that stimulant as a refreshment. After the six of us has consumed two or three bottles we felt its mighty influence, and proceeded to have a look through the town. We had not gone far until we came to a crowd of people, and ascertained that the occasion was eight human beings being disposed of by public roup10. We did not feel inclined to bid for such merchandise, neither did we feel disposed to stand to see who the purchasers were, but proceeded on, and were delighted to see the handsome orange, banana, and several other trees in front of the houses, and to enjoy the fragrance that proceeded from the fruit thereon. As we grew tired with walking we again had recourse to hotel comfort, and to use the words of a local song I have written11 on the subject

Aw lost maw mates and senses tee

Bi strolling bi mawsel man;

An where aw went or what aw did

Aw really cannot tell man

Two blackies fand me in the street,

An gat us up on te maw feet.

When aw began to cum aboot,

Aw fand maw pockets cleen cut out;

Maw watch and money awl was gyen;

The byuts fra off maw feet was tyen,

At Rio de Janeiro.

Had I been found on the streets of Newcastle in that position, I have no doubt I should have been mulcted12 in the penalty of ten shillings and costs. Not so with those natives of a strange land. They seemed more to sympathise with me, and took me to a place I thought was the police station, spread a mat and signed for me to lie down. As I could not tell a word they said, I had the pleasure of spending the remainder of the night on the soft side of the flags.

At daybreak my friends acquitted me with a courteous shake of the hand, and in my stockinged feet I wended my way to the hotel where we had first enjoyed ourselves, and there found four of my mates who had each been enjoying a comfortable bed. I was fortunate enough to have a pocket inside my waistcoat where I had my purse containing £5 10s. In gold, and my first business was to purchase a pair of boots and hat, and after breakfast the five of us went out for another stroll through the town. We had gone but a short distance when we met our captain, who told us our other companion was on board before he left the vessel, minus his duplex lever watch and guard, topcoat, and money. I then thought I had little reason to complain at my loss.

We spent that day without the aid of any of the liquid which we had indulged so freely the day before, and towards night we went on board our vessel as respectable looking as we had left it the morning before. Next morning we passengers commenced to work on board along with seven slaves our captain had engaged, for the purpose of removing the cargo from the after part to midship. We were to have two milreis per day, equal to 4s. 6d. In English money. On the Sunday following we again went ashore, and visited the interior of the Emperor's chapel, and after 10 o'clock A.M. We were astonished to see the shops all opened, and business being transacted the same as any other day of the week. Respectable looking men playing at cards and dice in the street, bullocks drawing heavy laden carts, and niggers trotting through the streets with heavy loads on their shoulders, singing to the music of a rattle one of them, in front of the others, carried in his hand. On going to the base of the Sugar Loaf Mountain we saw large numbers of slaves blasting granite rock, saw mills were in full motion, and paviours repairing the streets, all of which showed that the Brazilians pay very little regard to the Sabbath. After spending a comfortable day viewing the town we got safe on board towards night.

We resumed work with the slaves next morning, and continued on the whole of the week. Our vessel was at length taken alongside the guardship to get the masts up. We passengers were paid for our work with the Brazilian paper money, which we had to take on shore to get changed, with considerable loss to ourselves. After leaving the guardship we lay alongside a French frigate, and on Sunday, the 24th of the month, as I sat looking over the bulwark admiring the beauty and fertile appearance of the Brazilian land, the frigate discharged one of her big guns right in my face. I rolled on the deck, and with a sigh, exclaimed, “Aw wonder if aw's ony warse.” I scarcely had gathered myself up till bang went another. I then thought it was time to take refuge in the half-deck. By that time off went another. I then inquired of the mate the reason of their firing upon us. “Oh,” said he laughing, “they're firing a royal salute in honour of Her Majesty's birthday.” After the frigate had discharged 21 guns, Her Majesty's ship Madagascar, which was about two cable lengths from us, fired 21 more. They then commenced at the fort and discharged 21 also. The Frenchmen's splendid band afterwards played “Rule Britannia,” and in return the Madagascar played the French National air.

Every day boat loads of oranges, bananas, pumpkins, melons, and other kinds of really delicious fruit came alongside our vessel, and we certainly all had our share of them while we were there. When our vessel had nearly got into its original form, the water tank came alongside and all the empty casks and tanks were filled with fresh water. On the 26th we were taken in tow by a steamboat, and in a few hours were again on the South Atlantic, and bade farewell to Rio de Janeiro.

We had a few days favourable wind till the beginning of June. Then for nearly a week we had a bitter foul wind blowing right in our teeth. On the 20th we had a strong gale to encounter, with the sea mountains high. Not a stitch of canvas was spread except the fore and maintopsails under close reef, and in this lamentable position we continued for twelve hours, the ship being pumped every two hours. At 7.30 P.M. It was discovered by the carpenter sounding the pump that our vessel had sprung a leak, and nearly two feet of water in the hold. All hands were immediately called out to the pump, and the poor sailors were kept busy till daybreak next morning, when they were all worn out with fatigue. The steward came into the halfdeck and said to us, “The captain wishes to speak to you passengers as soon as convenient.” After breakfast we went to his cabin and he began:- “Now, lads, you can see the fearful position we are in, and it is our duty, if possible, to keep the vessel afloat until we can reach some port. If she gets any worse I much fear we shall have to take to the boats and leave her to founder. I therefore ask each of you to lend a helping hand at the pump as our men are now all worn out with fatigue.”

8th February

We all with one voice promised we should assist at the pumps, and do what we could to assist the sailors. In the forenoon the wind abated. The pump was allowed to stand an hour, and it was found that the vessel had made nineteen inches water. Our captain then considered he would lighten her by casting away part of the cargo, which consisted chiefly of red iron. A cable chain, sixty fathoms in length, was the first article we threw overboard, and, in addition to that, we cast away 18 tons 15 cwt of iron that day, besides keeping the water out. Our captain told us he would proceed on to the Cape of Good Hope, as it was on our route. After we had cast away 59 tons 10 ½ cwt of cargo, the vessel was found to make only eight inches per hour. After this we were on duty night and day, with the sailors, to give assistance at the pumps. We then had very favourable weather, and had time to amuse ourselves by catching Cape pigeons13, with a morsel of fat pork and a pin tied to the end of a string, which we cast over the taffrail, and had no difficulty in dragging them on board when they swallowed the bait. The Cape pigeon is a pretty bird, and nearly the size of a duck. Had they been as delicious in taste, we might have had a few dainty dishes while drawing near the Cape for our half-deck resembled a farm-yard with the number we had walking about it. As they were not good for food, we soon tired of them. Albatrosses were very numerous, but are not so easy to capture. They are about the size of a goose, and, when their wings are spread, extend from twelve to eighteen feet. Like the Cape pigeons, they are useless for food. A few of them might meet with a welcome reception at Tynemouth Aquarium14, if any of the Shields captains would take the trouble to capture them.

On the 2nd of July we were overtaken by a strong gale, and were again under close-reefed topsail. It is almost inconceivable for any landsman to imagine how a vessel keeps above water in a gale of wind. To see mountains of water coming rolling towards you it makes a stranger feel as if the vessel would be buried to rise no more. The man at the wheel is most to be pitied in such cases. He has to have a strong rope tied round his body and lashed to the upright connected with the wheel, and at times he is entirely submerged. While he had this storm to encounter we were making only two or three knots an hour, and it was with difficulty we could manage to keep on our feet at the pump. On the morning of July 3rd Table Mount was in sight, and as the sea was nearly as rough as it was the day before, we had to keep from the land to save ourselves. Simon's Bay was the next port he suggested going to, but as the weather was no better there he said if we were clear of that land we could reach Singapore without having any more bad weather to encounter. As our vessel did not make any more water and he agreed to pay us the same wages as the sailors we were quite willing to assist at the pumps and proceed on our journey.

It may be better imagined than expressed to rise up day by day and see nothing but the sky above and the water beneath. We were in that position till August 12th, when a land called Christmas Island appeared in sight. Although we knew we should not stop at it, it cheered our hearts and reminded us we were yet in the land of the living. At 5 o'clock A.M. a voice from the forecastle called out, “land ahead.” On inquiring of the officers what land it was, we were told it was Java Head. The vessel was hove to till daybreak, when we entered the Straits of Sunda. On reaching the town of Anger, several boats came alongside our vessel with yams, sweet potatoes, pine apples, fowls, ducks, and even monkeys for sale. We got a good supply of eatables, which we considered a godsend, and which were really a treat, as we had been confined such a length of time to salt beef, pork, and maggoty bread. We had Sumatra at the north and Java at the south of us, and after passing through the Straits of Sunda, islands were so numerous that we had to drop anchor at sunset, and only sail in the day time.

On the 19th, after sailing a few miles, we saw a vessel ahead of us off the Island of Banca a total wreck, and while wondering if any lives had been lost, we ran aground ourselves off the Island of Sumatra. We learned afterwards that the wreck was a vessel called the Transit, and had been conveying 500 troops from Singapore to some port in China, and that no lives were lost15. About mid-day we found we were lying in eight feet of water, and our vessel drew15, so that we were compelled to lie till high water; and at six o'clock P.M., with the aid of the kedging anchor, we got our vessel off, and dropped anchor in 14 fathoms water. On the 22nd we again crossed the equator, and the rain poured down in torrents. The like of it I never saw in my life before. At a distance of about three miles we perceived two waterspouts. The next day we passed through the Straits of Rhio, and got a Malay pilot on board; and on the afternoon of the 24 th we were safely anchored in the harbour of Singapore.

We did not delay a minute, but engaged a boat to take us ashore, and found the company's director, Mr Harvey, in the office, from whom we met with a welcome reception. Mr Robert Coulson16 was also present, and took us to Captain Stainbank's bungalow, where we got comfortable lodgings. We were all so glad to have our feet once more on land that, after we had satisfied a craving appetite, we had a jaunt through the town, and being comfortably seated in the London Hotel we sat till a late hour talking of the adventures of the past. Next day we all went on board the Gwalior to bring our traps ashore, and had our dinners on board with the captain and mates. On the dishes being removed and glasses substituted, we drank success to the captain, officers, and crew, wishing they might have a taut ship and a fair wind home. We then shook hands with the whole ship's company and returned ashore, and went to the company's office to get arrangements made to proceed on to Borneo, as we had yet a distance of 500 miles to go. No one could give us any idea when we should get away, so we had to remain till we got further orders. We were told, however, what tropical clothing we wanted, and that we should have to get it there, as we could not get anything of the kind in Borneo. We accordingly all went to a tailor's shop, and ordered two dozen pairs of trousers each, two dozen shirts each, and numerous other articles, the buying of which we afterwards found was a great mistake, as we were charged twice their value. What household furniture we wanted, such as chairs, tables, chests, earthenware, and cooking utensils, we had to purchase as well. It was also found necessary to engage each a cook of the male sex, as one of the feminine was not to be had. In three or four days we were all ready for orders to proceed on to Borneo.

15th February. Singapore to Borneo

Every morning after breakfast we took a walk to the company's office in Commercial Square to hear if there was any word for us to take our departure; and having a small river to cross, we generally met ten or a dozen Bengalee boys inviting us to go in their boats, giving us a good assurance that theirs was best. On getting seated in the one we selected, the other boys would plunge into the water, having no wearing apparel to divest themselves of, for all were in a nude state, would swim after us like ducks. Generally being provided with a few quarter and half cents, we would throw them in the water for them to dive after, an in nine cases out of ten they would succeed in bringing them to the surface. The inhabitants of Singapore consist of persons from all over the world, including large numbers of English, and there are more Chinese than all other nations put together. At that time tigers were very numerous in the outskirts of the town, and it was almost a daily occurrence for a man or two to be missing, and nothing to indicate what had become of them. On reading a daily paper called the Bintang Timor, in the company's office one morning, I saw there had been two cows devoured in parks, and nothing left but the hoofs to tell the tale. There was a premium of twenty dollars given to any person who destroyed a tiger, and many went on the daring expedition more for sport than the prize.

When the mail boat arrives, which occurs twice a month, a flag is hoisted on the top of the hill which can be seen all over the town, and like wildfire the news is spread. It might be thought that something serious had happened as pedestrians are on their way from all parts of the town to the post office – two or three scores Malays, or Bengalees, with each a sack over their shoulder with the name of the firm they represent printed on, and after being shown inside the office they patiently wait till the name of their firm is called out. To see the sacks of newspapers and letters handed out it may well be wondered when they will be read.

