The largest river which runs into this bay is the Labuk, which gives its name to the place. It has three entrances—Kalagan, small; Labuk, large; Sabi, small. Off its mouth is a place called Lingkabu, famous for its pearl fishery. The productions of this district are principally camphor, wax, rattans, and pearls, and the interior is reported to be well inhabited by the Ida’an. Next to it there is an insignificant village of Islams on the river Suñgalihut, and is only inhabited on account of the edible birds’ nests found in the interior.
Between the eastern point of Labuk Bay and the islands there is a three-fathom channel. The coast is low, with no marked features until we round the point, and the bluff islands of Sandakan Bay are visible. Then the land appears to rise gradually into pretty hills, presenting beautiful slopes for cultivation; but as we approach the entrances of the Kina Batañgan, the land again becomes low. Sandakan Bay itself is a splendid harbour, with a good supply of fresh water. It used to be well inhabited, but on one occasion the villages were surprised by the Balignini pirates, and sacked and burnt by them. The inhabitants who escaped the attack dispersed among the neighbouring communities, but every year strong parties of the surrounding people assemble there to collect the valuable products of the place, which consist of large quantities of white birds’ nests, pearls, wax, sea-slug, and the best kind of camphor.
About four or five years ago, Pañgeran, or Datu Mahomed, the ruler of Atas, became so unbearably tyrannical that a large section of the population determined to abandon their country, and hearing of the English settlement of Labuan, resolved to remove there. One of their principal men proceeded first to make arrangements for the others, who in the meantime made temporary dwellings in Sandakan Bay. He sailed round to the north-west coast, and unfortunately put into the Papar river for water. The chief of that district, Pañgeran Omar, detained him and forced him to send up his family to his house. Week after week passed, and they were still kept there, till information reached our colony, when the governor sent an officer to try and release these people, but his representations were treated with contempt, as he had no material force at his back; and the next thing I heard was that the Bornean chief had put the Atas man to death, on pretence that he was about to run amuck, and taken the wife and daughters into his harim, reducing the followers to slavery. When this intelligence reached Sandakan Bay, it is not surprising the fugitives did not venture on the inhospitable north-west coast. The whole affair might have been better managed on our part, and had proper representations been made to the admiral on the station, there is little doubt he would have considered himself authorized to interfere.
Passing this bay, we arrive at the many mouths of the Kina Batañgan river; the first, named Balabatang, is said to connect the river with the bay; the second is Trusan Abai, by which the first village may be reached in seven days. The deepest entrance is Tundong Buañgin, and in certain months, perhaps after the rainy season, it is said there is a channel with three fathoms; but in the dry weather the sand again collects and spoils the passage. It is seldom used, except by very large trading prahus, as it takes them thirty days to reach the first village. Judging by the time required by the Bornean boats to reach the town of Lañgusin, on the Baram river, during the rainy season, we may calculate that with the windings of the river, the first village must be about a hundred miles from the mouth. The Sulu prahus being heavier built, the Bornean ones used in the Baram trade would move a third faster. The first village on the banks is called Bras Manik. There are numerous hamlets beyond; in fact, the Kina Batañgan river is always spoken of as one of the most populous, and by far the most important on the north-eastern coast, and it is the one the Datus of Sulu watch with the most jealous attention. As this is the only country in Borneo where the elephants are numerous, it is the only one where ivory forms an important article of trade in the eyes of the natives. But the most valuable articles are the remarkably fine white birds’ nests and the camphor, which is collected in large quantities in the old forests which clothe the lofty mountains seen in the interior. Wax, sea-slug, very fine tortoise-shell, and also pearls, are the articles that render this trade so sought after. The tortoise-shell is collected on the many islands with broad sandy beaches that stud this quiet sea. My servant once found a packet ready prepared for sale left by some careless collector near the remains of a deserted hut. Turtle also frequent these islands; and one day, while walking along the beach with a blue-jacket, we saw a fine animal in shoal water. He sprang in, and after a vigorous struggle, in which his companions partly assisted, he turned the beast on his back and towed him ashore, to afford, next day, excellent turtle soup for the whole ship’s company. The natives generally despise rattans as articles of export, on account of their great bulk, otherwise they might collect sufficient to load many ships. The principal articles of import into these countries are gray shirtings, chintzes, red cloth, iron, steel, brass wire, beads, and powder and muskets. With opium, they say themselves, they are sufficiently supplied by the Lanun pirates, who obtain it from the prahus they capture among the Dutch islands.
