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THE STAR OF SARAWAK. 247
made
great headway in the scientific exploration of the northern regions of
Borneo, under the chartered company, whose cessions in the Malay
Archipelago, have recently been so much discussed. Although he only
started on his interesting journey of exploration in the autumn of
1881, his investigations lead to encouraging hopes as to the mineral
resources of the country, notably in the way of coal, iron, and
antimony, besides a suggestion of an excellent mineral oil. It is too
early as yet for the explorer to have arrived at anything like definite
results. His travels belong at present as much to the history of
geography as to possible mineral deposits. Adventures of river and
jungle, experiences of natives who have never yet seen white men,
incidents of sport, accidents of travel, variations of climate, and a
hundred other matters that belong to first visits to new worlds, must
naturally tend to interfere somewhat with a concentrated hunt for
minerals. Nevertheless, Mr. Hatton is sending home encouraging reports,
and in one of them, we venture to think, he shows that he has been
within the possible pale of a diamantiferous region, though it seems to
us he is more intent upon what the company would regard as the greater
commercial importance of metals.* His researches are, as we have
already said, attended with many
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* As regards the Sarawak district of Borneo, The New Ceylon quotes
Mr. Crocker, (a former resident under the present Rajah Brooke), who,
in a paper read at the Royal Geographical Society in February, 1881,
stated that the upper country of Borneo is rich in minerals, that gold
is still worked by the Chinese, and diamonds by the Malays. This is
outside the northern cession, which is practically a " Garden of the
Sun," for vegetation, and with a grand range of mountains. In Sarawak,
15,000 tons of antimony was exported, from 1859 to 1879, and from 1870
to 1879, 15,000 flasks of
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