On the morning of September 7th, we learned at the company's office that they had chartered a schooner called the Water Lily, to take us to the mouth of the Maratabas River, in Borneo. We soon got all our traps on board, and next day bade Captain and Mrs Stainbank good bye, went on board our new lodging, which was owned and commanded by Captain Bush; and on the morning of the 9th we glided away from Singapore with a steady breeze. On the 13th we arrived at the mouth of the river, where we got all our goods and chattels taken on shore, and left in charge of some Dyaks, who lived close by. The appearance of these natives was more curious than any we had yet seen. The women wore a skirt reaching from their waist to the knee, and that constituted the whole of the dress, and they looked anything but prepossessing. They were of low stature, and of dark copper colour, their lips had a filthy appearance, as we afterwards learned from eating Betel nut. The men's clothing is even less than the women's, for they go nearly naked. I thought if these were a specimen of the natives we should have a strange lot to deal with. Captain Bush, before leaving, had us sent away to Sarawak in two small boats managed by four of the natives, and after being six hours on the water, going at a rapid rate, we reached the town of Sarawak at two o'clock A.M. The men that had charge of us took us to Mr Tidman's house, the company's secretary for Sarawak, who got out of bed and made us as comfortable as he could.

In the morning, after breakfast, I had a letter handed to me from home, informing me of my father's death, which had taken place seven weeks after I left home. We were then informed of the fearful insurrection which had been going on in Sarawak, and had subsided only three months before. The Rajah's (Sir James Brooke) house had been burned to the ground. We were shown the site where it stood, and another was then nearly completed a short distance from it. He had had a handsome library of 2,000 volumes destroyed, besides every article of household furniture. He, along with his suite, fled into the jungle for their lives, and without any clothing save that which they had on their backs. A pair of trousers was made for the Rajah of Dyak cloth, which I now have in my possession. We were told the Chinese insurgents had gone into the house of an Englishman named Richard Millington, and murdered two of his children besides a young man they cruelly mutilated. The Dyaks were brought from all parts of Rajah Brooke's territory and fought like demons, not sparing a single Chinaman they met with; and after fifteen hundred of them had lost their heads peace was restored.

On the morning of the 15th the five of our party intended for the coal mine were sent away in a large boat to a place called Simunjun17 and the Cockney sawyer to a place called Santubong. We again reached the mouth of the Maratabas river, and got all our traps on board the boat and lay there all night. At day break we set off on our journey, and on going a short distance we saw a steam vessel coming towards us, which inquired of us if the Rajah was at home. We replied in the negative, and told them he was at Labuan. We afterwards learned that the vessel was a steam yacht the British Government was making a present of to the Emperor of Japan, and was on its way to that country with Commodore, now Admiral, Keppel on board. We were again soon on the open sea, and sailing along the coast all day till sunset we dropped anchor and lay till next morning when we entered the Sadong River. We admired the picturesque scenery as we sailed slowly up. Forest for miles in extent on both sides, and infested with thousands of monkeys, ourang-outangs, snakes, boa-constrictors, deer, wild hogs, and several other animals. In the afternoon, after being seven months and eight days from London, we arrived at Simunjun Mountain, the place of our destination.

22nd February

The Simunjan mountain is two miles from the Sadong River, and arriving there we found our employer, Mr Peter Duguid, (a gentleman from Aberdeen), was at Labuan, with the Rajah Sir James Brooke. A man named Walter Harvey, who was left in charge of the mine, who directed us where to work till Mr Duguid's return. The whole of the miners were Chinamen, so were the joiners and blacksmiths, and the seam of coal they were working was at the base of the mountain, and varied in thickness from 18 inches to 5 or 6 feet, the quality of which was considered to be equal to any Newcastle coal. There was another seam near the top of the mountain, two feet in thickness with a considerable quantity of good saggar18 clay beneath it, which I would say may be worked to great advantage by any enterprising gentleman, who may think well to invest in such an undertaking. The mountain is about three miles in length and about two in breadth, so that the area is sufficient to guarantee its working of long duration. Moreover, I have no doubt that fifty or sixty fathoms of bore rods would find something worth sinking for. The top of the mountain is all jungle or forest, with trees of enormous size, several of which were gutta percha trees, and had been felled and bled for the valuable substance extracted from them. Iron wood trees are very plentiful, and I imagine would not be so easy to fell. Their diameter varies from four to eight or nine feet. I never saw one of them cut down. I tried my hand one day to cut a small piece off to send home in a letter, and after striking two or three blows, to my surprise I lost upwards of an inch from the blade of the axe without making an impression on the tree.

The whole of the Rajah's territory is an extensive jungle, containing hundreds of thousands of tons of valuable timber which may never be used by human hands, and I may say not more than one per cent of the land is cultivated, yet it is one of the most fertile countries on the face of the earth. Pine apples, melons, cucumbers, pumpkins, bananas, and all other fruit trees that will grow in a tropical climate will bring forth fruit in abundance. Yams and sweet potatoes are plentiful. The sweet potatoes may be planted any day in the year. The leaf very much resembles the ivy leaf in this country, and will creep along the ground several yards if not gathered every now and again and laid on the furrow where it is planted. On taking a few of them up for use, before leaving the ground the furrow may be arranged, and a few small pieces of the potato top stuck in the ground like cabbage plants, and in four or five months a beautiful crop is again ready for use, so that nearly three crops may be produced in a year, and a small piece of ground keep a family in continual supply of fresh potatoes.

Sugar cane grows in abundance, and almost every morning, as the Chinamen came to work, a number of them would have a piece a half a yard or two feet in length chewing. One of my companions remarked one morning that we never saw men at home eating pick shafts on their road to work. Rice is the chief article of diet in Borneo, and all classes, from the Rajah to the poorest peasant, have it to almost every meal. Two crops of this article are produced in the year. Sago also grows in abundance, and the Borneo Company (Limited) have a manufactory in Sarawak, from whence they export some hundreds of tons every year to the United Kingdom. The company planted cotton which had every appearance of producing an abundant crop when I left to come home.

On the arrival of Mr Duguid from Labuan, Noble and Atkinson were appointed to superintend the making of the railway, Alexander McCulloch to open a mine at the top of the mountain, and James Gibson and myself to look after the mine at the base. The coals we were getting out of the mine we laid in a heap till the railway was prepared for their transit. When we had been there a few weeks, and fed on rice and curry, with fowls for butcher's meat, and had suffered the most excruciating torture from the bites of the mosquitoes and sandflies, we for the first time went to visit a Dyak village up a small river off the Sadong river, and on landing a number of boys and girls , from six to ten or eleven years of age, were playing quite naked. On seeing us they ran into their houses screaming as if terrified. We learned that the reason they were afraid was that we wore clothing. On being ushered into one of their dwellings we were each kindly invited to seat ourselves on a sort of mat spread upon the floor. Chairs or seats of any kind there were none in the whole village. On looking round we saw a bed that I should have called a shaky down in each corner of the house, and two or three small chests with a few cooking utensils. These constituted the whole of their household furniture. Their ornaments consisted of nearly a score of human skulls, hanging at the house tops, which, on beholding, I nearly turned sick, though I was told by one of our party I must say were handsome if I did not wish to offend. By this time I had, with the aid of a vocabulary, learned a good many words in the Malay language, and of course had to say they were bagus (good). I learned there were several of those heads taken off Chinamen's shoulders during the insurrection, and afterwards prepared, as the custom is, by taking the whole of the interior out and smoking them over a wood fire. When properly dried they are considered to be in a state of preservation for any length of time. We found all the houses in the village decorated nearly in the same manner with numbers of human skulls, and some that had been left to them as relics by their ancestors. A Dyak never goes out of his house without his parang by his side. Notwithstanding the nude state he goes in he must at all times have it with him. It is something like a cutlass, and he carries it in a wooden sheath. When walking in the jungle he can cut his way and make road for himself through the bush as fast as an ordinary man can follow him, and with it can fell a tree three or four feet in diameter in an astonishingly short space of time, so that it is not surprising that it goes so easily through a Chinaman's neck. The weapon is valued according to the number of heads it has taken off, and varies in price from one to twenty dollars. Although they can neither count nor reckon, the Dyaks know the value of money, and if any of them bring fowls, rice, bananas, or any little article to sell, they know when they get their money all right. They know nothing about the date of any period of time. If you ask their age, they will tell you perhaps so and so. Or if you ask the age of their children, they will tell you how many times the rice has been cut since they were born, and you may reckon half as many years as the times it has been cut. The natives are very expert in throwing a spear, which they have to do when they go deer hunting. They are very numerous, and have no game dealers to dread, nor big boys in blue to fear. If they see a deer twenty or thirty yards distant, almost as sure as the weapon goes out of their hands it will strike the animal; and very often they would bring deer's flesh to us to sell, which we never failed to buy, as it was really delicious.

1st March

We were all this time driving two winning headways, or as we called them there, levels, into the interior of the mountain to prove the seam at the base. We commenced work at seven o'clock each morning, and worked till eleven o'clock, when all hands went to dinner and resumed work at one o'clock, and continued till five. At 5.30, as the scorching sun of the day was near the horizon, an animal somewhat resembling a frog began to croak, and hundreds of others sounding in chorus, made such a noise that we thought at first they were some sort of wild beast. The sun rises at six o'clock and sets at the same hour, so that we had twelve hours daylight, and the same time in darkness all year round. There is no twilight after sunset as we have in this country, but a change in a few minutes from bright day to utter darkness. The fireflies then make their appearance, and are seen in hundreds; they are about the size of our house fly, and shine in darkness exactly like the glow-worm. By the river side they are more numerous than at any other place. All the enjoyment we had after dark was to read the newspapers we had sent from home, or the letters we perhaps had perused fifty times over. I had the Newcastle Guardian sent to me direct from the office all the time I was away, and often the North of England Advertiser, Weekly Chronicle, Courant, or any paper a neighbour kindly presented to my mother to send to me. While we were enjoying the pleasure of reading news from home we were tormented with the mosquitoes either singing grace before meat into our ear or satisfying their appetites from some part of our bodies. It did not matter what clothing we wore for protection they would bite through it, and Noble always declared they would bite through an inch deal. We were many times driven to bed to evade their attacks by the curtains we had hung all round for the purpose of escaping from them; yet, notwithstanding all our vigilance, we often found in the morning three or four clinging to the interior of the curtain. “What cannot be cured must be endured,” and we had to endure this all the time we were there, for no remedy had been discovered when we left to come home.

We spent the New year in a more solitary manner than we had been accustomed to do, and instead of frost or snow, as we had in the previous New Year, we had a scorching hot sun above us with the barometer indicating 120 or 130 degrees of heat. As we passed Mr Duguid's house and saw the roses in full bloom, we remarked we had never seen roses blooming on New Year's day, and one of our party thought if we were saying when we went home we had seen the like, “sum wad call us big leers.”

On the 11th of January, our companion McCulloch shot an orang-outang of immense size. Having been informed by one of his men at the outskirts of the village, he got his double-barrelled gun and soon found its whereabouts. He loaded both barrels with ball and discharged them, without any apparent effect. He fired again several times, when the animal succumbed and fell to the ground. He had it carried to the mouth of the mine, and was found to weigh 10st 6lb; and lying on its back with arms extended, it was 7ft. 1 in. fro finger end to finger end, and around the muscle of its arm 18 in. Its hair was fully six inches in length, and the carcass had every appearance of that of a human being after the skin was taken off. It was not a common occurrence to see the orang-outang, or man monkey, so near the village, although they are more numerous in the interior of the jungle. The other kinds are to be seen at all hours of the day, often in groups of ten or a dozen, and no one, unless they saw, could believe the distance they can leap from one tree to another.

Although we had no stir at our new year, the 12th of February was the Chinamen's New Year's
day, and they resolved to keep it in commemoration. They had a fortnight's holiday, feasting, drinking, dancing and gambling, and of course the work was at a standstill. With the exception of Atkinson and myself, our companions all went from home to spend the holiday; and we having nothing to do set off one morning at daybreak to go as far along the base of the mountain as time would permit s to get back before dark. When we got about a mile from home we saw large numbers of flying foxes, and lots of very large birds. The screaming of wild deer, and the grunting of wild hogs, together with the chattering of scores of monkeys made us imagine we quite far enough. We came to a stream of water, and spent a couple of hours gathering up pretty stones, and lots of things which we thought looked like diamonds from the sand in the bed of the stream, and returned home quite proud about the discovery we had made. When we landed home and had put off our garments to bathe, as was customary for us to do two or three times a day, we each got between thirty and forty leeches off our bodies as full of blood as it was possible for them to be. Our diamonds turned out to be nice little pieces of quartz – nothing better. The pretty stones were only pebbles, but handsomely variegated in colours, but not a single ruby amongst the whole lot. After partaking of a good feed of rice, curry, and fowl, we were, however, well satisfied with the day's excursion.

The Chinamen's excessive drinking and feasting led on to dissipation and crime, as it does in all parts of the world. On the 17th of February, three of them waylaid a countryman on their own on the railway between the Sadong River and the Simunjun Mine, robbed him of three gold rings he wore on his fingers, and all the money he had in his possession, cruelly murdered him, and afterwards carried him about a quarter of a mile into the jungle, where his body was found next morning. They were all arrested and conveyed to Sarawak to await their trial.

