The old Rajah used to write that the development of native states must be slow in order to be permanent, and the development of Sarawak has been very slow, slower than most people would have expected, as the introduction of steamers on the coast pointed to more rapid progress. Agriculture is the mainstay of every Asiatic country. In the early years of the old Rajah’s Government the natives only grew rice sufficient for their own consumption, and the Chinese confined themselves to a little gardening near their small settlements; but when, in 1850, the Chinese flocked from Sambas into Sarawak, Captain Brooke saw the necessity of encouraging as many as possible of those accustomed to agriculture to settle on the fertile soil near the river’s banks, and began by establishing colonies of these industrious immigrants at places about eight miles above the capital, at Sungei Tungah and Batu Kawa. These flourished until the year 1857, when the Chinese insurrection interfered with their progress for a time. The financial distress which followed this great upheaval prevented any further assistance being given to agriculturists, until, in 1875, the present Rajah, Sir Charles Brooke, determined to encourage gambier planting, and this he followed up by introducing the cultivation of pepper, coffee, including the Liberian variety, cocoa and the oil palm. Of these coffee appears the most popular among the Malays and Dyaks, who have carried its cultivation into most of the districts of Sarawak, on a small scale, it is true, but as the plants bear, and the returns come in, many more are now encouraged to cultivate this useful shrub. Only one English Planting Company tried its fortune in the country, and this failed for want of capital to enable it to await results. In 1895, 500 cwts. of coffee were exported, whilst in 1896 the export rose to 1483 cwts., nearly treble the amount, and there is every probability that the annual produce will proportionally increase; gambier rose from 26,250 cwts. in 1895 to 29,285 cwts. in 1896; and pepper, a very valuable article, was exported in both years to the amount of over 18,000 cwts. These three important cultivations were introduced into the country by the present Rajah, and their products were valued in 1895 at £46,820, and in 1896 at £44,082.