l
rivers are the Sugut, which rises in the hills to the east of Kinabalu
and forms its delta near Torongohok or Pura-Pura Island; the Labuk,
which has its sources 70 m. inland and debouches into Labuk Bay; and the
Kinabatangan, the largest and most important river in the territory,
which is believed to have its rise eastward of the range of which Trus
Madi is the principal feature, and is navigable by steamer for a
considerable distance and by native boats for a distance of over 100 m.
from its mouth. Some valuable tobacco land, which, however, is somewhat
liable to flood, and some remarkable burial-caves are found in the
valley of the Kinabatangan. The remaining rivers of the east coast are
the Segamah, which rises west of Darvel Bay, the Kumpong, and the
Kalabakang, which debouches into Cowie Harbour. Taking it as a whole,
the company's territory is much less generously watered than are other
parts of Borneo, which again compares unfavourably in this respect with
the Malayan states of the peninsula. Many of the rivers, especially
those of the west coast, are obstructed by bars at their mouths that
render them difficult of access. Several of the natural harbours of
North Borneo, on the other hand, are accessible, safe and commodious.
Sandakan Harbour, on the north-east coast (5 deg. 40' N., 118 deg. 10'
E.), runs inland for some 17 m. with a very irregular outline broken by
the mouths of numerous creeks and streams. The mouth, only 2 m. across,
is split into two channels by the little, high, bluff-like island of
Barhala. The depth in the main entrance varies from 10 to 17 fathoms,
and vessels drawing 20 ft. can advance half-way up the bay. The
principal town in the territory, and the seat of government (though an
attempt has been unsuccessfully made to transfer this to Jesselton on
the west coast), is Sandakan, situated just inside the mouth of the
Sarwaka inlet. At Silam, on Darvel Bay, there is good anchorage; and
Kudat in Marudu Bay, first surveyed by Commander Johnstone of H.M.S.
"Nigeria" in 1881, is a small but useful harbour.

_Climate and Population._--The climate of North Borneo is tropical, hot,
damp and enervating. The rainfall is steady and not usually excessive.
The shade temperature at Sandakan ordinarily ranges from 72 deg. to 94
deg. F. The population of the company's territory is not known with any
approach to accuracy, but is estimated, somewhat liberally, to amount to
175,000, including 16,000 Chines