After a week of the holiday had passed, our companions began to draw back home, and my companion in the mine, James Gibson, brought with him a young orang-outang, three or four months old, which he bought of some Dyaks abou the Kling Kang mountains. It was the greatest curiosity I ever met with in my life. If we took it in our arms and fed it and nursed it for awhile, when we put it down it would cry like a child, and utter the most piteous sighs and moans. Gibson kept it in the cooking house, and as it was a little extra work for his cook to feed it, he soon terminated its existence. The Dyaks told Gibson the way they got it. The two old ones came regularly to their garden and got the fruit, and having provided themselves with a gun, watched their return, and shot the female through the head with the young one clinging to its breast. The male then made himself scarce, and the Dyaks got the young one while licking the wounds of its dying mother. The next night, and several nights afterwards, the father returned and howled in a manner most lamentable to hear, till at length they destroyed it also.

On April 1st we got the workmen engaged by contract, and the railway ready for coal to be sent to the river, which was drawn in waggons by buffaloes kept for the purpose. A brig, called the Wild Irish Girl, came and loaded with coals, which was the first we sent to Singapore. On the 11th the company's steam vessel arrived, commanded by Captain Skinner, who had for his engineers Mr Wm.Turnbull of Tanfield, first; Mr Wm.Walker, from Shotton Colliery, Durham, second; Wm.Yates, from Thornley, third; and Wm.Batey, from Marley Hill, fourth. It was a real pleasure to us to meet a company all belonging the same neighbourhood as ourselves. They brought with them the three prisoners to be tried for murder, and at one o'clock P.M. next day their trial commenced, and lasted till five P.M., when they were found guilty and sentenced to death, and at six o'clock the same evening the sentence was carried out. The mode of execution there is with the use of a dagger called by the Malays a “kris,” about 22 inches in length, which is thrust into their body between the shoulder blade and collar bone, going direct through the heart. A single plunge puts it up to the haft, the culprit staggers and then falls to rise no more. An eye-witness to this horrible scene told me next day, when they were brought out of the fort to o be executed that they all made a rush to the executioner each of them wanting to die first. When they had been all operated upon and lay side by side weltering in their blood, my informant told me it made him sakit (sick) to see it. The next morning their bodies were taken from where they fell to the oposite side of the river and all buried in one grave without either coffin or ceremony.

8th March

The Sir James Brooke, steamer, was loaded with coal, and while preparing to sail we enjoyed the company of our friends from the neighbourhood of “Canny Newcassel,” talking of our places of abode at home, asking each other if they knew so and so, and wondering if we should ever again see Earl Grey's Monument19, or ever have the pleasure of walking over the High Level Bridge20 again. Towards the end of April, the whole of the Europeans left Simunjun Mine except Atkinson and myself, to go to the Antimony Mines, up the Maratabas river, many miles above Sarawak. Atkinson was then in charge of the railway, and I in charge of the mines. Both lived in one house, and thought one cook would do for us both; and we got on very well together.

One morning at daybreak he knocked at my room door. Being awake, I inquired, “Is that thoo, Jerry.” “Yes,” says he: “howay here mun; be sharp.” Drawing on my trousers and at the same time asking what he wanted, I followed him into his room, where a large black snake 7ft. 6in. In length lay on the floor in the corner. I called the cook, and each of us armed with a long stick, we soon succeeded in killing it. A few days after this, when going down the railway with his men, Atkinson picked up a young flying fox, brought it home, and declared he had found the old 'un himself. Neither of us had had one in our hands before, but as we saw a good many of them when in the jungle I knew at once what it was. Scarcely a day passed without our seeing snakes, and we were careful when walking in grass lest we might tread upon them, as a bite from them is considered fatal. One day when walking up the mountain to the mine, near the top two deer sprang out of a thicket in front of me, and never having seen any before, it was not till I recovered from the fright they gave me that I knew what they were, but felt exceedingly thankful they were going from me instead of coming towards me. The deer are a little larger than the goats we have in this country, with horns of moderate size.

On 26th of April a Dutch man-of-war came to load with coal. It was adapted for the purpose of going up rivers in shallow water, as pirates were very numerous about the coast of Borneo and in the Sooloo Sea. The Dutch were doing all they could to suppress their nefarious system of plunder, and, as I was informed by one of the lieutenants a considerable amount of mischief they were doing. While the Dutch vessel was loading with coal, I had three lieutenants and the doctor paying me a visit. I took them through the mine, and they all said they had never seen the interior of a coal mine before. I provided each with a pick to try his skill in mining; and when they all had satisfied themselves in hewing, they gathered up pieces of coal and said they would send some home to their friend in Holland. They could all talk good English; and after they had undergone a refreshing wash, we enjoyed a drop of real French cognac, which I fortunately had by me. I learned from them that they had five prisoners (pirates) on board. They were going to take them to Sambas, where they would undoubtedly be executed. Sambas is the principal town in Dutch territory of Borneo; and I learned from them that all pirate prisoners were taken thither to be tried, and, if not executed, sentenced to long terms of penal servitude. The Dutch were extending their roads and cultivating land by convict labour as quickly as they could, and by this time I have no doubt many thousands of acres which were then jungle are now transformed into fertile rice-producing land. I was informed by a Chinaman who lived in Sambas, and undergone a term of punishment, that offenders were sentenced to six and twelve months hard labour for any petty theft they committed, and if their characters were bad, to two, and four or five years. The prisoners were taken in groups to work on the roads or cultivate land, and fed on rice and salt fish, which was better diet than some of them could afford who had their liberty, and on the expiration of the term of their sentence they were presented with a cent for every day they had served, which gave some of them an opportunity of commencing business, and earning an honest livelihood if they felt inclined to do so.

Soon after the Dutch vessel left we were visited by the Bishop of Sarawak, Captain Brooke – now Rajah21 – and nephew to Sir James Brooke, and two or three other gentlemen, accompanied by our employer, Mr Duguid. Having heard of their arrival while in the mine, I came out. A Dyak boy was standing in European attire at the entrance, and I accosted him in the Malay language, “Ada tuan Bishop suda datang” - Has the Bishop now arrived? Imagine my surprise on hearing his reply, when he said, “Yes, sir; he has gone up to Mr Duguid's house” I was so delighted to hear a Dyak boy speak the English language so fluently that I asked him where he had learned it so well. “Oh, sir,” said he, “I learned it at the Mission School in Sarawak, where I have been since I was a child, and I can talk the English language equally as well as the Malay.” He knew very little of his parents, as they had died when he was very young, and he was taken to the Mission School and brought up there. I learned there were about eighty children, boys and girls, in this school where they were fed, clothed, and educated, at the expense of the Mission. There were a master and two young lady teachers, in addition to a matron, cooks, and nurses. They were all taught arithmetic, grammar, and geography, in the English language; and this boy being, as far as I knew, the only Dyak pupil they had, they were taking great interest in him, no doubt in expectation of his becoming a missionary among his own people. The whole of the boys and girls could speak the English language more or less, according to the time they had been there, and of course they could all speak the Malay language as well as it was the principal language of the country. All foreigners were obliged to learn Malay if they intended to remain there any length of time.

When Mr Duguid and Mr Russell the geologist, were going away to Sarawak they gave me strict orders top push the winning headways or levels on as fast as possible, as they were anxious to prove the seam at the base of the mountain. This was done with no better result as at times it was only 18 or 24 inches in height, and at other times five or six feet of good marketable coal. We continued with all hands in the mine working by contract until the 13th of June 1858, when a gentleman from Staffordshire named Wm.Walters arrived, who was a practical mining engineer, and had been manager at several collieries in Staffordshire. He surveyed the interior of the mine and a good part of the exterior of the mountain; and on the 22nd another gentleman named Smith, from the same place came, accompanied by Mr Duguid, who was to have full command of the whole of the works at Simunjun. He predicted that we should have to substitute locomotives for Buffaloes, and instead of 20 or 30 tons of coals per day we should have five or six hundred. I am sorry to say his prediction was not verified, as his alteration of the men's systems of working brought them out on strike which lasted a fortnight. He soon found that John Chinaman was not so servile and flexible as the laborious miner in Staffordshire, and he had to allow him a little of his own way. While the strike was pending Mr Walters, Atkinson, and myself were working in the mine preparing a part of it, where the coal was good, to commence the system of long wall working. When the men resumed work this was found to answer well, and according to the number of men working, a greater amount of coal was produced.

As Mr Walters had a desire to visit a Dyak village we set off one Sunday morning after breakfast and went down the Sadong River, taking with us two Malay men to manage the boat, and on getting near the village we saw the Bore two or three miles distant, coming rolling up towards us. This is an influx of the tide which is very different from anything in the North of England. It is often four or five feet above the ebbing stream, and would submerge a small boat if coming in contact with it. The natives are all well used to it, and take precautions accordingly. At night time it may be heard many miles distant. We got safe on shore, and viewed with interest the houses which were raised eight or nine feet from the ground on huge piles of wood driven into the earth. The outer part of the dwelling consists of sticks tied together with green rattans, covered with dried tree leaves. The roof is of the same material, and it is surprising how well the inhabitants are protected from the heavy rains. The floors are of boards. A dozen expert Malays can build the same number of houses in a week or ten days. We walked up the trunk of a small tree raised at an angle of 45 degrees, with niches cut a foot apart, and so reaching the entrance were ushered in and comfortably seated on the floor of a Dyak habitation.

15th March

After having a little conversation with the inmates of the house, I looked round and saw that the
furniture very much resembled that of the Dyak houses we had previously visited. Directly above my head hung fourteen human skulls in a cluster, to represent a trophy of great importance. As I looked at them I asked how they became possessed of such treasures, when one of the men drew his parang from its sheath, and said, with an air of pride, that he had cut five of them off during the insurrection; and he then went through a portion of their war dance, wielding his weapon to show us how they proceeded in their fiendish actions. As I had no desire to have my own head added to the number, I told him I was perfectly satisfied that he had obtained them valiantly.

By this time I was enabled to talk the Malay language very fluently; and the men, six in number, desired us to tell them something about our country. Three women who were present wished to hear a little about England also. As my friend Mr Walters had not learned the language, I had all the talk to myself, and I told them that England was nothing like Borneo; there was no jungle, and nearly the whole land was cultivated to produce food to eat. This statement seemed so strange to them that they wondered how men could be forced to cultivate the whole of it, and even if that were so how could the food be consumed. I then told them that the population of one town alone in England – London – was more than the whole of the population in the three territories of Borneo. I also told them that when a man got a wife, he had not a large sum of money to pay to his bride's parents as they had there, but in some cases she had a dowry. The men seemed to be very much amused at this statement, and the women thought there must be little encouragement to parents after having all the toil they had in rearing their children. I then gave them some account of the seasons in England, and in describing winter, said that ponds and lakes were often so that people could walk on top of them, and amuse themselves by having iron attached to their feet, passing over it at a rapid pace. On making this statement, it seemed to five of them to throw discredit on all I had said before, as they with one voice exclaimed, “Mana, buli!” (impossible). Did I imagine they were going to believe that anyone could walk over the top of water; or that water could turn into a solid substance? I assured them that it was so, and one of the others confirmed my statement, by saying that he had heard a white man relate the same story some time before. The others declared if it were so, they had never heard of such a thing, and would like to visit England to see such a curiosity.

On promising to pay them another visit at a future period, to tell them something more about our country, we bade them good-bye, and descended the trunk of the tree, taking care not to lose our equilibrium; and having entered the boat, over which an awning had been spread to protect us from the sun, we returned safe to Simunjun Mountain.

A short time after this one of our buffalo drivers, a Hindoo, while under the influence of arrack, in which they often indulged, fell before a laden waggon and had his arm run over, which necessitated his being sent to Sarawak to have it amputated. This was followed by another accident in the mine. A Chinaman lost his life by a fall of stone, which caused a great deal of consternation amongst the other workmen. It seemed to me a sudden change to see a man go to work at seven o'clock in the morning, healthy and well, and laid in his grave at four o'clock in the afternoon of the same day.

On the 24th of July Mr Robert Coulson arrived at Simunjun, having come from Singapore to Sarawak in the company's vessel (Sir James Brook), and a good many of our workmen were pleased to see him, as they knew him when the mine was opened out. Numbers of Dyaks came to see him who had heard of his arrival, amongst whom he distributed a large collection of brass finger rings set with quartz, and had the appearance of the genuine article set with rubies. These presents pleased them as much as if they had been real gold. On the 15th of August the steam vessel again arrived at Simunjun to load with coal. Mr Duguid, Dr Conroy, and Mr Harvey, the company's director from Singapore, came with her, and I was told to prepare to go to Sarawak with her, and thence to a place called Bedi to the Antimony Mines. As the vessel did not leave till the 21 st, I had ample time to prepare for my departure. I was exceedingly sorry to leave my highly esteemed friend, Mr Walters, whom I found to be an honourable gentleman, and could have spent the whole of my life working under him. I assisted in loading the vessel, and when nearly ready I got the whole of my goods and chattels on board, and was very comfortable in company with the engineers. My old friend Jerry was then left in the house alone, and seemed to be rather concerned about having no one beside him he could talk to. I left the cook along with him, however, and engaged a boy Mr Coulson had brought from Singapore who could speak English, and, after bidding Mr Walters, Jerry, and some workmen good-bye, I left Simunjun Mountain and went on board with my newly engaged cook.

