164 Dr. Heifer's Fourth Report [No. 98. 



2. European settlers would soon call into practical use the 

 manifold resources of the country. 



3. United with the mother country by mutual interest, Eng- 

 land would very soon gain by a new commerce with a new 

 country, and by it be benefited. 



4. When grown up to a greater community, an European 

 colony would be considered as a safe position against millions 

 of people inhabiting India. Of the different articles which are 

 found in the provinces, or which can be raised, I have treated 

 in my previous reports, I therefore confine myself to mention- 

 ing some of those which promise to become of the first im- 

 portance to European settlers. 



Spices. — Spice cultivation is excluded from India Proper ; all 

 attempts to transplant trees from the Malay archipelago have 

 not answered the expectations. When the fruit ripens it is 

 imperfect. 



The nobler spices seem to be confined to a narrow sphere in 

 interequatorial climes, confined to countries which are not 

 far distant from their native place, the Moluccas. 



It is only lately that the spice plantations in Penang (begun 

 under apparently unfavourable auspices) realized the most 

 sanguine expectations of success. They are already, and will be 

 more in time, the true source of prosperity of that small colonial 

 settlement. 



Penang has a great resemblance in productions and climate 

 to the southern portions of the Tenasserim Provinces. It may 

 reasonably be conjectured that almost all valuable productions 

 succeeding there will thrive in the Mergui Province. All that 

 hitherto have been tried, have succeeded. Young nutmeg trees 

 are growing in Mergui very well ; they are not however suffi- 

 ciently grown up to know by experience whether they will be 

 equally productive. 



There is a practical adage amongst the natives, which I am 

 inclined much to credit, that where mangosteens thrive, nut- 

 megs will grow and bear fruit. 



Mangosteens are equally obstinate regarding locality. They 

 do not grow well in India, and produce but indifferent fruit in 

 Ceylon and the southernmost parts of the Peninsula. They 



