▁service . ▁It ▁rec ru ited ▁European , ▁chief ly ▁British , ▁officers ▁to ▁run ▁district ▁out st ations . ▁The ▁Sar aw ak ▁Service ▁was ▁contin ually ▁reform ed ▁by ▁Raj ah ▁James ▁and ▁his ▁success ors . ▁ ▁Raj ah ▁James ▁retained ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁custom s ▁and ▁symbols ▁of ▁Mal ay ▁mon archy , ▁and ▁combined ▁them ▁with ▁his ▁own ▁style ▁of ▁absolute ▁rule . ▁The ▁Raj ah ▁had ▁the ▁power ▁to ▁introduce ▁laws ▁and ▁acted ▁as ▁chief ▁judge ▁in ▁K uch ing . ▁ ▁The ▁White ▁Raj ah s ▁were ▁determined ▁to ▁prevent ▁the ▁ind igen ous ▁pe op les ▁of ▁Sar aw ak ▁from ▁being ▁explo ited ▁by ▁Western ▁business ▁interests . ▁They ▁allowed ▁the ▁Bor neo ▁Company ▁Limited ▁( the ▁Bor neo ▁Company ) ▁to ▁assist ▁in ▁man aging ▁the ▁economy . ▁The ▁core ▁of ▁the ▁early ▁Sar aw ak ▁economy ▁was ▁ant im ony , ▁later ▁followed ▁by ▁gold , ▁which ▁was ▁m ined ▁in ▁Bau ▁by ▁Chinese ▁synd ic ates ▁who ▁imported ▁numerous ▁workers ▁from ▁China . ▁After ▁the ▁local ▁Chinese ▁u pr ising ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 7 , ▁the ▁min ing ▁operations ▁were ▁gradually ▁taken ▁over ▁by ▁the ▁Bor neo ▁Company ; ▁it ▁bought ▁out ▁the ▁last ▁Chinese ▁synd icate ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 4 . ▁The ▁Bor neo ▁Company ▁provided ▁military ▁support ▁to ▁the ▁White ▁Raj ah s ▁during ▁cr ises ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Chinese ▁u pr ising . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁company ▁steam ships , ▁the ▁Sir ▁James ▁Bro