I was rather surprised to find the ship's crew was recruited from so many nations. I was told by one of the engineers that the ship's company consisted of men from sixteen different countries, chiefly Malays, Siamese, Bengalees, Hindoos, and Javanese, and yet the Malay language was used in working the vessel. On the morning of the 21st all seemed bustle and confusion, the stokers getting the steam up and the sailors washing decks. At two o'clock in the afternoon we were under weigh, and as we steamed down the Sadong river I took a farewell glance at the Simunjun Mountain. We got to the mouth of the river at sunset, dropped anchor, and lay till daybreak next morning, when we were soon a couple of miles out on the sea, and gliding along the coast of Borneo. As we entered the mouth of the Maratabas river, I examined the Dyak houses very minutely which we had visited when we were landed there by Captain Bush. On going up the river, we saw scores of monkeys in the jungle on both sides, some groups of which seemed to be holding a conference, and others, as if they were playing at hide and seek, leaping from tree to tree. About mid-day we reached Sarawak. There I got all my traps ashore, into a room on the ground floor of Mr Duguid's house, where I was to stay till I took my departure for Bedi.

Next day, August 23rd, there was a great feast among the Chinese in Sarawak, with music and singing in all parts of the town, and the streets studded with stalls and gambling tables, where licensed gamblers were plying their vocation with cards and articles made of brass, like dice in shape, but much larger with a cover to slide over the top. I was informed that a man had a monopoly in the gambling, and that through him alone licenses could be granted to as many as applied for them. If any were known to gamble in private houses or in any other place in the absence of a man duly licensed they were liable to be punished by law. At night the beating of gongs and firing of crackers together with the uproarious noise of the populace might have made a stranger imagine that a revolt was in contemplation. Boxes with mechanical figures, something like “Punch and Judy,” were to be seen on the street exhibited by Chinamen, who were very clever in the art. After spending a day at the Chinamen's festival I retired to my lodgings at a late hour.

22nd March

As I knew I should spend a few days at Sarawak, I had a walk as far as the road extended outside the town, which was not more than two miles. There were several Malay cottages by the road side, with beautiful gardens in front of them, growing pine apples, melons, cucumbers, pumpkins, and several other kinds of fruit together with cocoa nut and betel nut trees, which were delightful to look at. I had a stroll round the exterior of the town, and went to the opposite side of the river, where the Rajah's house stood. The Rajah at that time was in England, and during his sojurn there he delivered a lecture in the Music Hall, Nelson Street, Newcastle. I found the inhabitants of Sarawak were nearly all Malays and Chinese. The latter were very industrious in cultivating land, growing yams and sweet potatoes, and they sold at a very reasonable price.

On the morning of the 30th August, my respected friend, Mr James Gibson, arrived from Bed[i] sick. As I looked at his pallid face and sunken cheeks I almost imagined that he would soon follow two Englishmen, Wm.Channon and David Daley, who had died that morning. They were buried the same day, as is customary there in such cases. I had orders to go to Bedi in the same boat he had come in, and while my traps were being conveyed to the boat, I spent the whole of the time beside him, and he assured me that Bedi was not such a healthy place as Sadong. After bidding him good bye, and hoping he would soon be restored to health, I left him and proceeded to the boat, where all was ready for our departure. My cook had a bed laid in the stern, which made our journey up the river exceedingly pleasant. The banks on both sides were decked with ferns eight or ten feet in height, and bamboo canes 15 ft. to 20 ft., which made the scenery very picturesque. When we had gone five or six miles up the river we met Mr Russel, the geologist, and Mr Gunn, the manager of the Antimony Mines at Bussan and Bedi on their way to Sarawak. Mr Gunn instructed me to take Gibson's place until his recovery; and as the boatmen used their paddles with all the skill they possessed, we reached Busan an hour before sunset where I met my other friend from Airdrie, Alexander McCulloch.

While our evening meal was being prepared, I, with Mr McCulloch, had a look round their antimony mines, where they had upwards of a hundred tons of ore ready to send to Sarawak, and nearly as much undressed; and on seeing the ancient style they had to keep the water out of the mine, with the wooden buckets attached to huge posts and beams over the top to work like a seesaw, I thought that a little donkey-engine would do more work than fifty Chinamen. After partaking of the repast provided, and enjoying a little friendly conversation, varied with mosquito torture, we retired for the night, and in the morning, after breakfast, I learned we were twelve miles from Bedi, which I was told I had better walk, as there was a good footpath through the jungle, and if I went in the boat it would take us nearly till sunset, for the men would have to pull against the stream the whole distance, and would have several rapids to encounter. McCulloch despatched a guide along with us, and at seven o'clock we set off – three of us – to pad the twelve miles through the jungle. When we had got about half the distance we came to a village called Bauh, where there were upwards of a hundred Chinamen engaged in seeking gold, which they got from sand by washing it. I never heard of any nuggets being found, but I was told they earned a good livelihood by the dust they extracted from the earth and sand. They often found large pieces of native antimony ore which they could always sell to increase their earnings. I have been informed lately that a great quantity of cinnabar has been found in that locality, and that this is making it one of the most populous places in Rajah Brooke's Territory. Lots of diamonds have also been found in that neighbourhood, besides jasper and other valuable stones.

We looked for a quarter of an hour or 20 minutes at a party working, and then proceeded on our journey, and when Sol had nearly reached the meridian we arrived at our future abode, where I found my friend George Noble and a fine intelligent young fellow from London, named Leslie Stephens, who had gone from home in the Sir James Brooke steam vessel about two years before. The house they lived in was on the bank of the river, and after having my mid-day bath in it and dinner over, I had a walk with them to the mine, which was at the opposite side, about three quarters of a mile distant. I was given to understand that I was to take charge of this mine, as Noble was to look after a new one at the same side the house stood, about a mile and a half off. Stephens acted as timekeeper and cashier. There were a few houses near the mine where the workmen lived, and one larger than the others I learnt was kept for a hospital. On visiting it, I found ten or a dozen invalids, who were attended by a man kept for the purpose, which sadly confirmed what my friend James Gibson had told me, that it was not so a healthy a place as Sadong.

I viewed the mine and found that the water was kept out in the same way as at Busan, with 10 wooden buckets and 20 men – ten at a time – each party working half an hour and resting half an hour. While the weather was fair the water could be kept out and the men in the mine at work, but when it began to rain it rose so rapidly that the work was entirely stopped. The ore got out of this mine was considered to yield 65 or 70 per cent of antimony, and the only means of conveying it to the river was by Chinamen carrying it on their shoulders in baskets attached to the ends of a long flexible piece of wood, each calculated to carry 133 lbs. At a time. Thence it was taken to Sarawak in boats and shipped for the United Kingdom along with several other sorts of goods, such as sago, rice, black pepper, gutta percha, saffron wood, and nickel silver. While I had charge of this mine, I visited the sick men in the hospital two or three times every day. Some of them recovered, while others went the way of all flesh. As we had the river to cross to the mine, we kept a boat for the purpose of conveying us backward and forward. The Chinamen waded across up to the armpits in water, and when a freshet was in the river they would swim like water dogs, as they were all first class swimmers, having been to taught to swim from their infancy.

One day one of our blacksmiths was swimming across, there being a little freshet in, and our purser, Mr Stephens, was bathing in the river at the same time. When the former was about half-way across he gave a fearful scream, and went down the river at a more rapid pace than it was possible to swim. Stephens, who was not more than two or three yards from him at the time, and being an excellent swimmer, set off in pursuit of him, as he imagined the man was taken with cramp. When the blacksmith had gone about twenty yards, and uttering most fearful yells, he disappeared, and was never more seen. Although search was made for his body for several days afterwards it was never found, and we concluded that he had been attacked by an alligator and dragged underneath the water and devoured. These animals were very numerous two or three miles further up the river, and one or two of them were often seen on the bank close to our house, On hearing any noise approaching they would make into the water with all speed. The wild deer were more numerous than at Sadong, and their cry was to be heard at all hours of the night, and we were often favoured with their flesh from the Dyaks. One day, on being visited by a few Dyaks, who were selling bananas, Indian corn, and other articles, I looked at one article among the rest that had the appearance of parings cut from a horse's hoof when a smith is going to shoe it. I asked what it was, and was told that it was birds' nests, and got an assurance it was delicious as food. Being induced to buy some of it, I asked my cook if he knew how to cook it. He replied in the affirmative, and on eating it I think I never in my life had anything more palatable than it was, and afterwards I had many times had a meal from birds' nests.

29th March

On 17th Sept., when I got home from work, I was surprised to see my friend James Gibson sitting in the house. He had recovered from his illness, and found his way back to Bedi, where he commenced duty with Noble at the newer west mine, it being understood that I was to remain at the east mine, which, however, was only kept on working for a week longer; for on the 25 th of the same month, Mr Gunn, the manager, came and told us that we were to stop the east mine, and that all hands were to go to the west mine. A new house had been built there with four rooms, and large dining room, with verandah. Gibson and I removed our goods to the new house, and Stephens stayed in the old one at the river side.

I found we were then in the midst of a group of small mountains, or as Mr Russell called them, “Wee bit hillocks,” varying in size from one to three or four miles round the base. There were five of these within two miles of our house, and strange to say they were all nearly hollow, there being several caves in every one of them, where you might enter and walk for hours without coming back to the same place. On one occasion when our workmen were laid off with heavy rain, Mr Russell told Gibson and I to get a lamp and a cutlass and prepare to go with him. Without asking any questions we got the articles named. He then told us he was going to take us into the interior of the hillock. We then inquired what the implements of war were for. “Oh,” said he, “for fear we meet any beasties, snakes, and boa-constrictors, which are very numerous in those caves;” and we learned afterwards it was necessary to have something of the sort with which to defend ourselves. We left home after mid-day, and proceeded to the cave, on entering which we got our lamps lighted, and for thirty or forty yards the Diluvium had every appearance of being performed by manual labour. After walking about a hundred yards inside we had to creep ten or twelve yards on our hands and knees, and it was with difficulty we kept our lamps from going out, owing to the current of air that was passing. We walked for about three-quarters of an hour, sometimes having a roof 8 ft. or 10ft. Above our heads, and at other times only 3 ft. or 4 ft. At length we came to an extensive open space. On looking at it we might suppose it had been made expressly for a circus company to perform in. It was 50 ft. or 60 ft. in height, and in circular form of 100ft. or 80 ft. diameter. There were scores of birds flying about in all directions, which I afterwards learned were a species of swallow, and built the edible nests I had previously bought of the Dyaks. The rock was limestone, and there were several pillars standing here and there that looked as if they had been finished by an experienced sculptor. As we took a seat to rest ourselves we heard what sounded like the heavy fall of water. Mr Russell asked if either of us “had ever seen sick a braw place” as that. I replied that I had. He said he would like to know where it was. I told him the interior of Newcastle Theatre Royal22 was “a lang way bonnier place than that.” He thought it “was'na fit to be compared tilt;” and so the matter rested After seeing all we could he gave us each a piece of limestone rock about 28 lb. Or 30lb. In weight, and told us that he should send them to the British Museum. As we were hugging them out nearly exhausted by their heavy weight, I told Gibson I thought “two big styens” might be found a deal nearer London Museum without sending them such a distance. On our return home we were ready for our dinners, and a drop from the square black bottle from Amsterdam, which we had in store at the time.

We kept the mine working night and day, and in the meantime made a tramway of wooden rails, which the bogies ran on exceedingly well. It was what is called Bilyun23 wood, and is, I imagine, a little harder than oak or beech. It answered admirably for the purpose, as iron rails were not to be had without sending home for them. What ore we had sent to the river had to be carried, however, until the tramway was finished, and this labour was frequently interrupted for whole days with the rain, which always fell in torrents, and when we had thunder it was terrifying to hear, the mountains all around us making the sound of it considerably louder. At night, about sunset, there always seemed to be a fog hanging over the hills, and after sunset the temperature was quite cold. The excessive heat of the day, followed by the chilly damp air of the night, made it a very unhealthy locality to dwell in; and I soon found my appetite was not so good as it had been, while I also began to diminish in weight. In the meantime death swept off several Chinamen among our workmen. On the 10th of October my old friend, Jerry Atkinson, arrived, and told us Mr Smith was about to condemn the Simunjun Coal Mine, and that he would soon return to England. Jerry took up his quarters in one of the rooms of our house, and we were now all engaged in looking after the works and preparing the tramway to the river-side. There were good lodes of antimony in the mine, which might have been easily got had it not been for the immense quantity of water we had to contend with. Arsenic, orpiment24, and quartz were mingled with it, but what was got of these was only consigned to the rubbish heap. I many a time thought that if the arsenic and orpiment could have been extracted from the quartz, the company could have found a market for it also. Since we left I hear that large quantities of cinnabar have been discovered a short distance away25.

