. The earth and its inhabitants ... Geography. SAEAWAK. 145 the fishing of which is strictly regulated, and a close season enforced for the collection of the eggs. East of Sarawak the broad and fertile Lupar valley, with its rich coalfields, has probably the brightest future j)rospects, thanks to its easy natural communications with the Kapuas basin and the interior of Borneo. Simangang, its capital, is a large Malay village 80 miles above the estuary at the head of the fluvial navi- gation. The Rejang basin, comprising the northern portion of Sarawak, has already developed a considerable expo
. The earth and its inhabitants ... Geography. SAEAWAK. 145 the fishing of which is strictly regulated, and a close season enforced for the collection of the eggs. East of Sarawak the broad and fertile Lupar valley, with its rich coalfields, has probably the brightest future j)rospects, thanks to its easy natural communications with the Kapuas basin and the interior of Borneo. Simangang, its capital, is a large Malay village 80 miles above the estuary at the head of the fluvial navi- gation. The Rejang basin, comprising the northern portion of Sarawak, has already developed a considerable export trade, especially in sago and bilian (ironwood). Fig. 55.—Saeawak. Scale 1 : 900 000. Depths. 0 to 16 Feet. 16 to 32 Feet. 32 Feet and upwards. _ 18 Miles. This trade, carried on by Chinese junks, is centred chiefly in the port of Rejang, on the southern branch of the delta. 8ibu, another Malay town at the head of the delta, is the great market for the interior, and here the Government has built a fort to overawe the surrounding Dayaks. The Milanos, one of their most numer- ous tribes, have been partially converted to Islam. They are a repulsive race with coarse limbs, uncouth carriage, and milky-white, unwholesome complexion. The custom of treading out the sap of the sago-palm has given them broad, flat feet, while the heads of their children are deformed by means of boards, like those of the North American Flatheads. At the death of a rich Milano his sago plan- tation is cut down, so that his estate may accompany him to the next world. The increasing trade of Sarawak is furthered by about a hundred European, Chinese, and Malay vessels, besides a regular service of steamers ph'ing between Kuching and Singapore. With the traffic the revenue also increases, leaving an 10—0. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectgeography, bookyear18
