626 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1816. 



two hundred head of bullocks and 

 about one hundred sheep ; the 

 inhabitants could spare, to ships 

 in distress, about twenty bulU)cks, 

 and about sixty sheep ; it Mould 

 take some years to replace the 

 latter. 



Poultry. — One hundred dozen 

 of ducks, fowls, and turkeys might 

 be piocured here. Theie are no 

 other animals of any kind upon 

 these islands, but lats, which are 

 in abundance ; there is no game 

 of any kind, and but few birds; 

 pigeons, doves and perroquets, 

 seem the principal. There is no 

 •wheat grows in these islands ; 

 they raise Indian corn, cassada- 

 rout, and a sufficient quantity of 

 rice, just to supply their own 

 ■wants, and feed their slaves ; but 

 1 do not think at any time you 

 could purchase ten bags of rice : 

 tliewlioleof tlie inhabitants might 

 collect ten thousand pounds weight 

 in grain, out of their diflferent 

 stores, to ships in distress. 



There is a great variety of fish 

 at all these islands, and seen)ingly 

 very fine ; salt is very scarce, 

 consequently they are only for 

 immediate use. 



PRINCE OK WALES S ISLAND. 



(From the same) 



Prince of Wales's Island, called 

 by the natives Pulo or Poolo Pe- 

 nang, from a Alalay vvoid signi- 

 fying Areca-nnt and Betel, lies on 

 the fifth parallel of north latitude, 

 and in 100 deg. 20 min. 15 sec. 

 (George-town) of east longitude, 

 at the entrance of the straits of 

 Malacca. 



It is somewhat in the shape of 

 an oblong square, about sixteen 



miles in length, and from si.t to 

 eight in breai'.tU, distant between 

 two and three miles from the 

 Malay shore. 



It was given to Capt. Light by 

 the King of Queda, and first set- 

 tled in 17SG. The greater part 

 of the island is occupied by a lofty 

 irregular ridge of mountains (run- 

 ning in the direction of the island, 

 north and south), the northern 

 extremity of which, is by far the 

 highest ; and here they have a 

 signal house, and several bunga- 

 lows erected. 



The whole of this ridge is co- 

 veied with a forest of trees of im- 

 mense size, and between its eabtcru 

 base and the sea, facing the coast 

 of Queda, there is a level slip of 

 land, from two to four miles in 

 breadtli, and ten or twelve miles 

 long. This is well cultivated and 

 laid out in gardens, plantations 

 of pepper, bct'.d, areca, cocoa-nut 

 trees, &c. intersected in all direc- 

 tions with pleasant carriage roads, 

 whose sides are lined wiih a va- 

 riety of shrubs and trees that are 

 in perp-:tual verdure. The whole 

 of this space is interspersed with 

 villas and bungalows, where the 

 Europeans occasionally retire to 

 enjoy the conntiy air, as a relaxa- 

 tion after business in town. 



Ou the no:th-eastern point of 

 this slip of land are situated Fort 

 Cornwallis and George-town, 

 called by the natives Tanjong 

 Painaique. 



This island may contain Euro- 

 pean settlers and their dejjen- 

 dants, Malays, Sumatrans, Chi- 

 nese, &c.. 11 ,000 souls. 



Of itinerants 1,000 do. 



Total 12,000 



Abundance and great varietv 



of 