One Sunday morning after breakfast, Noble, Stephens, Gibson, Atkinson, and myself had a walk two or three miles into the jungle, armed with one single and two double-barrelled guns. A few monkeys were all that we shot, and these were eaten by some Chinamen, who ate all the monkeys they could get. They would also eat a dog or rat as soon as they would a pig. Indeed, Noble had a dog he brought from Simunjun affected with mange. This he gave to a Chinaman to destroy, and paid him ten cents for the job. The man and his companions had, however, two or three days' feasting on the animal, as they declared the disease only affected the skin. Eating and smoking opium seemed to be all they delighted in. Some of the Chinamen were as much addicted to this bad habit of smoking as men at home are addicted to intoxicating drink. In fact, our cooks many times indulged so freely in this luxury at night that they could not rise in the morning to get our breakfast ready in time, and the consequence was that we were obliged to dismiss them. I had also to dispense with the cook I got from Mr Coulson for this offence. The next I engaged I had him for three months. He attended to me well for the first two, but he took care to have a month's wages paid in advance. The result was that the third month he got even worse than the man I had before. He not only spent his wages on opium, but got on to gamble as well. I may mention here that our workmen were paid once a month, and when the pay-day came a licensed gambler always made his appearance with a board under his arm, his name painted on it in red letters, with licensed gambler added. Of course it was out of our power to prevent them gambling, or we should certainly have done so. Besides this, if I gave the cook a dollar to make any small purchase, I never got any change returned as the articles always amounted exactly to the dollar, so that I was glad to get rid of him a week before the time for which he was paid.

On the 8th of November, I received a box from home, containing flannel shirts, socks, strong shoes, a watch, small clock, and several other articles, along with some garden seeds – namely, leek, onion, lettuce, carrot, and radish seed – which I had sent to try if they would grow in a tropical climate. As I had no time to attend to gardening myself, I sent some of each seed to Mr Grant, one of the principal gentlemen under the Rajah, a native of Berwickshire, who took great interest in a beautiful garden he had. As far as I know, nothing but the radish seed ever made any progress, and I heard of him having radishes ready for use within a month of the time of the seed being sown. Mr Duguid's gardener in Sarawak also tried some of the seed with a similar result. I have no doubt that if leeks and onions were planted under a shed to protect them from the sun they would also grow, for eschalots grew in abundance.

The trees around where we lived were larger than any I had previously seen. Most of them were upwards of a hundred feet to the first branches, and more than another hundred to the top of the tree. One stood about thirty yards from our house. We took the trouble to measure the circumference of this, and found that it was 32 feet 6 inches. It was the largest I ever saw, but I heard of one at Santubong which was between thirty-nine and forty feet in circumference. Another large tree stood about sixty or seventy yards distant. A group of fifteen or twenty monkeys appeared on its branches every evening at half-past five. As regularly as the time came, they came also; and night after night for weeks they were there and remained until sunset. We many times said they had important business to transact as they were so punctual to their time in assembling. One night Gibson distributed about an o[u]nce of number one shot amongst them, when they all took leg ball except one, which sat for five minutes licking its arm and then went after the others. But notwithstanding this interruption they met with, they still continued to meet as before. We had three of the tribe quite tame, and these we kept for amusement, two of them female and one male. The latter delighted in doing mischief. If he could get into the fowl house among the fowls he would make them fly in all directions, and if there was an egg to be found he would have it. He was once seen by one of our cooks coming out, walking upright, with an egg in each han and one in his mouth. The cook ran after him, and he threw the two down he had in his haands, but got clear off with the one in his mouth.

In the beginning of December Atkinson and myself had severe bilious attacks, followed by ague, which affected us very much. We often took emetics, but found no good result from them; but we had abundance of quinine, which we took regularly, and got a little relief from it. We continued doing duty as long as we could, but getting gradually worse we were at length confined to our room. On the 28th of December a boat was provided for us, and we were sent away to Sarawak, where we arrived about five o'clock in the evening, and found there Mr Russell and Mr Duguid, who gave us each a room on the ground floor of his house. After a few days we began to recover, and were soon able take a walk through the town, which we did once or twice a day. While we were there we seldom saw our cooks from half-past five in the evening till daybreak next morning, and if Jerry's was bead before we came to Sarawak he was ten times worse afterwards, for he got into the town at night and drank arrack and smoked opium till he was so bad that he could not rise out of bed next morning. Three days in succession I had to instruct my cook to make his breakfast, as his did not appear till 12 o'clock.

5th April

We spent the whole of January, 1859, in Sarawak, and towards the end of the month a vessel called the Constance, which was chartered by the company, came to take a cargo of sago, rice, gutta percha, damur, battens, buffalo and deers' horns, antimony ore, black pepper, and saffron wood to London. We were advised to go to London with her, and as it would be some time before we might have another opportunity, we thought it would be better for us to return to England rather than incur the risk of permanently impairing our constitutions by returning to Bedi. On the 3 rd of February we set off in the morning in a large boat to go to Bedi for our goods and chattels, and got as far as Busau, where we stayed all night. The next day was far spent when we arrived at Bedi. What we intended to take to Sarawak we got to the river, and most of what we had we left with our companions. On the 5th, Atkinson returned in the boat with our traps. I stayed till the 6th, when my friend James Gibson, accompanied me to Sarawak in a small boat. There being only one house in the town where spiritous liquor was sold, kept by a Chinaman named Achick, who had a monopoly of the sale in the whole territory, we went thither to have a parting glass. Meeting there a young man named Charles Wishart26, from the neighbourhood of Bathgate, we sat till we swallowed a large quantity of the best Old Tom which Achick had in his possession. I cannot give much account of leaving Achick's tavern, but next morning I found myself in a bed in Wishart's house, and on awakening felt a burning thirst. I sprang out of bed and seized a bottle which was standing on a table, and said to Wishart, who was dressing himself, “Is this drinking water, Charlie?” Without looking round he replied “Yes.” I thereupon filled a tumbler, and drank it off, and replenished the glass again, drank again, when I imagined the liquid had a strange taste, which I remarked. Charlie then looked round, and asked “Where have you got it?” I pointed to the bottle, when he, in an excited manner, said, “By heavens, if you've drunk that you're poisoned, for that's a lotion of sulphate of zinc I'm using for my complaint.” Without a moment's delay I hastened off to Mr Duguid's house, whither I saw the Bishop was wending his way as I was [filling the tumbler] 27. Overtaking him, I said “Bishop, please give me an emetic as quickly as possible, or I'm poisoned.” he was a jolly, kind-hearted gentleman, and always fond of a joke. Trying to imitate the Tyneside vernacular, he said, “Poisoned, man; what's thoo poisoned thawsel with?” I excitedly replied, “I've drank Charlie Wishart's lotion by mistake.” He then asked the doctor who had made up this bottle, and who beside him, what quantity of poison there was in the mixture. When he had been told he said, “It'll not poison th', but thoo'll be rather sick for a day or two. An' let me tell th' to be mair careful what theoo drinks.” Sure enough I was sick for two or three days, and at times I thought I should have to send for the doctor.

My friend Gibson returned to Bedi, and Atkinson and I made preparations to leave Sarawak in the Constance. We learned that our companion, Wm.Baulsam, the sawyer, had already been put on board to go home. He was exceedingly sick and scarcely expected to recover. On the 9th, we got our traps sent on board the vessel, and after bidding Mr Duguid and all acquaintances good bye, we bade farewell to Sarawak. The whole of that day and part of the 10th, they were engaged taking in gutta percha and rattans, and on the morning of February 11th we weighed anchor. The Constance was a finely built barque of between five and six hundred tons, and her draught of water about 17ft. As we got near the mouth of the river we ran aground, and lay till next morning. Anchor was weighed at daybreak, and about mid-day we lost sight of Borneo. We then learned that there was more cargo to take in at Singapore, and that we should stay there two or three weeks. We had fine weather and a pleasant passage, and about half-past four in the afternoon of the 15th we again dropped anchor at Singapore. We stayed on board the remainder of the day, and were quite amused at the large number of bumboats which came alongside our vessel to sell fruit of all kinds, besides coral, shells of every description, Malacca canes, parrots, cockatoos, paroquets, and scores of other things. The next day Jerry and I went ashore to the company's offices, and got arrangements made with Mr Gilfillan, the company's director to have Mr Baulsam brought ashore and taken to the hospital, and to have lodgings ashore ourselves till the vessel was ready to sail. He agreed to allow us a dollar a day, and we were to seek lodgings for ourselves. These terms we readily accepted, and got accommodation at the European Coffee House. We returned to the Constance to look after Baulsam, and while on board a Malay diver went down, minus either diving suit or bell, and examined the keel of the vessel, which he found to be considerably damaged by her running aground in the Maratabas river. Baulsam was safely taken on shore and conveyed in a gurry (cab) to the hospital, where he was decidedly more comfortable than in the half-deck of the Constance.

Next morning, when we went to the company's office, we learned that Captain Ellis was going to transfer his cargo and passengers to another vessel, and have the Constance put into the Victoria Dock to be repaired. The dock had only been finished a short time before, and the Constance was the first vessel repaired in it. We then learned that it would be five or six weeks before we left Singapore, which would give us ample time to see the whole of the town. The next time we went on board we found the other vessel lying alongside her, and all hands hard at work removing the cargo from the Constance to the Beatrice, which I soon learned was a vessel belonging to Messrs Burnett and Son, a firm in Newcastle-on-Tyne. I went on board to see the captain and have our traps placed in our berths. In course of our interview, the captain asked me where I belonged, I replied, “Newcastle-on-Tyne, sir.” “Aw thowt thon did hinny, as syun as aw heard thaw tongue,” said he, as he shook me cordially by the hand. “I hope,” he continued, “We'll have a pleasant passage home.” On inquiry I learned that our captain was Thomas Patterson, of Carr's Hill, Gateshill-on-Tyne; the mate, John Edward Dodds, of North Shields; second mate, Octavious Laing, Gateshead-on-Tyne; the cook and one of the sailors named John North, belonged to Sunderland; and there were two apprentice boys of Newcastle, one named Thomas Oliver, now draughtsman for the Hetton Coal Company, Hetton-le-Hole; and the other William Slee, now a fruiterer carrying on business in some part of Newcastle-on-Tyne. I learned from Captain Patterson that the boy Slee had had a very narrow escape with his life a short time before. He fell from the maintopgallant yard, and had it not been for an awning spread over the vessel he would inevitably have been dashed to pieces on the deck. He was removed on shore to the hospital, where he remained three weeks, and was then able to rejoin the vessel. I certainly was gratified to know I was to be among so many hailing from the same locality as myself, and after having a little conversation with most of them Jerry and I returned to our lodgings at the European Coffee House.

As they sold bottled ale and porter at our lodgings, at 40 cents per bottle, we often had a visitor whose company interested us. They were generally officers of vessels who had a day's liberty on shore, and had been either in China or up the Bay of Bengal, and had perhaps encountered a typhoon or a cyclone. One morning, the Master-at-Arms of Her Majesty's man-of-war Esk came to our lodgings having charge of eight fine, strong, healthy looking young lads, who had a day's liberty on shore. On parting, the Master gave me an invitation on board his vessel; and the next morning, after breakfast, I engaged a sampan for the purpose of taking me on board and bringing me back. On going up a ladder that hung down the side of the ship, an officer on duty, to whom the sentry had reported, asked my business. I told him I wished to see the Master-at-Arms. He very courteously directed me to where I would find him and as I walked along the deck I might have imagined I had entered a large tailor's workshop, had it not been for the large guns which studded the deck. An awning was spread over the vessel nearly from stem to stern, and fifty or sixty stalwart looking sailors were using the needle with as much dexterity as any tailor I ever saw. The deck was as clean as a newly scoured kitchen table, and the guns as bright as hands could make them. All the men on board except the officers were barefooted, and as clean as ministers about to enter the pulpit. I descended a flight of stairs where I found the Master-at-Arms. He took me through the whole of the engineering department, and showed me the magazines where the ammunition was kept. He told me there were upward of 300 men on board. A few were at work cleaning the guns and exterior of the ship. Those that were doing this sort of work he told me were blacklisted for petty offences. After seeing through the whole of the interior of the Esk I returned to my lodgings.

