This flourishing and extensive
district which on the 1st May
1884 passed under the rule of The British North Borneo Government, may be
briefly described as an alluvial plain bounded to.the southward by some salient
spurs thrown off by the coast range of mountains to the westward, to the north
by the mountains dividing it from the watershed of the Inanam river,and
to the north-west by low ranges and detached hills running parallel with the coast,
from Tanjong Liadan (Dusun, "Pangalat" and "Kalat”) opposite
Gaya, to the base of the sandy promontory of Tanjong Aru ( Dusun, "Torongo
" ). Further to the south a few detached hills stud the coastline, the
general axis of the course of the Putatan river—which in its upper portion
bears the name of the Pagunan, is from north-east to south-west, as far as
hitherto explored, with a bold Sweep round to the southward where it debouches
on the lower part of the Putatan plain. At the Bajau villages of Putatan and
Lokbunoh it forks and forms a delta, its northern branch discharging into the
sea some little distance to the south of Tanjong Aru by the Pitagas mouth,
while its southern arm debouches into the sea by the Telipuk mouth
immediately to the. south of Dumpir point. The Bajau village of Togorong- .on
lies, a, short distance nprth of this mouth, while another Bajau village,
Ketiow, is situated on the left bank close to the sea, at the embouchure of the
little river Permuan. A 'blocked-up mouth also lies immediately to the north of
Bukit Linchuk, a hill rising from the sea-beach and situated equidistant
from the 'two- existing 'mouths. The Putatan soil is arich alluvial clay loam,
superimposed on sea sand., and varying from a depth of only a few inches,at
the edge of the basin-—as at Pitagas, where the Taniong Aru sand bank forms its
northern boundary, to a depth of over twelve feet in the heart of the district,
where it can be seen in exposed sections of the river bank. This formation
points to the Putatan river-plain having been formerly a shallow inlet of the
seat extending up to the base of the coast range, with the mud-charged waters
of the Pagunan discharging into its bight. The hills now dotting the plain,
were then islets, and a chain of them stretched across the mouth of the bay of
inlet represented, by the present coast hills of Pandan Pandan, Linchuk,
Karindingan, &q„ and the range extending from Nappas to Tanjong
Liadan.
The effect of this island breakwater was
to conduce to the gradual deposition of the fat alluvial mud brought down by
the Pagunan over the bed of the sheltered inlet, this process being aided by
the formation of the broad sandbank stretching from Tanjong Aru to Pitagas and
Nappas. The ultimate result of the operation of these various natural causes
would be the formation of the Putatan plain, whose broad and fertile expanse
now supports such a large and industrious population.
The river survey, so rapidly and ably made by
Mr. D. D. Daly in the course of a one day's hurried journey up the river to the
foot of the mountains at Pagunan village, and back again, will give any one a
good idea of the general lie of of the country. The district is purely a rice
producing one, with some sago plantations some distance up the river. The rice
cultivation is of the most elaborate kind, the dykes, levels sluices, &c,
being quite on a par with those found in countries such as Burmah itself. The
"padi" is, however, small in the grain and deteriorated, and the
distribution of first-class Rangoon rice will be a benefit to the district at
large. The flat lands are firmly held at over $40 to the acre, the different
properties being carefully marked off by stone and wooden landmarks, in many
cases carved to represent a human figure. Every inch of available flat land has
been brought under cultivation, the bases of the wooded knolls, that stud the
large plain and add such a charm to the landscape, being in many cases scarped
to gain an additional acreage of flatland. The Dusun population are an intelligent,
well fed and well set-up looking race and are decidedly of a higher type than
their neighbours of Papar,Menggatal and Tawaran. Smithies abound, and iron-shod
plough shares, millstones worked' by regular mechanism, and remarkably
well-made winnowing machines,together with iron-toothed harrows, form the
agricultural implements in vogue.The Chinese, of whom there are some 80, are an
unprepossessing lot, principally runaway Labuan convicts, who may be, later on,
advantageously replaced by respectable Chinese traders. They own no land and
are principally occupied in the distillation of rice arrack, varied, with
smuggling. Amongst them are to be found some .good blacksmiths, carpenters,
&c. The Bajau population may be roughly estimated at 500, and the Dusun at 7000
to 8000, no census having yet been taken.
