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Category: Borneo Research

Mat Salleh Rebellion in Sabah

The Mat Salleh Rebellion in SabahMat Salleh was a proud and war like pengeran who lived with a following of warlike Bajous up the Sugut River on the East coast of North Borneo. His father was Datu Balu, a chief in that part of the Sugut while his mother was

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January 20, 2021 No Comments

Sarawak: American View

An American Describes Sarawak HistoryThe article was written by an American Robert Pringle who also wrote Rajahs and Rebels at the same time. One must be cautious of the bias. The early years of the Brooke State (James) were endlessly tumultuous. The White Rajah succeeded in obtaining Crown Appointments and

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January 20, 2021 No Comments

Baketan, Bisayah, Siteng

Baketan, Bisayah, Siteng There are two papers in the Journal written by Benedict Sandin describing some of the people of north Sarawak. Another history by Tuton Kaboy reports on the Siteng People. The Bisayah of Limbang A quarrel over the fathers estate caused one man to leave the Philippines. He

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January 20, 2021 No Comments

This and That # 5

Mammal and Human Migrations An important paper about the migration of mammals and humans was recently published by Julien Louys and Patrick Roberts of Australian National University in Nature. They state the forests of the early Pleistocene had given way to Savannah by the middle Pleistocene in the area between

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January 20, 2021 No Comments

Kongsi and the Hakka

KongsiThe concept of Kongsi began in the towns of South Borneo in the late 1700’s where the Hakka Chinese immigrated, at the request of the Sultan, to mine the gold from the hills in central Borneo. The concept spread throughout the mining district and later to Bau and into Kuching.Before

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January 20, 2021 No Comments

Omen Birds of the Iban and Kenyah

The Seven Omen Birds of the Iban Lang Sengalang Burong (Lang) is considered as the Chief all bird deities and appears on earth as the Brahminy kite. The Ketupong or Entis The authoritive or deliberate leader. He is Raja Ngaka of the many head trophies who dwells in the great

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January 20, 2021 No Comments

Earless Monitor Lizard

Earless Monitor Lizard: Water or Land Reptile. The earless monitor lizard has been subject to endless debate about how to classify it. Some scientists think it should be thrown together with other land monitor lizards while others think it deserves its own family.Examination of the lizard began with Mr. Tom

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January 20, 2021 No Comments

The Siteng People

The Siteng PeopleIn the olden days, the Siteng people inhabited the upper Baram river in the Fourth Division of Sarawak. While in this area they were attacked and killed by hundreds of wild pigs. Those that survived fled in many directions. Some lived in Julan, a tributary of the true

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January 20, 2021 No Comments

Tree and Java Sparrows

Tree Sparrow Editors note: We thought we would fly out of 2020 and into 2021 leaving the guano behind The Tree Sparrow(Passer montanus) was first spotted in Sandakan in 1964, the next year in Kuching and in Brunei town in 1969-1970. No other bird has so swiftly and successfully populated

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January 20, 2021 No Comments

Brookes and the Chinese

Anti Chinese Sentiment 1840-1900John ChinamanHow the Europeans and later, the Malays and Dyaks, viewed the Chinese were contained in a caricatures of the Chinese known as John Chinaman. Published in Punch magazine in April 1858, the term John Chinaman was referred to in official publications of the Brooke government and

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January 20, 2021 No Comments
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