Next morning, I went to the company's office in a gurry, and told Mr Gilfillan I wanted a trifle of money for Mr Baulsam, as he had not a cent to purchase any little thing he might need. After getting six dollars, I proceeded towards the hospital and bought a quantity of oranges for him, which I tied up in a large handkerchief and put inside the gurry. I then went to another shop to purchase some pine apples, and, while doing so, a pune (policeman) came to me with the oranges in one hand, and the baju collar of a Chinaman in the other, and asked me if the oranges were mine. Knowing the handkerchief so well, I said they were. He told me I must go to the police station with him, as he had seen a Chinaman steal them out of the gurry. He reprimanded the driver (a Bengalee) for not looking after my property while I had him engaged. I was told at the police station to be at the Court House next morning at eleven o'clock, and then went on my mission to the hospital, where I found Baulsam, who seemed to be very down-hearted. On asking him he was he said he thought he was somewhat better himself, but the man who lay in the bed next to him had committed suicide during the night, and the horrid spectacle he saw in the morning he could not forget. On leaving I promised to visit him again, and finished that day's proceedings in a Hindoo theatre, where I did not understand a single word that was said.

Next morning my first business was to go to the Court House, and I never before saw such a motley group in a court of justice. About a dozen cases were disposed of before mine was called, and all the evidence was given through an interpreter, of which there were at least half-a-dozen. In some of the cases evidence was given in four different languages, all of which had to be interpreted into Malay and finally into English. After learning that the Chinaman who stole the oranges was to spend his next month in prison, I left. Every morning about seven o'clock a company of about a hundred Sepoy convicts were brought along the street, four abreast, past where I lodged, and the noise of their chains might be heard at a great distance. These men were extending and repairing the roads at the outskirts of the town, superintended by a sufficient number of armed Englishmen to keep them in order. During the Indian Mutiny a great number of the prisoners had been sent to Singapore, where they were serving their terms of penal servitude. On the 3 rd of the month, after getting settled about my lodging money and other trifling matters, I went to the hospital to pay a final visit to my friend Baulsam. He was a good deal better than when he entered that institution, but not sufficiently recovered to join the ship to come home. In the evening I went on board, and soon became acquainted with all hands. It was interesting to see so many boats come alongside our vessel with all sorts of curious articles for sale, as well as fruit of every description – boat loads of splendid pine apples at a cent and a half each, and melons at about 10 cents each. In the evening Captain Patterson came on board with a Malay pilot, and long before daybreak all hands were called on deck, when the steward appeared with a large pot in one hand, and a very small one in the other, and shouted at the top of his voice, “Grog O!” When the sailors had all been served, the captain called out, “Man the windlass,” and in twenty minutes we were, by the light of the moon, gliding before a steady breeze, and leaving behind us the harbour of Singapore.

12th April Concluded from last week.

On the 17th April we entered the Straits of Sunda, when several boats came alongside our vessel with yams, sweet potatoes, shells, fowls, ducks, and several other articles for sale; a good many of which were bought by the whole ship's company. Next day we got through the Straits into the Indian Ocean, and as we lost sight of the land we knew it would be some time before we saw any more. We had very fine weather till the 2nd of June, when we were overtaken by a heavy gale, which carried away part of the starboard bulwark. At ten o'clock on the night of the 24 th we had our main top gallant mast carried away, which caused much consternation among all hands. On the 2 nd of July a very large whale was close alongside our vessel. I had seen several of these monsters at a distance, but never before had an opportunity of examining one so minutely as on this occasion. It was fully as long as our vessel. At six o'clock on the morning of the 4th, we sighted the island of St Helena. We were not more than two miles past it when the steward entered the fore-cabin and told us that our captain had lost his speech, and appeared to be very ill in his bunk. Had it been possible to return to the island I have no doubt the mate would have done so, but as the wind blows there continually in one direction, when a sailing vessel gets past the anchorage there is no possibility returning unless taken in tow by a steamer, consequently ours was kept on her course. It was soon made known to all on board that our captain had been paralysed, and could not come out of his cabin, and that a sailor named Matthew Wayman, belonging London, was also very ill in the forecastle, and had been off duty for a considerable time. All hands seemed to be much concerned about the captain, and whenever the least change in him was perceptible it was soon known by all on board.

On the 8th of the month we began to draw near Ascension Island, and at six o'clock on the evening of the 9th we were safely anchored in the roadstead. Next morning my friend Jerry and I went ashore with Mr Dodds, the chief mate, and had a walk of two or three miles from the town, but as far as we went there was nothing to be seen but burnt stones and broken bottle glass. The whole island seemed to be barren, and is supposed to have been a volcano. It is about seven or eight miles across, and it was only on a hill that we saw before us that vegetables will grow, the other parts of it being entirely barren. As it is a naval and military station, all provisions are imported, and there is no water but what falls from the heavens, and this the residents always ave in abundance, and keep in tanks made for the purpose. There is a mechanics' institute, where we spent a couple of hours very comfortably, reading newspapers, but were sorry that there was not a single Newcastle paper amongst the whole lot.

On the 11th, water and coals were got on board our vessel, and a doctor from Her Majesty's vessel Tortoise, came and examined our captain, and repor[t]ed that he was dangerously ill. On the 12 th a line of battle ship called the Boscawen, with Admiral Grey on board, and its tender, the Hydrid, came in and dropped anchor a short distance from where we were lying. Our captain's illness was now detaining us, and every day he was visited by doctors and officers from Her Majesty's vessels, Viper, Trident, and Conflict, and nearly all the vessels in the harbour. On the 16 th of the month a conference was held on board the Beatrice, by the commander and some of the officers of the Boscawen and Tortoise, and the captain of the British barque Eleanor, who decided to take Captain Patterson on board the Tortoise, and send him home in Her Majesty's gunboat Conflict, Mr Dodds in the meantime to take command of our vessel to bring her home. The next morning, July 17th, a boat with a doctor from the Tortoise came alongside our vessel, and the captain, though deprived of speech, seemed to be conscious that he was being taken from his vessel.

On the following day after breakfast Mr Dodds gave orders to man the windlass, and at nine o'clock we were under weigh. We had favourable weather for a few days, and on the 24th we signalled the Woodcote, from Moulmein to Falmouth, 79 days out, in 1°21 north latitude, 22°18 west longitude. At nine o'clock at night one of our sailors, Matthew Wayman, died. On the forenoon of the following day one of his shipmates sewed his body up in canvas and deposited a bucketful of sand at his feet for the purpose of sinking the body, which was then carried on deck and laid on the main hatchway, with the ensign spread over it. At four o'clock in the afternoon Mr Dodds appeared on deck with the Church Prayer Book in his hand, and gave orders for the vessel to hove to. When his order had been obeyed, the corpse was laid beside one of the port-holes on a deal board and all hands called to witness the funeral ceremony, which was gone through with much solemnity. When he came to the words “We commit his body to the deep,” the corpse was dropped through the porthole, and as soon as he finished the ceremony he closed the book, exclaiming, “Now, lads, square the yards.” And in a few minutes we left the body of poor Wayman far behind.

We had squally weather and foul winds till August 4th, when we got the north east trade wind. About this time the water we had to use was fearfully bad, the bread was riddled with maggots, our coffee was exhausted, and, worst of all, the flour was mingled with myriads of weevils, which made the dough we got sickening to look at. As we got into cold weather, the cockatoos died one by one. Thus we spent day by day till September 10th, when the joyful shout of “Land on the port bow” was heard. It was a glorious sight as we knew it was the land we had been sailing to for five months and seven days. On the 11th we passed the Isle of Wight about mid-day, and a boat came alongside with some potatoes to sell, which were thankfully accepted by all on board. On the 12th we passed Dover, and got a pilot on board in the evening. On the 13th we were taken in tow by a tug boat, and got a far as Gravesend, where we dropped anchor and lay till next morning, when, after breakfast, Jerry and I went ashore and took the train to London. On arriving in London we delayed no time in going to the office of the Borneo Company, Limited, in Mincing Lane, which we found in No. 27 instead of No. 9, where it was when we left. Mr Crawford, the company's secretary, at once recognised us on entering, and before we had time to ask any questions he told us Captain Patterson died on the 21st July, and was buried at Ascension Island. I took a passage to Newcastle on board the Bruiser (Capt. Ellis), which left Newcastle Wharf on the Sunday morning, Sept. 20, and on the following morning we were lying safely moored at the Quayside.

I have since learned from Mr Robert Coulson, who left Sarawak only two years ago28, that the Rev Mr Chambers, who was in Sarawak as a missionary while I was there, is now Bishop of the Straits Settlements, as well as Labuan, and that Sarawak is now in a more civilised state. A short time prior to Sir James Brooke's death he made his nephew, Charles Johnson Brooke (brother of Capt.Brooke), Rajah, and I understand, in the event of him dying without issue, the territory will fall to the English Crown. The Sarawak Government are at present working the Simunjun coal mine on a small scale, to supply a steam vessel they have of their own; and antimony and cinnabar are produced more abundantly than when I was there, and everything seems to be prosperous in Sarawak at the present time.

1.Transcribed and annotated by Martin Laverty. November 2010.

2. Marshall Cresswell (or Creswell) was a Northumbrian, born on 18th January, 1833, in the village of Fawdon Square (7km NNW of Newcastle upon Tyne) and started work in the pits at the age of 9. (Folk Archive Resource North East: FARNE) and died in 1889 (Allan's Illustrated Edition of Tyneside Songs and Readings, 1891). He published “Local and other songs, and recitations, etc. composed by Marshall Creswell, Dudley, Northumberland. With introductory autobiography.” in 1876 (Allan), and a second edition in 1883 (FARNE). The accounts published in the Newcastle Courant are, presumably, taken from this autobiography. Census returns suggest that he was born in 1837, named after his father, a colliery under viewer at Fawdon, and lived with his grandparents in Durham (1841) and then Bellingham (1851), where he was still a scholar at the age of 14.

3. Sherburn Colliery was 4 km east of Durham.

4. William Coulson (1791-1865) is listed in Whelan's History, topography, and directory of the county palatine of Durham (1856) as a Master sinker, living at Grange in the City of Durham. He was lauded for his help in the rescue efforts for the Hartley Colliery Disaster of 1862, which were even reported in Singapore.

5. A sinker was a miner involved in digging, inspecting, and repairing vertical shafts used to access minerals at depth.

6. Dudley Colliery was 10 km. north of Newcastle

7. Although we would probably characterise this dialect as Geordie today, in this article it is twice called “Tyneside vernacular”. This is in accord with the Oxford English Dictionary which records the first use of Geordie - for a pitman or miner – in 1876, although it is thought that the term had been used in a somewhat derogatory manner by Londoners since 1826, when George Stephenson, also from just outside Newcastle, had given evidence to the Parliamentary Commission on Railways. If Cresswell had referred to a “geordie” it might well have been a reference to the variety of miner's safety lamp invented by the same George Stephenson in and used in the NE of England instead of the very similar Davy lamp.

8. The Borneo Company was set up in London as a joint stock, limited liability company in 1856, although there had been a Borneo Company run by John Harvey, operating as agent for James Brooke, in Singapore since 1851.

9. The Gwalior was well-travelled: there is this story of a voyage to New Zealand in 1852 (from: Brett,H, 1924,White Wings)

10. Roup = auction

11. Pitman's visit to Rio de Janeiro to the tune “The Pawnshop bleezin”

12. Mulcted = fined

13. Cape pigeon, or Cape petrel , still a common sea bird of the Southern Ocean

14. The Tynemouth Aquarium and Winter Garden was opened in 1878

15. The loss of the Transit on the 10th July, was covered in some detail in the Illustrated London News (reproduced in Tate, D.J.M (1988) Rajah Brooke's Borneo) and elsewhere The ornithologist L.H.Irby was one of the troops bound for China when wrecked, but then diverted to deal with the Indian Mutiny

16. Robert Coulson was William Coulson's son, stated in the Singapore Free Press at the time of the Hertley Colliery disaster (1862). He had been employed by the eastern Archipelago Company in Labuan in 1851, where the manager, James Motley, considered him a troublemaker. He was at the Simunjan mine when A.R.Wallace stayed there in 1855. Wallace wrote that he was a Yorkshireman (My Life, vI, p341), but probably just mistook the unfamiliar accent. In 1864, Wallace wrote in support of a project to support Coulson in searching for evidence of the antiquity of man in the caves of Borneo: the money went to a A.H.Everett, a naturalist and administrator, instead.

17. The place now called Simumjan is considerably further inland than the location of the mines, which was much closer to the mouth of the Simunjan River.

18. Saggar clay – a pottery-making term, more often referred to by geologists as fireclay

19. The 2nd Earl of Howick in the County of Northumberland (Charles Grey, he of the eponymous tea) graces the 41m. high column of Grey's Monument (by E.H.Baily who also designed Nelson's Column in London) unveiled in the centre of Newcastle in 1838.

20. The High Level Bridge, opened in 1849, takes the railway across the R.Tyne between Gateshead and Newcastle's Central Station; it also has a road and footpath on a lower deck.

21. Captain Brooke was the heir apparent in 1858, but was disinherited in favour of his younger brother, Charles. This mistake is corrected by Cresswell in the penultimate sentence of this series of articles.