Formerly the " tamu," or native
market, held every tenth day at Pagunan village,is said to have been the
largest on the coast. Owing, however, to blood-feuds between the Tagaas —-most
aggressive tribes whose habitat lies along the coast ranges between the heads
of the different rivers from the Menggatal to the Bangawan,and the Liwan
people,who inhabit the tobacco districts, lying to the south of Kinabalu, which
goby that general name, —.this market was broken up, the roads, to the coast
blocked by the Tagaas, the people of the interior forced to sell their produce
at prices below the market value to the Tagaas, and the whole trade of the
upper Pagunan and its adjacent districts, now in the hands of these aboriginal
"Protectionists,"finds its way to the coast by a route diverging from
the Ulu Pagunan to the Inanam river, where a market is held every 9th and 10th
day, much to the detriment of Putatan, the Dusun population of which are most,
anxious for there-establishment of their market, a task which must be
undertaken before long. The principal produce brought, down to Inanarn is
tobacco, which is, bartered by the Tagaas for iron bars, cloth, gunpowder,
fish, &o. Going inland from the Inanam the principal -tobacco-growing
districts of the Liwan country are (1) Narap.(2) Samalang. (8) Kernan. (4)
Sinatan. (5) Lembiadan. The district is an extensive one said to be very rich
in produce and reputed to contain within its confines the sources of the Labuk,
Sugut, Segaliud, Lokan, Tungkolan, Kramurk, Tungut and Mungkwayo,. rivers, all
within a day's, walk of each other, it is certain that from,the head of the
Pagunan, the head of the Sugut can be struck in five days walking, while from
the head of the latter river to that of the northern branch of the
Kinabatangan,is a very short distance indeed.
It may be safely surmised that 1885 will see
the revenue of Putatan more than balance its expenditure. Chinese are already
intimating their intention to Open shops in the district, the disposition of
the large Dusun population .is excellent, and the country is –at the present
moment being managed entirely without police. All ordinary native
"bicharas " are heard and settled, as heretofore, by the respective
Datus , a system which works well and is very popular with the natives. One of
the principal Dusun inhabitants, a wealthy widow by name Si Limpai,of the
village of Terrawi, having had the title of " Mantri Babu "conferred
on her by H. E. the Governor, on the occasion of his Excellency's opening the
river, her patent of nobility was duly presented to her on 26thJuly, by the
Magistrate in charge of the District, amid salvoes of brass,artillery and all
Dusun formalities, A road marked out by coloured streamers,houses adorned with
bright coloured hangings, the slaughter of a buffalo, cow,&c, with flags,
triumphal processions and other pageantries, lent animation to the scene and
ceremony and a universal sentiment of satisfaction seemed to prevail.
The Pagunan is reported to have a long course,
and to take its rise only two day's walk from the upper Tawaran , but both it
and the comparatively insignificant Inanam are said to be overlapped by the
Tawaran and Papar rivers.
The coast boundaries of the Putatan district
are Tanjong Liadau on the north to Suwongan river on the south,
embracing the coast villages of Api Api, Nappas, Togorongon, Malintod, Keetiow,
and Dumpir. The inland villages may be enumerated as follows, omitting some not
yet taken over.
(1)Pitagas. (2) Lokbunoh. (3) Putatan. (4)
Buit. (5) Terrawi. (6) Binduan. (7)Nasob. (3) Bangkong. (9) Bhang, (10) Tanah.
(11) Lunghap. (12) Kinampang. (13) Babait.(14)Krahnau. (15) Nohbong.
(16}Putatohn. (17) Pagansakan. (18) Pagunan, makingin all some 24 villages. To
these, however, must be added 3 more,viz., Sugud, Tampassak and Indai, lying in
the valley of the Sugud, called at and near its confluence with the Putatan
river, at the village of Rumaia, the Tarikan river. This makes a total of 27
villages, belonging to the Government, which, with 10 more not yet taken over,
gives a grand total of 37 villages.
The principal produce of Ulu Pagunan is
India-rubber, armadillo skins, beeswax and tobacco, with a little gutta percha
, but the trade may be said to be as yet in an embryonic stage, and the
checking of Tagaas head-hunting and re-establishment of the fair (
"tamu" ) will revolutionize the whole district. It may fairly be
said, in conclusion, that the Government is to be congratulated on its
acquisition of the most populous and highly cultivated river and district in
North Borneo, and on having metamorphosed a stronghold of buffalo thieves into
a law-abiding and orderly community.
Note;
~Tawaran – Tuaran
~Dumpir – Dumpil
~‘ Mantri Babu ‘ - chief
