PEPPEB. 423 



largest portion of what is consumed throughout the world. In 

 the first intercourse of the Dutch and English with India, it con- 

 stituted the most considerable and important staple of their com- 

 merce. The production of pepper is confined in a great measure to 

 the western countries of the Eastern Archipelago, and among these 

 to the islands in the centre and to the northern quarter, including 

 the Peninsula. It is obtained in the ports on both sides of the coast 

 of the latter, but particularly the north-eastern coast. The prin- 

 cipal quarters (according to Mr. Crawfurd, my authority on this 

 subject), are Patani, Tringanu, and Kalantin. In the Straits a 

 large quantity is produced in the island of Singapore, and above all 

 in Pinang, where the capital of Europeans and the skill and industry 

 of the Chinese have been successfully applied to its culture. The 

 western extremity of Sumatra, and' the north-west coast of that 

 island, are the most remarkable situations in it for the production 

 of pepper, and here we have Acheen, Tikao, Bencoolen, Padang, 

 and the country of the Lampungs. The production of the 

 eastern extremity of Sumatra or Palembang is considerable, but 

 held of inferior quality. In the fertile island of Java, the quantity 

 of pepper grown is inconsiderable, nor is it remarkable for the 

 goodness of its quality. 



The province of Bantam has always furnished, and still continues 

 to produce, the most pepper ; but the culture of this creeper is fast 

 giving place in Java to staples affording higher profits and 

 requiring less care. The exports were, in the following years : 



piculs. 



1830 6,061 



1835 11,868 



1839 11,044 



1841 13,477 



Ibs. 



1843 8,737,732 



1848 461,680 



1851 95,037 



1852 135,690 



The number of pepper vines in the district of Bencoolen, in the 

 close of last year, 1852, was as follows : 1,571,894 young vines ; 

 2,437,052 bearing ditto ; total, 4,008,946. 



Up to the end of September there had been delivered to the 

 Government 1,145 piculs white pepper, and 1,128 pieuls black 

 pepper, while of the harvest of 1852 there were still probably to 

 be received 330 piculs white, and 4,967 piculs black pepper. 



The south, the west, and the north coasts of the great island of 

 Borneo produce a large quantity of pepper ; as early as 1721 it 

 was a staple commodity of this island. Banjarmassin is the most 

 productive place on the south coast, and the State of Borneo 

 Proper on the north coast. The best pepper certainly does not 

 grow in the richest soils, for the peppers of Java and Palembang 

 are the worst of the Archipelago, and that of Pinang and the 

 west coast of Sumatra are the best. Care in culture and curing 

 improves the quality, as with other articles, and for this reason 

 chiefly it is that the pepper of Pinang is more in esteem than that 

 of any other portion of the Archipelago. From the ports and 

 districts of Siam 3,500 to 4,000 tons are exported annually. 



The duty at present levied on pepper in England is 6d. per lb., 



