P R I 



155 



P R I 



cover the iilund ) tl-1 cxci-ili-r.t timber, and the luw r 

 TUiitb ot a aevrnty-four have b.-rn got i.f out- pic< 



.irt of tlic north, and much (.f the >outh and 



IK), tire in a state of cultivation. 



c principal productions," says Mr. Hamilton, 



pepper, I'L'I 1 nut, lu-ul leaf, c<.coa nuts, coffee, 



paddy, v.i'^: 1 r ; y:i>' "id a ^n-at 



tables. The fruits ;,ir. lh-- in.ui r 'o-lccn, 



r.mihosteen, pine apples, guuvas, oranges, citrons, 

 pomegranates, &c. &c. The exotics rni-tii here are, 

 cloves, nutmegs, cinnamon, pinu-ntn, K\;:p(,<,ne, cola- 

 lava, and a number of other plants from tl:o Moluccas 

 and eastern i<-lcs. IVppi r is the c hu-f article of cultiva- 

 tion. The quaUuy raised in 1804- was calculated at 

 two millions cf pounds. 



" The elastic gum vino, (Urceota claslica,) or Ameri- 

 can caoutchouc, is found in great plenty on Prince of 

 Wales's Island. It is about the thickness of the arm, 

 almost round, with a strong ash-coloured bark, much 

 cracked, and divided longitudinally, with points at small 

 distances, that send out roots, but seldom branches. 

 It creeps along the ground to the distance of more 

 th.in '200 paces, then ascends among the branches of 

 high trees. The milky juice of the vine is drawn off 

 by wounding the bark, or by cutting the vine in 

 pieces. The best is procured from the oldest vines, 

 whicn will yield two-thirds of their weight of gum. 

 The chemicnl properties of this vegetable milk surpri- 

 singly resemble those of animal milk." 



George Town, the principal place in the island, has 

 spacious and airy streets, crossing at right angles. 

 The chief buildings are, the government house, a 

 church, a jail, and several good bridges. The fortifi- 

 cations have been recently strengthened and improved, 

 find the public roads repaired. Fort Comwallis, con- 

 taining barracks, the arsenal, magazine, and military 

 storehouses, are built on the north-east point of the island. 

 The pier, for landing and shipping goods, is large, and 

 is supplied with fresh wa,ter in pipes. Ship-building 

 has been earned on here to a considerable extent : a 

 frigate, a ship of 800 tons, and various others of infe- 

 rior size, having been built. 



The country ships bound eastwards, generally touch 

 here to refresh and trade. The East India Company's 

 ships for China likewise touch here, and load great 

 quantities of tin, canes, rattans, sago, pepper, betel nut, 

 biche de mar, birds' nests, &c. for the China market. 

 The whole trade, indeed, of the straits of Malacca and 

 the adjacent islands now centres in this small island. 



The goods imported from Europe are, anchors, cut- 

 lery, fire-arms, nails, tin ware, patent shot, sheet- lead, 

 sheet-copper, iron, cables, canvass, cloth, glass ware, ho- 

 siery, musical instruments, watches, malt liquors, wines, 

 &c. In 1807-1808, the value of the imports from Eng- 

 land was 76,000, and in 1809-1810, 38,253. The 

 imports from Bengal are opium, grain, and piece goods ; 

 from the coast of Coromandel, salt, tobacco, punjam 

 cloths, coir rope, and yarn ; from Bombay and the Ma- 

 labar coast, cotton, salt, red wood, sandal wood, Surat 

 piece goods ; from Borneo, gold dust, sago, and black 

 wood; from China, tea, sugar, lustrings, china ware, and 

 all articles required by the Chinese settlers. A great 

 proportion of the exports from this island consists of 

 articles imported. In 1807-1808, the woollens im- 

 ported into this island amounted to 46,783. 



This island was granted, in 1785, to Captain Light, 

 of a country ship, by the King of Queda, as a marriage 

 portion with his daughter. Captain Light transferred 



it to the East India Company, and w appointed its J'nn of 

 first governor, in 1786. 



the number of tombs discovered on the uland 

 it would appear to have been formerly iuhabi'ed, J 

 though there were only a few wretched Ssbermrn on ^ 

 the coast when it was taken possession of. 



The population in 1797 was 6937, in 1801 it was 

 10, of whom 1223 were slaves, ami in 1810 it was 

 14000. The population consists of English, Dutch, 

 Portuguese, American*. Arabs, Parsees, Chinese, Chu- 

 lias, Malays, Buggesses, Burmans, Siamese, and Javan- 

 ese. The north-ca-t point is situated in East Lon. 

 100" 19', and North Lat. 5" 26* . For more minute 

 information respecting this island, sec Sir ' 

 Leiih's Account of Prince (if Walet's Islnrnl, in the 

 Asiatic Annual Register ; Elmore's . v i (>f the 



Indian and Chinete Seat ; Hamilton's East India Ga- 

 zti/eer ; and Milburn's Oriental Commerce, vol. ii. p. 

 297 304. 



PRlNGLE,Sm JoHN,an eminent Scottish physician, 

 and president of the Royal Society of London, was born 

 atStitchel-house, in Roxburghshire, on the lOthof April, 

 1707- He was the youngest ton of Sir John Pringle, Bart, 

 of Stitchel, and of Magdalen Elliot, mister of Sir Gilbert 

 Elliot. After receiving, under a private tutor, the ele- 

 ments of a classical education, he went to the College 

 of St. Andrews, where Mr. Francis Pringle, a relation 

 of his own, held the Greek professorship. Having re- 

 solved to follow the medical profession, he spent the 

 session of 1727 and 1728 in Edinburgh ; but he re- 

 paired at the end of the year to Leyden to study 

 under the celebrated Boerhaave, who was then consi- 

 derably advanced in life. At his graduation in that 

 university, in July 1730, he wrote an initu -rural dis- 

 sertation, De Marcore Seiiili ; and he soon afterwards 

 established himself as a physician in Edinburgh. Hav- 

 ing had occasion to devote his attention to ethic*, he was 

 made joint professor of moral philosophy with Mr Scott, 

 in March 1734 ; and, after the death of his colleague, 

 he discharged the duties of that office, along with those 

 of the medical profession, till 1742, when on the re- 

 commendation of Dr. Stevenson, he was nominated 

 physician to the Earl of Stair, who was then at the 

 head of the British army. In the autumn of the same 

 year he was chosen physician to the military hospital 

 in Flanders ; but he still retained his professorship, the 

 duties of which were discharged by a substitute. 



Having accompanied our army to Flanders, during 

 the campaign of 1744-, his diligence and talents were 

 so conspicuous, that the Duke of Cumberland appoint- 

 ed him physician-general to his Majesty's forces in the 

 Low Countries, and also physiei in to the royal hospi- 

 tals. On the SUt October, 174.5, he was elected a 

 fellow of the Royal Society ; and in the same year he 

 was recalled from Flanders to att nd the army sent to 

 Scotland. He accordingly accompanied the Duke of 

 Cumberland in 1746, and continued with the army in 

 Scotland till the dispersion of the Highlanders at Cullo- 

 den permitted their return to England. His services 

 were again required abroad, and in 1747 and 174S he 

 attended the British army ; but after the peace of Aix- 

 la-Chapelle, he returned to England in 1748. 



Being again settled^-in London as a medical practi- 

 tioner, Dr. Pringle devoted himself to the studies of 

 his profession. In the year 1747, the Duke of Cum- 

 berland appointed him his physician in ordinary ; and 

 in 1750 he published his Observations on the Gaol 

 or Hospital Fever. 



