for 5 inches on the right side. In all 3 cases the assailants were caught and sentenced to various terms of hard labour, in the last case to three years. Pangarah Rimpu of Mupub, ulu Sadong, was charged with swindling the Government in respect of tax. It was found that 18 men of his Kampong had not been paying Tax. In three cases the Pangarah had reported the men "dead," two of them having "died" some ten years ago, consequently paying no tax during that time. The Pangarah was fined $300. The 18 men were brought down to Simunjan and all arrears of tax paid in full at once, as was the Pangarah's fine, before they were allowed to return.
Public Works. — The water supply is now complete and an excellent supply of good drinking water available for the use of the Bazaar and Government people. The water has been brought from the mountain 41/2 miles away by a pipe line leading to two stand pipes, one of which is situated in the centre of the Bazaar and the other close to the Government buildings. Considerable trouble was experienced laying the pipes as they are not of good quality and numbers are defective. Unfortunately, when the water was turned on defects which could not have otherwise been detected became apparent. The pipes split at the welding in a dozen places — in some cases for 3 inches or more — and clamps had to be fitted to render them water tight, unscrewing such a length of pipe being out of the question. Messrs. Howarth Erskine — a Singapore Firm — supplied the pipes, and the supplying of such defective tubes has caused considerable delay and extra labour, and extra and otherwise unnecessary expense has been incurred in consequence. However, thanks to the promptness of the Manager, Mr. Naysmith, in supplying the necessary clamps, etc., Simunjan is now in possession of a supply of excellent water which is a great boon and highly appreciated.
Good progress has been made with the new wharf, part of which is now nearing completion and can be used for loading or discharging. It is 127 feet from the bank to the end, where the water has a depth of 31/2 fathoms at low tide, and the completed frontage 82 feet long. The line of rail has been brought round to the wharf and an immense amount of embankment work has had to be done. The new sheds are now being erected and should be in use this year.
The centre of the old wharf was swept away late in November by the strong tide and, though it has been temporarily repaired, is exceedingly unsafe. Coal is now being stacked over close to the new wharf.
The stacks of coal have been steadily growing and the gronnd between the old shed and new wharf is covered with coal, which appears to be of good quality and is nearly all large, and has been exceptionally free from dirt and stone.
| Tons cart. | Tons cart. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Received at wharf, Oct. | 2,300. 10. | Shipped during Oct. | 845. 17. |
| Received at„wharf„Nov. | 1,798. 16. | Shipped„during„Nov. | 724. 8. |
| Stock at wharf at end of Oct. | 1,848. 11. | Stock at wharf at end of Nov. | 2,917. 19. |
The output during November decreased owing to large quantities of stone having been sent by each train for filling the sites of the new sheds, the amount of coal sent to the wharf of course decreasing by so many trucks. There was trouble with water in No. 5 Mines which produced very little for many days, the water completely filling the bottom of the slope.
The Opium Farmer has built a fine shop with a frontage on the new Bazaar Road and Ah Song will have a similar shop under construction in a few weeks.
Medical. — An accident occurred on the railway in October, a Dyak girl of Senangih, named Lanan, in trying to descend from a truck while in motion getting a number of toes cut off from both her feet by dropping on to the rail instead of the ground. A five ton truck went over both feet. She was at once attended to by the Hospital Dresser, who fortunately happened to be on the train, and was afterwards sent to Hospital, the Ven: Archdeacon Sharp kindly offering to take her in his boat.
The 3 men wounded by parangs are all doing well.
A number of beri-beri patients have been under treatment in the Hospital, several serious cases being sent to Kuching and one dying here. As usual, these cases come from the low lying coolie lines and the patients recover in hospital here if the case is discovered in time. The Malay population at the Colliery are free from this disease though they consume exactly the same quality rice, bought from the same shops and taken from the same sacks as those from which the coolies obtain their rice. But the coolies consume vegetables salted (?) in jars, the smell from which is abominable, and eat all manner of doubtfully cured foods, while the Malays live on fresh vegetables and fish and their dwellings are in all cases raised some feet above the ground, while the beri-beri cases almost invariably come from the lines which have no floors but the bare and damp earth and have no drainage. Beri-beri cases are almost unknown at No. 8 lines which are built well above the ground and are fairly well drained, being situated on the slope of the hill. It remains to be seen what effect the completion of the drainage scheme now in hand at the Colliery, combined with the moving of the coolies into the new houses which are nearing completion and the destruction of the old beri-beri inspected lines, will have on the number of cases of this disease at the Mines.
General. — During October the Ven: Archdeacon Sharp paid a visit to the Station for the purpose of marrying two couples at the Colliery. The double ceremony took place in the Manager's Bungalow on the morning of the 12th, the Ven: Archdeacon leaving for Kuching that same evening.
The s. s. Sarawak arrived on the 7th November. Passenger, Mr. J. R. Ballingal. She left for Bintulu on the 8th.
Mr. Ballingal has unfortunately had to postpone the opening of a rubber plantation here owing to ill health. He returned to Kuching on November 11th.
The s. s. Alice Lorraine came in on the 20th with a large lighter in tow. The lighter went alongside the new wharf next day and shipped eight 42' logs of heavy timber and fourteen 18' logs for Kuching P. W. D. The steamer could not load much coal owing to the old wharf having given way the day before and not having been repaired. She sailed on the morning of the 22nd towing the lighter. She came in again on the 24th and took a cargo of coal for Labuan, sailing next day at daylight.
During November the Colliery ran out of oil owing to the non-arrival of stores by schooner. It would be better if a steamer could bring in stores during the N. E. Monsoon when schooners—very few of which are now running—cannot be depended upon. A week of rough weather might delay the transit of stores and stop all work at the Mines.
The new mouth of the Simunjan is widening at a great pace and the old mouth is rapidly silting up with the rest of the river up past the Kampong where it is now possible to walk across at low water. Last year the water was fathoms deep there at that state of the tide. The bank of the Sadong River, I am glad to say, is not falling away at such a rate now that the Simunjan River has formed a
