Tom’s Note: These codified taxes were written in 1736. The names of the Sultans of Brunei and their reigns do not follow the spellings or the order of Sultans given elsewhere. In the former days, when Brunei ruled the greater part of Sarawak, a special department was set up to control the collection of taxes […]
Tribute from Sarawak to Brunei Read More »
Some Bisaya Folk Lore The scene of this story is the Klias Peninsula situated on the west coast of North Borneo opposite Labuan Island. After crossing the beautiful beach with its palm trees there is a huge swamp with a tangled mass of impenetrable mangrove, nipah and sago. It is a poor country with the
Land Dayaks of the Sadong District Sarawak 1936 Tom’s note: This is a long one, so grab a cup of tea and enjoy! The Sadong Dayaks say they came over from Dutch Borneo about 18-20 generations(according to Western observers, a generation is a time from birth to reproductive age, 20 years. For many others, it
Tom’s note: This account about the infrastructure of Sarawak is probably one of the most unintentionally hilarious histories of the times of the Second Rajah Brooke. Coal Outcrops of coal existed at Silantek and along the Sadong river. Mr St John was dispatched to explore the coal findings. However, he suffered from malaria and also
Rail Roads Coal and Infrastructure in Kuching Read More »
What? No Sri Vijaya Toms Note: This is a condensation of a 53-page essay written by Liam Kelley and published in China and Asia in 2022. I requested Dr Kelley to review the manuscript, and he added minor corrections. Contact me if you want the whole essay. George Coed’es, a famous french scholar in 1918,
What ? No Sri Vijaya ? Read More »
Zygogynum New Species from Sarawak A new species of Zygogynum thought to occur only on the eastern side of the Wallace line, has been discovered in Sarawak. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12225-022-10041-4 Tiger Leeches Soil moisture is the main feature governing the locations of leeches. Tiger leeches were found in lower elevations, while Brown leeches were present in greater numbers in
All Creatures Great and Small #29 Read More »
The Hiang Thian Siang Ti Temple in Kuching Many thanks to John Tan for his kind assistance in helping me understand the Chinese temples. The Hiang Thian Ti temple, on Carpenter Street, was first built in 1863 by the Teochew immigrants as a house of worship for the Deity of the North. It is located
Teochew Temple in Kuching Centre Read More »
Tom’s Note: This old custom has a much deeper meaning. The Malay, whom the Land Dyaks honour, is half Royal Blood and half land Dayak. I am not sure if the author means Bidayuh or another Land Dayak. Black flags are seen on some fishing boats on the river outside my flat. Malay adat also
Bidayuh Old Custom Read More »
Kumang Kidundung by Sunga Tom’s Note: This tale comes from the Bidayuh in the Serian district. Kumang, in the Dayak world, are spirits among the people. This story tells an interaction between one of those spirits, Antu Puah, and a Dayak named Kidungdung. Kumang Kidundung One day Kaleng went out to the jungle to shoot
Tom’s Note: Probably one of the most awesome spectacles of the natural world is watching the bats leave the great cave at Niah. You must plan a trip for those who have not seen the show! 300,000 Bats There are seven species of bats in the large cave at Niah. They are the Cave Fruit
