- Author:
- Moor, J. H
- Publication Info:
-
Singapore:
no recorded publisher,
1837,
pg 13
Text on page 13
(13)
TRADE WITH THE WEST COAST OF BORNEO.
THE commerce between Singapore and the West Coast of the island of Borneo is carried on with the various native ports in the country of Borneo Proper, situated between Tan-joog Dattoo and the northern extremity of the island, and with the Dutch Settlements of Samba#, Mampawa and Pontianak. The whole of this trade is conducted by Malays and Bugis, in prows belonging to the different ports from whence they come, of from 300 to 1200 piculs burthen.
The prows from Borneo Proper are chiefly of the burthen of from'800 to 1200 piculsa' they carry from 40 to 60 men each, and are, like most other native vessels, well-armed with long brass guns, (lelas) as well as with spears, swords, and other small arms. About fifteen or twenty of these vessels trade with this port, and generally tpake two voyages in the course of the year. Their imports principally consist of pepperacamphorabees* waxabirds* nestsa tortoise shellamother of pearl shellsaand pearls ;and each cargo, according to tbe size of the vessel, is said to be worth from 2,000 to 8,000 Spanish dollars. These cargoes they very readily dispose of here to the resident Chinese merchants, in barter for blue and white Madras clothsaBengal chintzes and white goodsaEurope chintzes and long clothsaironasteeWcot-ton twist,tn blue, red and whiteablue and yellow nankeensaChinese goldthread and c. These traders take no opium, as that drug is not allowed to be used by any of the natives of Bor* Aeo Proper.
From the particulars we have been able to collect from the Chinese merchants who deaf with these people, and from the traders themselves, we should think that the annual amount ef our trade with the native? of that part of the island, does not fall short of 60,000 or 70,000 Spanish dollars.
Our trade with the three Dutch settlements however, is much more considerable. From Sambas about fifteen or twenty prows visit us every six months, each bringing from 60 to 609 bunkals of gold dust, according to the means of the trader. The Sambas prows bring scarce** Ij any thing else besides gold dust, on account of the heavy duties upon all other articles exported to a British port From Mampawa and Pontianak about twenty or thirty prows come here twice a year, with gold dustadiamondsatin, and rattans. The export duty on all arti* cfes from these places, exported to a British settlement, is 12 per cent, except on gold and dia- moods, which are free. The different cargoes from these settlements are said to vary in value from 2,000 to 26,000 dollars, and we are told that not less than fifty separate arrivals take place in the coarse of the year. If we take the number of arrivals at fifty, and the value of eaeb cargo at 5,000 dollars, which we believe is considerably under the average, the annual value of imports from these three settlements will amount to not less a sum than !ffi0,006 Spa* srish dollars.
In return, these traders chiefly take Bengal and Madras piece goods and iron. They tak* co British manufactured cottons and no opium, in consequence of the protection the Dtttdt kindly give to the trade of the mother country and her colonies by their prohibitory duties. With the view, no doubt of confining the trade of the various Duteh settlements with eack other, and of preventing any part of it from falling into tbe hands of the English, they have tffery wisely imposed a duty of 35 per cent, on all British manufactured cottons imported fro* any British possession, knowing the predilection of all the natives for British goods, and thinking probably that they wilt be compelled to go to Java for them, where they knew tb^p cannot be obtained previous to their having paid to tbe government of Java an import duty ef30 pec cent., in addttioa to which the native trader is compelled to pay an export duty of a per cent* or expecting, probably, that they will invest the proceeds of their cargoes in Netherlands manufactures. At afl events the system which is pursued by the Dutch, is expeeted to have thesa* Jufary effect ef keeping the trade of their numerous settlements in their own (rands, so that they may reap the exclusive benefit of all the commerce which is carried on by the inhabitants of tbe various stations under the government. To effect this, every obstacle is thrown in the way of these people trading with us, for although the Dutch authorities cannot refuse them a port-efeanwce for Siogapofe, yet they annoy them by every means in their power, and use everf effort to indnce tbe*A go to Java, so that it has now become a common practice with theseIn return, these traders chiefly take Bengal and Madras piece goods and iron. They tak* co British manufactured cottons and no opium, in consequence of the protection the Dtttdt kindly give to the trade of the mother country and her colonies by their prohibitory duties. With the view, no doubt of confining the trade of the various Duteh settlements with eack other, and of preventing any part of it from falling into tbe hands of the English, they have tffery wisely imposed a duty of 35 per cent, on all British manufactured cottons imported fro* any British possession, knowing the predilection of all the natives for British goods, and thinking probably that they wilt be compelled to go to Java for them, where they knew tb^p cannot be obtained previous to their having paid to tbe government of Java an import duty ef30 pec cent., in addttioa to which the native trader is compelled to pay an export duty of a per cent* or expecting, probably, that they will invest the proceeds of their cargoes in Netherlands manufactures. At afl events the system which is pursued by the Dutch, is expeeted to have thesa* Jufary effect ef keeping the trade of their numerous settlements in their own (rands, so that they may reap the exclusive benefit of all the commerce which is carried on by the inhabitants of tbe various stations under the government. To effect this, every obstacle is thrown in the way of these people trading with us, for although the Dutch authorities cannot refuse them a port-efeanwce for Siogapofe, yet they annoy them by every means in their power, and use everf effort to indnce tbe*A go to Java, so that it has now become a common practice with these
