February 25, 2015

Hua Hung Ice Factory : Surverying of Land

When we were living in Pulau Kerto at the Hua Hong Ice Factory we used to meet Lands and Survey Department Boat going around to do surveying work.

Very often the Iban boatman would come up to the factory to buy ice blocks. We would not know if he wanted to bring the ice to their camp to cool their beers or to help keep their animal meat fresh. There were no cooler boxes then.

Most of the surveyors would have their own guns, so when these L and S boat passed by, we thought they looked like soldiers doing their rounds, except that the surveyors did not wear any uniform.

(This photo is from the late Mr.Lim Thian Beng whom I befriended last year. He showed me many photos of his land and survey work in the 50's in Miri areas. This is a very significant photo becuse it shows the surveyors having guns in their hands)








According to  the Superintendent of L and S Dept, the surveyors at that time were given licences to hold guns and own guns , not only for protection but for food supplies.

Many of the surveyors after remaining in their camps for a week or more,would come home with several biscuit tins of dried wild boar meat or salai babi.

Whenever they caught some wild game, they would be very diligent to salt and/or deep fry the meat. Sometimes they would drop by the Ice Factory again and perhaps sell some of the meat to the employees who would really enjoy the fresh sun dried meat.

My father and his relatives, the Wong brothers all had guns (hung chiing) and they often went out in the evenings to have a spot of fun shooting birds. As we lived on an small part of an island with some employees only my father would really enjoy the time  swapping stories with the surveyors who came by.

Gone are the days when people who came by boat right to your door step carrying guns, having a few dead animals and/or tins of dried meats in their boats.










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