THE 



PHILOSOPHICAL MAGAZINE. 



AUGUST 1800. 



I. OhfcYvat'ions on the Straits of Malacca, in regard to Natu- 

 ral Hijlorj, Geograpl-])'y and Commerce. By C. Hansel *» 



X IIE ifland of Pulo Pinang, which lies clofe to the coafi: 

 of Qi,ieda, between the fifth and fixth degree of northera 

 latitude, and which now belongs to the Englifli Eaft India 

 company,' may fcrve as a proof how well the EngHfli under- 

 Itand t)ie art of eUablifliing colonies, and bringing them in a 

 /hort time to a ilouri(hing condition. About the year 1784, 

 the Malay king of Queda made a prefent of the whole itlanjl 

 to Mr. James Light, the capt.iin of a country fliip trading 

 thither, end the latter fojd it to the Eaft India company, 

 with \hii provifo that he {liould be appointed governor of it; 

 which was accordingly done, and he remained in that office 

 liil the end of the year 1795. The iOand was uninhabited, and 

 /entirely covered with wood. In order to ere6l a few houfcs 

 it was necefl'ary, therefore, to deftroy part of thp wood, which 

 was effefied chiefly by means of fire. 



This ifland, which was now caUed Prince of Wales 

 Ifland, I vifitcd, for the firfl; time, in the year 1793, con- 

 fequentjy nine ytars after it had been taken pofleihon of by 

 the Englifl). At that period a beautiful tQwn, of a pretty 

 confiderablc extent, and regularly laid out, had been built. 

 A particular part of it was deftined for the Mglays and other 

 Afiaiips^ a great nijuibcr of whom h;id already eltabliflic^ 



•■* PVoiTi Journal fur FaWik, Mantifiur, Hwidlun^, umi Mode', Odtober 



'TOO- 



Vq^.. VII, Co themfclvcs 



