rOtTNP ON" PRINCB OP WALES S ISLAND. SSQ 



46,000 plants of three years old, was 500 caltts of 

 green, or 175 of dry pepper. 



It is usual, as was before noticed, when the plan- 

 tation is delivered over to the proprietor, at the end of 

 three years, to let it to a Chinese farmer, for five years 

 jnore ; as the proprietor is hereby less liable to impo- 

 sition, the only precaution necessary being to see that 

 the tenant is careful of the vines during the last year, 

 and leaves them in good condition at the expiration of 

 the lease. This is the only way in which a very exten- 

 sive plantation, or one whereon the proprietor cannot 

 bestow his whole attention, can be managed to advan- 

 tage. B-ut, if th€ proprietor has time, and is careful 

 and acute, he may render it something more productive, 

 •by iieeping it in his own hands. The labour of clean- 

 ing the vines, throwing up earth about the roots, and 

 collecting the produce of the plantation abovemen- 

 tioned, of 46,000 plants, was performed by sixteen 

 Chinese workmen. 



The Table at the end of this paper exhibits a calcu- 

 lation of the profits that may be expected in twelve 

 years from a given space of ground planted with pep- 

 per ; supposing it to sell at t«n dollars a ^/Vo/ ; which 

 was the price on the field when I was on the Island '% 

 and then esteemed very moderate. But I understand 

 it has lately fallen to something between eight and nine 

 Dollars. 



The whole quantity of pepper produced in that year 

 on the Island, was estimsted at something between six- 

 teen and twenty thousand pkols. Taking the medium 

 quantity at 12 Dollars, which was the selling price, 

 this article must have amounted to 21 6,000 Dollars. 



li In 1802. 



2 C 3 



