Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XIV.djvu/654

 630 SARAWAK SARDANAPALUS interior, some of which are at least 6,000 ft. high, to the low, forest-covered, and fertile plains in the valleys of the numerous rivers, separated from each other by mountainous ridges. A few isolated mountains occur near the coast. The largest and deepest river is the Rejang, which flows into the sea N. E. of the capital, over a bar having five fathoms of water at high tide. The Sarawak river has a depth of 8$ fathoms at its principal entrance, at low water. Between it and the Rejang is the Batang-Lupar, a third long river, which enters the sea with a width of 4 m. Of the secondary rivers the more important are the Samarahan, Sadong, Seribas, and Kalaka, in W. Sarawak; the Egan, a branch of the Re- jang; and the Bintulu, near the E. frontier, on which stands a settlement of the same name. In the mountains nearest the coast limestone is the prevailing formation. The soil along the rivers is a rich alluvium, but clayey in the higher districts. Gold washing is carried on by the Chinese on many of the streams, and yields some profit. The chief metal product, however, is antimony, which occurs of the best quality, in exceeding abun- dance, and in many localities. Excellent coal deposits have been discovered, but as yet are only partially developed. Iron was formerly manufactured by the inhabitants from native ores, and arsenic and manganese are found, and small quantities of silver; but none of these metals are now worked. Forests over- spread the greater part of the country, yield- ing valuable timber, ebony, ironwood, sandal wood, gutta percha, caoutchouc, camphor, rat- tan, and bamboo. Agriculture is in a com- paratively primitive state. Rice is cultivated in the lowlands, and cotton, pepper, tapioca, and tobacco in the more elevated districts. Maize, sugar cane, arrowroot, and nearly all the insular products of the archipelago are also raised. The climate is hot, with much rain from September to March, but not un- healthy. The population of Sarawak is esti- mated at 800,000, composed of about 40,000 Malays, the Land and Sea Dyaks, a tribe in the east known as the Milanaus, some tattooed tribes of the interior, and about 8,000 Chinese. There are settlements on all the larger rivers. The founder of the present government was Sir James Brooke (see BROOKE), to whom in 1841 the sultan of Borneo proper ceded the town of Kuching, with the title of rajah. An additional cession was subsequently made, en- larging Sarawak to its present boundaries. Under his enlightened rule the country stead- ily advanced, from the complete anarchy in which he found it, toward peace and pros- perity, notwithstanding a formidable Chinese insurrection in 1857, which was successfully suppressed after the slaughter or expulsion of about 2,000 Chinamen. When Sir James Brooke died in 1868, he was succeeded as rajah by his nephew Charles Brooke, under whom Sarawak has continued to prosper. A system of associating the native chiefs with Europeans in the government was adopted at the outset, and has been maintained. Justice is simply and effectively administered through native local courts, where the Mohammedan code is applied under European supervision, and through the supreme court of the rajah at the capital. Complete religious toleration prevails; the English bishop of Labuan ex- ercises spiritual jurisdiction in Sarawak, and there are several Protestant missionary stations in the country. A few regular troops are maintained. The revenue is derived through the sale of antimony, duties on opium, tobacco, and spirits, and a family tax of four shillings sterling. The total value of the foreign trade is over 800,000 annually, the principal ex- ports being gutta percha, antimony, sago meal, camphor, wax, edible birds 1 nests, and rattans. II. A town, capital of the state, on the Sara- wak river, 17 m. from the sea, in lat. 1 28' K, Ion. 110 8' E.; pop. about 25,000, mostly Malays and Chinese, with a few English offi- cials. It was formerly known as Euching. The buildings extend along the bank, none of them at any very great distance from the river, and include the government house, an Eng- lish Protestant church and mission house, and a mosque. Large vessels can enter the river, but cannot ascend to the town, the approach to which is commanded by a small fort. Sa- rawak is a free port, and carries on a large trade, chiefly with Singapore. BARBER, a W. county of Arkansas, bounded N. E. by the Arkansas river, and drained by small tributaries of that stream ; area, about 625 sq. m. It has been formed since the cen- sus of 1870. The surface is generally broken and hilly, but there are some prairies, which with the river bottom and valleys are fertile. There is some fine timber. Grain, grass, cotton, and tobacco grow well. Capital, Anderson. SARCODE. See ANIMALCULES, and PROTO- PLASM. SARD, and Sardonyx, precious stones, varie- ties of carnelian or chalcedony, named either from Sardis in Lydia, where they were origi- nally found, or from the Greek o&p^ flesh, in allusion to the flesh-like colors they sometimes exhibit. The sard is marked by concentric zones or small nebulosities in the middle of its ground, which distinguish it from red carne- lian. Its color by reflected light is a dark red- dish brown, almost black, and by transmitted light a deep red inclining to blood red. When it alternates in bands with white chalcedony, it is called sardonyx (sard and onyx). The name was indefinitely applied by the Romans to the various agates and carnelians. Dufr6noy designates true flesh-colored agates as sards, those with alternating white stripes as sar- donyx, and the deep reddish brown or orange red agates as sardoines. SARDANAPALt'S, the last king of the Assyrian empire of Ninus, according to the ancient his- torian Ctesias. His effeminacy and licentious-