The chief event of the month was the visit of His Highness The Rajah Muda to this station at Chinese New Year. Leaving Santubong shortly before noon on 20th His Highness took the route via the lobahs to Rombongan which place was reached at 4 P.M. Here the Young Harry anchored. The launch went through the Rombongan lobah at the top of a spring tide quite easily. Lundu was reached at 2.15 P.M. the following afternoon. After spending three nights here His Highness returned to Kuching on 24th at 5.30 A.M. A halt for a couple of hours was made at Rombongan. Here one's creature comforts were most handsomely provided for. This was very necessary after walking a good ten miles along the shore in the blazing sun. Leaving the Young Harry to follow at the right state of the tide His Highness proceeded to Kuching in his motor boat. The return journey occupied 14 1/2 hours. This constitutes a record from Lundu to Kuching or vice versa via the lobahs. Had not the pilot missed his way in a rain storm this time could easily have been lessened by two hours. Just as all hope of ever getting to Kuching that same evening was being abandoned and the none too pleasant experience of a night in the lobahs, without food or curtains, contemplated, lobah Kara came into view. Kuching was reached at a few minutes before 8 o'clock that night. His Highness throughout this trip was accompanied by Mr. J.R. Barnes and myself.
With an advance in the prices of pepper and gutta jelutong the trade prospects for 1909 are bright. Many natives are now away in the jungle collecting the latter.
Concerning the reported smuggling of gun-powder into this district I went fully into the matter whilst in Simatan. It is true that this article is smuggled in both over the border and by the sea, but the amount concerned is exceedingly small. Island boats calling at Tulok Milano or Tulok Srabang will occasionally exchange a charge or two of powder for fruit and vegetables. These people are I understand, allowed by the Dutch Authorities to carry a small amount of powder for the purpose of self-protection. I have thought it advisable to slightly increase the sale of powder to bona fide owners of gardens and plantations. It must be taken into consideration that these people have very many enemies to contend with. The wild pigs, monkeys, squirrels, etc., do an enormous amount of damage to their crops. This should have the effect of stopping all smuggling without resorting to stringent methods. Powder is far harder to obtain over the border than it is in Sarawak.
By His Highness the Rajah Muda's order the Sebuyow Dyaks were told to cease all beating of gongs and feasting. They were carrying on in the sam ridiculous fashion as the Dyaks of Sadong and around Kuching. So infatuated had they become with their continual feasting that they appeared to be quite oblivious of the fact that their paddi farms require attention. To put a stop to this absurd nonsense I thought they would be better occupied by doing some really useful work.They have since been turned out and have repaired all the bridges from Skambal to Siah of which there are some 14, five of them being good long ones. The Dyaks received the usual daily allowance which it is customary to pay them when called upon to do Government work.
There has been a good deal of sickness about during the month, no doubt largely aggravated by the abnormally dry weather which has been so prevalent of late.
F.F. Boult
Resident 2nd Class.
No comments:
Post a Comment