22. Newcastle's Theatre Royal had been opened in 1837 23 Bilyun = belian, or ironwood, Eusideroxylon zwageri

24. Orpiment is a soft golden mineral – arsenic trisulphide.

25. Cinnabar, mercury sulphide, was mined by the Borneo Company at Tegora, a hill between the Bungoh range and the limestone hills S of Bau

26. Charles Wishart later went to Singapore, where he became an important figure in the New Harbour Docks ['Charles Wishart was born the 7th May 1835, and died, at the age of seventy, on the 26th November 1905. He came East at the early age of twenty, and spent some time in Borneo.' - Makepeace et al. (1931) One Hundred Years of Singapore]

27. This repeated phrase looks like a printer's error. 28 If Robert Coulson left the east in 1876, he would have 25 years associated with it He appears to have gone back to the coal mines in Labuan in 1860, and to have been a civil engineer in Singapore in 1875.

Email Interview with Lynette Ramsay Silver

2011-09-12T13:22:00.000+08:00

For NBHE - Justin Wong

Lynette Ramsay Silver, the Australian writer who wrote Blood Brothers : Sabah & Australia 1942 - 1945, recently agreed to entertain our email interview despite her busy schedule. This Australian writer had immersed herself for the past 20 years, towards championing Sabahan World War II heroes and also the natives who helped the British and Australian POWs. Hence, I thought she is a personality...... her work, her efforts should be appreciated. One wonders why our State Government has yet to honour her with a Datukship, not that she would be bothered about it, I think.

NBHE : Give an introduction of yourself e.g. which part of Australia you live in, your career,

LRS : I live in Sydney and have been investigating little known aspects of Australian history since 1982. Previously I was a school teacher. I really developed a passion for research in 1983, when I located vital documents relating to gold discovery in Australia that had been 'lost' for 134 years. Many eminent people had searched for them, without success.

My next book, which documented a convict unprising in Australia against the British in 1804, was also ground-breaking research and, even now, well over 20 years later, remains the only book on the subject.

I then moved into world war 2 - to the intriguing world of Australian 'Special Operations'. As these missions took place in the far east, I became well acquainted with the fall of Singapore and the occupation by Japan of the entire area, including Sabah.

Special Operations research soon expanded to incorporate Australian POWs. With so many held at Sandakan and the discovery that the reason they were not rescued was due to faulty intelligence collected by a Special Operations team working behind the lines, the two research areas merged and my focus turned to Sabah, where it has been for the past 20 years.

NBHE : What motivated you to write Blood Brothers - Sabah & Australia 1942 - 1945? You must have known that it would be a huge undertaking given that Sabah do not have proper records of that era and yet you forged on. Most young Sabahans haven't even heard of of the many local heroes that you mentioned in your book and yet you managed to unearth them.

LRS : I first came to Sabah in 1999, the year after my book 'Sandakan: A Conspiracy of Silence' was published in Australia. I was very embarrassed, at the ceremony to open the Memorial Park at Sandakan, to which I had been an honorary consultant, that two of WW2's great local heroes, Mr Chin Chee Kong and Mr Joseph Wong (both of whom were present and proudly wearing their medals), were not acknowledged. I vowed that if I were ever in a position to do something, I would make sure that the locals received the acknowledgement they deserved.

That chance came in 2005, with the unveiling of the Windows of Remembrance at St Michael's chucrh, Sandakan, where many POWs had spent the night before being marched to Sandakan camp. When commissioning the windows in 2003, my brief to the artist stipulated that the windows were to remember the POWs who had died and the many Sabahans who had risked, and given, their lives to help them. I asked that the story of the good samaritan - a man who extended the hand of friendship to a total stranger in time of need - be incorporated into the great west window.

Many of the people in Australia and UK who contributed to the fund, set up by my husband and myself, asked that their donations be recorded as a tribute to these brave Sabahans. This was done, and the sentiments are recorded in the Book of Remembrance, on display at the church.

At the unveiling, the guest list was restricted to donors, family members of the local people who had helped the POWs and those who had assisted with the actual project. At my insistence, the family members of the POWs and local people were the 'VIPs'. They, not those usually considered to be VIPs, held centre stage. It was not until I was presented with a beautiful painting of Mt Kinabalu by an elderly chinese lady, to thank me for acknowledging the Sabahans in the Windows of Remembrance that I realised how much this belated acknowledgement meant to the local people. I was very moved. She cried and so did I.

When we proceeded to stage 2 of the project, I moved the focus from one of reflection to hope for the future. The new windows, unveiled in 2008, would be celebration of 'Friendship' - the legacy left to us by Sabahans and Australians, united in common bond in those terrible days of 1942-45.

The particular assistance given by Kadazans and Dusuns to prisoners on the death marches, and those who escaped, is also the reason for the establishment in 2005 of the Sandakan Memorial Scholarship scheme. This initiative, our way of saying 'Thank You', now helps educate talented students from remote villages whose schooling would otherwise ceast at primary level. Run in honorary capacity by my husband and myself, the scheme obtains its funds from donations I solicit when I give talks on my books. The generosity of donors is such that the trust fund is now sufficiently large to ensure that our annual contribution to the scheme will continue in perpetuity. We have three students at university now, and several moving along to attain the required level for entry.

By 2009 I was very aware of the suffering of the people of Sabah at the hands of the Japanese. In August that year, the Australian High Commisioner to Malaysia, Penny Williams, and Kathy Upton-Mitchell, Deputy Director of the Officer of Australian War Graves (which, since 2007 took over the running of the Anzac Day services that I had begun in Sandakan in 1999), asked me to consider writing a 'booklet' for Sandakan Day 2010, to draw attention to the local story.

I was only too pleased to be asked. Having attended many memorial services at which the entire focus was on the POWs, my discomfit at the lack of acknowledgement had grown, not lessened, since that first service in 1999.

However, I told my two friends that the people of Sabah deserved far more than a booklet. I would write a book.

And so Blood Brothers was 'conceived'. But its birth was only made possible by Datuk C L Chan, who had published the Sabah edition of my first book in 2007, and who now agreed to publish Blood Brothers.

Because I consider Blood Brothers to be my gift to Sabah, I received no financial benefit from its publication. Indeed all my activities in Sabah, from the books I write to the treks I undertake along the Death March track, and Anzac Day Commomerative tours I accompany, are conducted on a purely non-profit basis.

As I have no agenda, this allows me to do what I think is best, without my work being compromised by commercial or business considerations.

Fortunately, I have have the overwhelming support of my husband, Neil. The deadline to publish Blood Brothers on August 15 2010 - 'Sandakan Day' in Sabah and the launch date - was very tight. To enable me to submit the completed manuscript by 1 April 2010, Neil took over the entire household - All cleaning, shopping, cooking, washing and ironing. My focus was entirely on the book, from 8 am until often 2 am the next day.

I always find that the writing is easy enough. The research in this case was difficult.

Although Mary Chin, of the Daily Express, had written an article published in 2009, asking for local people who had family members connected to the POW story to contact me, most of the emails I received were from Sabahans asking me what I knew about a relative - not providing me with any information.

However, I did have a very good response from some, which was vital, along with some useful material collected by Sabah Tourism a few years ago. This, coupled with wonderful interviews I had conducted with Mr Chin Chee Kong, whom I knew from the late 1990s due to his family connections in Australia; From Sabahans I had met and talked to over the years; And from material available in Australian archives - gave me enough to put a story together.

The first two chapters of the book, which deal with Sandakan's history from 1873 to 1942, when the Japanese arrived, were the hardest part to research. I wanted readers to understand the phenomenal development of Sandakan from a small bamboo and attap kampong to the beautiful town it became, pre-war. Life for the expatriates and hard working locals who had prospered to make this British-controlled outpost a jewel in the Crown of the Empire, was exceedingly pleasant until January of 1942, when the Imperial Japanese army arrived. It was all downhill, from then on.

I was fortunate to locate the family of an Australian Army officer who had been involved in the post-war reconstruction of Sandakan, reduced to a mass of ruins and charred timber at war's end by allied attacks and a Japanese scorched earth policy. Families of local people living outside Sabah also sent me some great material, so that bit by bit I was able to build a picture of the years of occupation as well as the days immediately following the liberation.

Having accessed hundreds of WW2 files in order to write my first book, I now re-combed these documents to extract the names of local person mentioned, so that I could create an honor roll. This list is by no means complete, but its compilation was dependent entirely on what was available here, and from Sabah.

NBHE : Are you satisfied with your finished product? Do you think it could have been better? Are you satisfied with the impact of your work to Sabahans and Australians. You said that other respondents had emerged belatedly with more information after your book was published. Do you plan on making a second edition on Blood Brothers with the new information?

LRS : I am happy with the finished product, based on the material I was able to source. I really enjoyed writing this book, which gave me a great deal of satisfaction. Had more material been available, I could have definitely improved upon it. For example, it was not until launch day that a local veteran, who had an interesting story to tell, actually told it. I was disappointed that, despite the appeal in the Daily Express that neither this man, nor members of his family, had come forward.

If the current print run sells out, I will definitely ask Datuk C L Chan to consider publishing a revised edition to include any new material that has come to light.

NBHE : What is/are the most memorable moments you had while collecting/researching for Blood Brothers? And was/were there any major obstacle/s to your efforts?

LRS : The realisation of just how sophisticated Sandakan was before 1900 (for example, a telegraph line linked Sandakan to Labuan - throug the uninhabited jungle and then underwater!) and the discovery that a friend I have known for years had a fabulous diary, written by her father. She was born in Sandakan, and her dad, a local planter, had detailed exactly what happened in Sandakan from November 1941, when war clouds were gathering, until the end of the war. I only found out that she had this when I asked her if she had any photos of Sandakan pre-war.

Material supplied by the Funk family was also very helpful, as was the generosity of the family who posted me an entire photo album of the re-building of Sandakan, immediately post-war. I scanned the photos at a high resolution and, with the family's permission, have been able to make them available to the Sabah government.

There were no major obstacles to overcome that I can remember, apart from finding the source material the deadline. It took me from August to Chrismas 2009, working 24/7, to collect the material, so I had just four months to collate it, find out if there were any 'holes', collect more information if necessary, write the manuscript, knock it into shape for publication and source additional illustrative material and maps. The publisher did a brilliant job with the layout, and everyone worked very hard to ensure that copies were at hand for the launch at Sandakan on 15 August by the Governor General of Australia and Datuk Peter Pang, representing Sabah's Chief Minister, who was overseas at the time.

NBHE : What development do you wish to see or hope for in the future where the 'kinship' of Sabahans and Australians is concerned?

LRS : I hope that strong bonds between Sabah and Australia will continue. It is wonderful that, wherever I go, in large towns and in the smallest, most humble villages, friendship and hospitality is always extended to Australians.

The bonds forged originally during the war, and with the liberation of Sabah in 1945, were strengthened with the Colombo Plan, an educational initiative by our government that saw many young Sabahans studying in Australia, and the assistance given by our Defence Forces during the Indonesian Confrontation in the 1960s. This was followed by the building of a number of major roads in Sabah's interior in the 1970s, with Australian assistance. And now, especially since 1999, we see an increasing number of Australisn travelling to Sabah to pay homage to our shared war experience.

I am hopeful, with many younger Australians coming to Sabah to walk along the Death March track, opened up by my friend Tham Yau Kong and myself in 2006, that the 'Ties that Bind' Australians and Sabahans together will not only continue, but strengthen.

Because of my close connections to your country, I am often called 'An Honorary Sabahan'. I consider it a great privilege and honour to be considered to be one of you.

End

Mrs Silver will be at Western Australia on 12 September 2011 in yet again another self-funded mission to promote Sabah and its history. She will be in Sabah again to attend the Remembrance Sunday service in Labuan on 13 November 2011.

A Dusun Tatana Ghost Story

2011-09-09T19:35:00.002+08:00

By : Justin Wong
First Posted Here

The Dusun Tatana's word for ghost/spirit is rogon. Dusun Tatana are the Dusuns found mainly or possibly only in Kuala Penyu, in the old days at least. Old folks swear that in the old days, before Christianity was spread among the Dusun Tatana, sightings of rogons were quite normal. Before Christianity, the Dusun Tatana practiced their pagan religion. So I guess maybe that was why rogons presence were aplenty in those days. Ok, some smart fellow just scoffed at this notion. Yes, I'm aware that the reported sightings could just be due to the Dusun Tatanas' being superstitious and attributing everything that was out of the norm to paranormal activities. I'm trying to tell a story here, do you mind?! Geez..! You're such a wet blanket, aren't you. I'm retelling a culture's folklore here, not the instruction on how to build a rocket to the moon!! It's like watching a Superman movie, do you think that people could actually fly? But you still watch it, didn't you? Why? Because it is entertaining! Oh?! What did you say? Superman isn't human but is an alien from Krypton. So you believe aliens exist but not spirits? Hoookay! You lost me in aliens... Shoo! Shoo!