Sigama is the next river, and has but a small population of Islams, though there are many Ida’an in the interior.
Cape Unsang is low and marked by few characteristic features, but on rounding the point becomes steadily prettier until we reach the Tungku river, when it presents a beautiful succession of low hills with the mountain of Siriki to the left, which is a good mark to discover the pirate haunt of Tungku. All the small rivers on the southern shore of Cape Unsang are barred, not admitting a ship’s barge at low-water—at least, we did not find deeper channels. I saw here a shark, the largest I have ever noticed: it swam to and fro in the shallow water, eyeing the English seamen who were dragging their boats over the sands, but it did not venture near enough to be dangerous. We were sitting in the gig a little to seaward and it passed and repassed within a few yards of us, and I thought it must have been fifteen feet in length, but the imagination is apt to wander on such occasions, and as it swam in very shallow water, it appeared to show more of its back than usual. As the officers and men were on particular service, no one attempted to put a ball into it. Tungku appeared a type of the neighbouring districts: near the sea it is flat, occasionally varied by a low hill. I walked several hours through this country, and never before saw more luxuriant crops; the rice stalks were over our heads, the sugar cane was of enormous girth, and the pepper vines had a most flourishing appearance: the soil must be of the very finest quality.
I have visited none of the districts on the east coast to the south of Tungku, but I heard that the people of Tidong, as of old, are troubling the neighbouring countries, as the Dayaks of Seribas and Sakarang did the north-west coast when I first reached Borneo. In sight of Cape Unsang, are many islands, at present the resort of the Balignini, as Tawi Tawi and Binadan. A chief from the former captured a Spanish schooner in 1859, and was reported to have found the daughter of the captain on board. The Spanish Government made many efforts to recover her; but by native report she still lives with her captor, Panglima Taupan, who treats her with every attention and considers her his principal wife. I heard last year she had borne a child to him, and was now unwilling to leave him.
The inhabitants of the north-east coast may be divided into Pagan and Mahomedan. The former are Ida’an, no doubt exactly similar to their countrymen found on the opposite coast; but at Sugut the natives affirm there is a tribe who have a short tail. I have elsewhere mentioned that my informant declared he had felt it: it was four inches long, and quite stiff; and that at their houses they were provided with seats with holes for this uncomfortable prolongation of the spine; the poorer people contented themselves with sitting on simple logs of wood, allowing the tail to hang over. It is quite possible there may have been some instances in a tribe, as I have heard that this deformity has been known in Europe; and from one or two would soon arise the story of the tribes with tails. I do not think I have mentioned elsewhere that I have seen Dayaks who carry little mats hanging down their backs, fastened to their waist-cloths, on which they sit: they always have them there, ready to be used. I at first thought that the story of the men with tails arose from the method of wearing the waistcloth adopted by some of the tribes: they twist it round their loins, and have one end hanging down in front, the other behind, but some so manage it that the resemblance to a tail at a little distance is remarkable, particularly when the men are running fast.
The Mahomedan population consists of Sulus, Bajus, and a few Lanuns, together with slaves, consisting of captives made by the pirates during their cruises among the various islands of the Archipelago, and sold at that great slave-mart, Sugh. The districts of the north-east coast are nearly all governed by chiefs from Sulu, or by the descendants of the Arab adventurers who all assume the title of Serib, or, more correctly, Sherif. They do their utmost to monopolize the trade, and do not hesitate to cut off any native prahus who may venture on that coast; and Europeans have avoided all connection with it for many years; the last attempt was made by a Mr. Burns, who lost life and ship in Maludu Bay in 1851.
END OF VOL. I