548 Account of Sfingie Ujong [Oct. 



The discovery of tin in the peninsula cannot be traced, but it is 

 assuredly of ancient date. Part of Perak is said to be the Temdla, 

 or land of tin, of Ptolemy, and Cdlang, (a name signifying tin in 

 Malay,) to be the Malaiou Colon of the same author, and the Malaya- 

 Culam of the Hindus. 



The tin mines of Banca are of modern origin, being accidentally 

 discovered, Mr. Marsden tells us, in 1710, by the burning of a house; 

 the trade of the peninsula suffered considerably in consequence. 



According to Mr. Crawfurd, (as before stated,) the tin of Banca, 

 produce of 181 7, amounted to 35,000 peculs, or 2083| tons, equal to 

 half the produce of England. But under the management of the 

 Dutch, I am informed, it now scarcely produces half that quantity. 



The price of Banca tin is from 16 to 16^ dollars per pecul = 133^ 

 lbs., and of Straits tin, (chiefly from the peninsula,) from 14| to 15. 

 British block tin, in 1832, was selling at £3 12s. 6d. per cwt. 



In consequence of a supposed adulteration of Straits' tin, some 

 specimens of ingots of this metal, rejected at Canton, were sent 

 from Singapore to be assayed at Calcutta in 1831. This was 

 done at the Calcutta assay office, which pronounced the specimens 

 to be of good quality, and perfectly good in a mercantile sense. 

 " Great Britain, (according to Dr. Lardner's work already quoted,) 

 notwithstanding the productiveness of her own mines, imports upwards 

 of 700 tons per annum of oriental, or, as it is more commonly called, 

 Banca tin, from the name of one of the Malay islands, where it is 

 chieflv obtained. The Malay countries are reckoned the richest de- 

 positaries of this metal in the world ; and from them, China, Hin- 

 dostan, and many European markets are chiefly supplied. England 

 exports annually about 2,000 tons of tin, including 400 or 500 tons 

 of that received from abroad." Her produce varies from 3 to up- 

 wards of 4000 tons annually. 



Revenue. — Besides the Kapdla ddgang, and other sources of revenue 

 previously mentioned, as enjoyed in common by the Panghuld Delantye 

 of the interior states, the Panghuld or Kldna of Siingie Ujong, and the 

 Raja adhi Raja have the privilege of purchasing, at every smeltino, 

 from each bongsal, three bhars, equal to nine peculs, or nine hundred 

 eatties of tin, at six dollars per bhar less than the market price, and 

 exact a duty of six dollars a month for each mine dug on their own 

 lands. 



The Dattu Muda of Lingie levies also a dollar per bhar, on tin 

 passing down the river. 



The Kapdla ddgang is a sort of poll tax on slaves imported into 

 * See Gleanings in Science, Vol. III. 



