15 deg. 12' E.L. England
took possession of Labuan on account of the coal-seams which are found
there, which are of special importance on account of the situation of
the island nearly in the midst of the large, numerous, and fertile
islands of south-eastern Asia. It was the coal-seams too that attracted
me to the place. For I wished to see whether I could not, in the
neighbourhood of the equator itself, collect valuable contributions
towards ascertaining the nature of the former equatorial climate.

We at first made rapid progress, thanks to a fresh and favourable
monsoon wind. But when we reached the so-called belt of calms, the
wind ceased completely, and we had now to avail ourselves of steam,
which, in consequence of the low power of the _Vega's_ engine and a
strong counter current, carried us forward so slowly that it was not
until the 17th November that we could anchor in the harbour of
Labuan.

The largest of the islands belonging to the colony has, with a
pretty considerable breadth, a length of 10' from N.E. to S.W. It
is inhabited by some thousands (3,300 in 1863) of Chinese and
Malays, together with a few Englishmen, who are either crown
officials or employed at the coal mine. The north part of the island
has a height of 140 metres above the sea, but towards the south the
land sinks to an extensive sandy plain, closely overgrown with bushy
thickets and traversed by low marshes. Most of the inhabitants live
along the shore of the harbour which bears the now, or perhaps only
for the present, indispensable name for English colonies (which on
that account conveys little information) of Victoria. The Governor's
fine residence lies at a little distance from the harbour town in
the interior of the island, the coal mine on its north side. At the
time of our visit the coal company had recently gone into
liquidation, and work had therefore been stopped at the mine, but it
was hoped that it would soon be resumed. The sandy plain is of
little fertility in comparison with the neighbouring tropical lands.
It had recently been burned, and was therefore for the most part
covered only with bushes, among which stems of high, dried-up,
half-burned trees raised themselves, giving to the landscape a
resemblance to a northern forest devastated by an accidental fire.
In consequence of the fire which had thus passed over the island the
plain which, when looked at from a distance appeared to be
completely even, was seen everywhere