1840.] on the Tenasserim Provinces, fyc. 177 



climation is highly advantageous to the introduction of plants 

 of different latitudes. The establishment of government spice 

 nurseries, would be but following the Dutch system now intro- 

 duced into Java. 



The government monopoly there has been discontinued, and the 

 private establishment of spice plantations encouraged ; the go- 

 vernment not only promising to supply every person with all 

 plants required, gratis, but also to give instructions and direc- 

 tions how to proceed to ensure success. How much govern- 

 ment would gain by such a process, shewing at the same time 

 that the natives are not averse to introduce new modes of culti- 

 vation, can easily be illustrated. 



Areca plantations are but a new branch of cultivation in the 

 southern parts of Tenasserim. Ten years ago not more than 

 60,000 trees altogether were planted, the number rose in 1837 

 to 40,000 bearing trees, and 80,000 newly planted. In the year 

 1839 about 30,000 more were found. The customary tax due 

 to government upon all produce is 15 per cent. 



Suppose that instead of 150,000 areca palms, so many nut- 

 megs were planted, which when bearing yield from 10 to 30 Rs. 

 a tree, each tree taken at 15 Rs. average, the amount of re- 

 venue, the government levy, according to the established 

 rule, would be 150,000 Rs. annually from the spice bearing trees 

 alone. Of the necessity of planting out teak forests, I have spok- 

 en in my former reports. Without regular new plantations, the 

 teak forests in Tenasserim will soon be exhausted. 



One of the greatest riches of the country is derived from its 

 teak forests. Except the teak no other timber is used ; a small 

 number of junks annually built by Chinese and other small Bur- 

 mese craft constructed in Tavoy and Mergui from thingan 

 (hopea odorata) excepted. 



The researches carried on this year in the southern parts of 

 the provinces, and amongst the islands, have shewn that this 

 part of the country also is an uninterrupted forest, overgrown 

 with almost the same species of timber which occur in the 

 north. The greatest part of the timber trees valuable for ship- 

 building belong to the Dipterocarece, and this family has more 

 representatives in Tenasserim than any where else ; the Hopeas, 



2 a 



