Agriculture is the mainstay of every Asiatic country. In the early years of the old Rajah’s Government the natives only grew rice sufficient for their own consumption, and the Chinese confined themselves to a little gardening near their small settlements; but when, in 1850, the Chinese flocked from Sambas into Sarawak, Captain Brooke saw the necessity of encouraging as many as possible of those accustomed to agriculture to settle on the fertile soil near the river’s banks, and began by establishing colonies of these industrious immigrants at places about eight miles above the capital, at Sungei Tungah and Batu Kawa. These flourished until the year 1857, when the Chinese insurrection interfered with their progress for a time.

The financial distress which followed this great upheaval prevented any further assistance being given to agriculturists, until, in 1875, the present Rajah, Sir Charles Brooke, determined to encourage gambier planting, and this he followed up by introducing the cultivation of pepper, coffee, including the Liberian variety, cocoa and the oil palm. Of these coffee appears the most popular among the Malays and Dyaks, who have carried its cultivation into most of the districts of Sarawak, on a small scale, it is true, but as the plants bear, and the returns come in, many more are now encouraged to cultivate this useful shrub.

Only one English Planting Company tried its fortune in the country, and this failed for want of capital to enable it to await results. In 1895, 500 cwts. of coffee were exported, whilst in 1896 the export rose to 1483 cwts., nearly treble the amount, and there is every probability that the annual produce will proportionally increase; gambier rose from 26,250 cwts. in 1895 to 29,285 cwts. in 1896; and pepper, a very valuable article, was exported in both years to the amount of over 18,000 cwts. These three important cultivations were introduced into the country by the present Rajah, and their products were valued in 1895 at £46,820, and in 1896 at £44,082.

The planting of sago, an indigenous palm, has been much encouraged, and the export of the manufactured flour in 1896 amounted to over 15,000 tons, of a value of about £70,000. A little tea is grown but is not exported. There is no doubt that the Sarawak Government has done much to encourage agriculture, but it has failed as yet to attract European capital. I notice that lately the Borneo Company has commenced to plant gambier. One of the causes of the failure above referred to is, that European capitalists are not tempted by the prospect of having their enterprises under the control of an irresponsible ruler, however just and capable he may be, as all might change on the advent of a successor. But they might reflect that the Borneo Company have been carrying on their business for the last forty years without any difficulties arising.

There are millions of acres in the Sarawak territory which are open to European capitalists; hundreds of thousands of acres on the great river of Rejang alone, where water carriage would be at their door, and produce could be shipped direct to Europe, and that is only one out of the many districts awaiting foreign enterprise.

It is curious that an agricultural population like that of Sarawak does not grow sufficient rice for its own consumption. In 1896 it had to import of this grain to the value of about £42,000. It is true that only a portion of the population is really industrious—the Chinese and the Seribas and Sakarang Dyaks. The former are otherwise employed, whilst the latter devote much of their energy to the collection of jungle produce. And yet in the district of Samarahan alone sufficient rice might be cultivated to supply the whole country.

If we compare the trade returns of Sarawak for the years 1876 and 1896, and take only the dollar value, the increase is striking, but if you turn the amounts into sterling the results are very disappointing. In 1876 the exchange value of the dollar was four shillings, whilst in 1896 it had fallen to two shillings only. This depreciation of silver certainly aids those countries where the dollar and rupee circulate by the great nominal augmentation of the value of their produce, whilst it enhances the price of European goods by a hundred per cent. when paid for in silver.

In 1876 Imports from Foreign Countries,£169,000
” 1896””227,000
” 1876 Imports Coasting Trade,94,000
” 1896””142,000
” 1876 Exports to Foreign Countries,186,000
” 1896””242,000
” 1876 Exports Coasting Trade,98,000
” 1896””113,000

These figures may relate principally to the trade of Sarawak Proper, as each of the large districts has a small direct trade with Singapore, but the indications are to the contrary, as the coal exported from Sadong is included in these returns, and the sago flour from some at least of the out-stations.

The export of antimony has fallen off considerably, and cinnabar has been nearly worked out. Jungle produce continues to be found in large quantities, and gutta-percha, India rubber, rattans, beeswax and timber considerably swell the trade returns; but coal and gold are, I think, destined to develop Sarawak in a remarkable manner. The Borneo Company, which until lately had not been able to invest much capital in their operations on account of the difficulties attending the first working of coal in Sarawak, as a result of the scarcity of antimony and the gradual failure of the great deposits of cinnabar, has now entered on a new phase of activity.