Ok, where was I before I got interrupted by that imaginary cynical and opinionated reader? Oh yah! Rogons. They say when the first priest, of course a Westerner, came to the shores of Kuala Penyu and lived among the Dusun Tatanas, he would be visited by an uninvited dinner guest as he sat down to have his dinner every evening. The guest had half human and half skeleton face, it would share the priest's dinner but the food would just slip through its skeleton jaw onto the table. Apparently the old gods of the Dusun Tatana were not pleased with this priest that came to usurp their place and the nightly visits were attempts to challenge and scare the priest away. Heck, I think the rogons thought that the priest was a spirit himself because of his perhaps, blond/red hair and white skin.

My mother said when she was a kid living in Kuala Penyu, one day a relative dropped by and related what happened to him recently. This relative had a paddy field but it was very far away from where he lived. One day, he lost track of time while engrossed in tending to his paddy. Before he realized it, it was dusk and night was fast approaching. He packed his tools and hopped on to the back of his water buffalo which was the Dusun Tatana's "work horse" and also mode of transportation in the old days. Those days, Kuala Penyu was mostly wooded area unlike the Kuala Penyu of modern day. There were no proper roads, only trails and you would go on walking for hours without bumping into someone. My mom said she and her sisters or cousins, did not relish the prospect of walking through the woods whenever they had to visit a relative's house. There would be many graves littered along the trails. She dreaded the "kapir" (pagan) graves the most because the graves would be adorned with colourful worldly materials which was eerie because with all of the things cluttering around, the eyes could not see if anyone or anything was amongst the graves.

If it was any consolation to my mom's relative, the moon was at its full splendour that night. The relative said the moon was unusually bright, so bright that the leafs to the banana trees that he rode passed seemed to be reflecting the moonlight. It was beautiful he said and the trail wasn't dark but still, he was afraid. To calm his nerve, he sang outloud. He rode passed a beach and admired how sandy white was the beach under the moonlight. He didn't say what song he sang, perhaps it was the ever popular Kadazan/Dusun folk song "Sonsomido".

Souce : http://www.panoramio.com/photo/704378 (Credit : Dennis te Pas)

Suddenly his water buffalo stopped dead in its track! "Nokuo karabau diti?"(what's wrong with this buffalo), he thought to himself. No matter how hard he jabbed his heels to the beast's back, it wouldn't move. It just froze there. Then he heard voices, it sounded like two women having a conversation just infront of him. His eyes scanned the surrounding area for the owners of those voices. The voices got louder and louder, then he saw two women emerged from some bushes and walked across the trail. The women did not concern themselves with his presence and continued talking to each other. The relative said although he was within earshot, he could not understand their language and he thought it was strange for anyone to walk off the trail. As soon as the two women disappeared into the bushes on the opposite side of the trail, his water buffalo started walking without any prompting. He said what else could those women be but rogons, even the animal showed respect to them by stopping and letting them pass first.

Kalandau/Andau

The Dusun Tatana would not allow their children to play outside their home during dusk. They say this was the time when the Kalandau or Andau came out looking for human child to spirit away. The Andau is the Dusun Tatana version of the European's Doppelganger.

Parents would warn children about the Andau. The Andau had very long breasts that they could flip it over to their backs and they liked to fish. They could morph into the likeness of a child's relatives and trick the child into following them. Hence, the child would disappear.

Such was what happened to a child in Kuala Penyu, they say. He was playing outside and he disappeared. The parents alerted the village chief and the whole kampung (village) went searching for him. They spent the whole night looking for him to no avail. This went on to the following day and night. On the third day, some in the search parties suggested getting the local bobolian (priestess) as this was obviously no ordinary disappearance they said.

The bobolian came and chanted some incantation and told them that the child was inside an island of Rumbia (Sago Palm) trees. The villagers searched for the child there and sure enough, they found the child. They were befuddled because they had searched that area many times but did not see the child before this and they had to cut down many thorny vegetation before they could reach the child and yet the child had not a cut on him.

The bobolian told them it was the work of the Andau and that the Andau had shielded the child from their human eyes, that was why they couldn't see him before this. But now the Bobolian had broken the Andau's charm. The parents were distressed when the child seemed not to recognize them and reacted violently when anyone approached him. The bobolian said the child was being transformed into the Andau's kind and it was fortunate that they had found him in time. Otherwise, he would had transformed fully and cross over to the other dimension, where the Andau came from. They say the child had started growing hairs on his body. The next few days, the child was "berubat" (shamanic medicine) with the Bobolian and eventually recovered to his old self.

Jin

The Dusun Tatana believed in Jin. The Jin is invariably described as a huge being, sometime as tall as a tree, horrible looking and could tear a man from limb to limb. In the old days, the Dusun Tatana would refrain from cooking at night, especially if they were in the open when they went hunting. Doing so would attract the attention of the Jin which would come for a meal and the Jin was not someone or something you would want to have as dinner guest. They say the Jin's coming would be heralded by the sound of adult trees being snapped in half as though they were twigs.

But they also believed that Jin could give them supernatural power. One way of harnessing this power was via the Perigi Jin (Jin's water well). Surprisingly, this wells normally located alongside or near human wells. If one was bathing at the well and out of the blue, water was drizzling out of no where in what could be best described as a very localized rain in a small area, next to the well, than they would say that the Jin was washing himself too. If that person was brave enough, he could go under the drizzling water and shower in it. If he survived and not annoyed the Jin, then that person could gain supernatural powers.

Other Dusun (non Tatana) folklore

A Facebook friend, Jude Kessey, provided this interesting bits. His paternal grandmother was a bobolian but I'm not sure what Dusun she was.

Apparently there are three realms, our wordly realms, Libabou (Upper world) and Minorit (lower world). There are good spirits as there are bad ones. Rogon was the general reference to spirits regardless whether they are bad or good but these days, Rogon is simply taken to mean all bad spirits.

Yolungata - is the long breasted ghost. Perhaps a counterpart of the Dusun Tatana's Andau.

Tompuans - is a spirit that has long hair and wears a long robe. It's appearance is described as luminescence. Sometime it can be ill-tempered and sometime it serves as a bringer of omens.

Tutumolong/Tompisokisok - is a spirit that makes travellers lost in the wood.

Barod - is a celestial being that swallows the moon. Only when the Dusuns bang all their gongs would it regurgitate the moon.

Tompulalangoi - a magical being that would bestow superhuman strength to anyone who dares and able to beat them in a wrestling match.

Early Chinese Settlement in North Borneo

2011-09-09T17:49:00.000+08:00

By : Justin Wong

In 1894, Mr. P. Brietag, the manager of a tobacco estate from Kampung Batu Putih in the Kinabatangan area, led the first expedition to Agop Batu Tulug, a limestone cave systems found in Sabah or North Borneo then. In 1965, Mrs. Barbara Harrison of the Sarawak Museum and a group from Sabah Museum started an archaeological study of the caves.

Source : http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Asia/Malaysia/East/Sabah/Kinabatangan/photo317934.htm

What they found inside the caves were human bones, more than 100 carved coffins believed to be 200 - 250 years of age, gongs, blowpipes, Chinese artefacts, ceramics and personal ornaments. There is a school of thought that these sites might be the former burial sites of an early Chinese settlement found in the Kinabatangan area.

There are scholars who believe that China had been trading with the inhabitants of Borneo as early as 900 AD, based on Chinese texts. Chinese junks trading with the Sulus in the Philippines referred to a kingdom or area south of the Philippines named Puni in 1252. In 1292, it is said that Kublai Khan sent an expedition to Borneo.

The indigenous Orang Sungai who inhabits the area along the Kinabatangan River since time immemorial has an oral tradition as to how the river got its name. They used to call the river, "Cina Batangan" or Chinese River. They say a Chinese adventurer sailed from China, through the Sulu Sea and came to the river mouth of the Kinabatangan River. He established a few settlements namely Mumiang, Sukau and Bilit along the 560 kilometre long river. These towns are still in existence today.

Source : http://tripwow.tripadvisor.com/slideshow-photo/kinabatangan-river-in-the-morning-mist-by-travelpod-member-cawleyadventure-bilit-malaysia.html?sid=10340832&fid=tp-2

The jungle of the Kinabatangan area was bountiful! The Chinese found and traded edible bird's nests, rhinoceros horns, elephant ivories, hornbill casques, hardwood resins, damar, flexible rattan vines, beeswax, fragrant wood and oil rich illipe nuts with the Chinese emperor and wealthy mandarins.

Source : http://www.panoramio.com/photo/5586036

Eventually, the Chinese adventurer and his followers became a powerful group in the Kinabatangan area and the natives even started calling him a "Raja". Salasilah Raja-Raja Brunei or Genealogy of The Brunei Kings, seems to validate the existence of these early Chinese settlements in Kibatangan. It identified the leader as Ong Sum Ping.

Ong Sum Ping is also known as Wong Song Ping and Huang Senping. However, he is better known by his Hokkien name in Brunei. Some suggested that he was from the Fujian province of China. In the late Yuan Dynasty, Ong together with his sister and followers, fled China to avoid the social unrest.

In another oral tradition, it is said that when Ong Sum Ping and his party reached the river mouth of the Kinabatangan River, they were exhausted after facing a shipping crisis. So exhausted were they that one of them dropped their arms into the river. Hence, the area had since then been called "Kina Batangan" - The place that the Chinese lost their arms. The natives, particularly the Dusuns, called the Chinese "Kina", quite similar to the malay word "Cina".

Chinese texts said that Ong Sum Ping went to Brunei in 1375. Sultan Muhammad Shah (1363 - 1402), whom was the first Sultan of Brunei, apparently welcomed him with open arms. He married off his daughter, Princess Ratna Dewi, to Ong Sum Ping and gave him the title Pengiran Maharaja Lela and Chief of Kinabatangan.

The Sultan also arranged to have his brother, Pengiran Bendahara Ahmad to marry Ong Sum Ping's sister and gave her the title Puteri Kinabatangan or Princess of Kinabatangan. Pengiran Bendahara Ahmad would later rule Brunei as Sultan Ahmad from 1408 to 1425.

Brunei was a fledgling power during the reign of Sultan Muhammad Shah and was under constant threat of a Sulu invasion. However, with the cooperation of these two regional powers i.e. Brunei and Kinabatangan, they managed to repel the Sulus. Brunei would go on to become a regional power culminating to its "Golden Age" between late 15th and early 16th century.

Ong Sum Ping would continue to expand his power base. Some credited him to having opened more Chinese towns and villages in what is now present day Kota Kinabalu. Ong Sum Ping is the only Chinese who has a street named after him in Brunei, "Jalan Ong Sum Ping".

There is an oral tradition of the Kadazandusun of their first encounter with the Chinese from the Kinabatangan and Labuk areas. One of the Chinese "heroes" asked for the hand of the Chief's daughter in marriage. The dowry was said to be seven huge jars plus copper and silverwares. During this encounter, the Kadazandusun was still living at their legendary place of origin, Nunuk Ragang. I am sure this is not the only example of inter-marriages between the natives and the early Chinese settlers.

These early Chinese settlers integrated themselves well into the local community. For example, if one is to go to Kuala Penyu during Chinese New Year, you would find some Dusun Tatana celebrating the festivity. Their houses would be decorated with lanterns and some houses would have altars. When I was young, I had always wondered about this but most of the people I asked simply said that their family had been doing this longer than they could remember. It is possible that their ancestors could have been part Chinese.

Interesting enough, the olden Chinese in Sabah who inter-married with the natives did not give Chinese names to their offspring. They named them for example, Bulangang, Sanagang, Manak etc. Why they did this? Well, I will find out next when there is a gathering of elders.

Why do I make the assumption that some of the natives in Kuala Penyu could have inter-married with some of these early Chinese settlers? Kuala Penyu was one of the early conquests of Sultan Muhammad Shah, it is a coastal area and would have been subject to attacks by the Sulu. It would be plausible that Ong Sum Ping could have sent some of his men there to reinforce the Sultan's men in defense of the area. Old folks recall the days when "Lanun Suluk" or Suluk Pirates would land on their shores to replenish their drinking water and food supply. They said, generally they wouldn't harm them if they co-operated. These old folks' encounters happened sometime in the late 19th century, long after Ong Sum Ping's era in 14th century but it serves to demonstrate that the area was accessible to the Sulu raiders.

Ong Sum Ping is also said to be a muslim even before he married into the royal household. He could have played a role in the spreading of Islam to the Orang Sungais whom are predominantly Muslims these days, in the Kinabatangan area.

Oral traditions is of course not the best source of factual information but it is interesting to note that some of them seem to corroborate with historical facts. I hope I have entertained you with my piece which is not to be taken seriously but I hope it will make you curious enough to research Sabah's past on your own, if you happen to be a Sabahan reading this.

I leave you with the following suggested must read:

1. British North Borneo: An Account of its History, Resources and Native Tribes by Owen Rutter

2. Headhunting and the Social Imagination in Southeast Asia by Janet Hoskins

3. The Sulu Zone, 1768 - 1898 : The Dynamics of External Trade, Slavery and ethnicity in the transformation of a Southeast Asian maritime State by James Francis Warren