&c. 35 



harbour and docks, as a free port and centre of commerce, it draws 

 towards itself more and more tlie fruits of tlie development of the 

 surrounding countries. It stands in commercial importance on the 

 same footing as Malta and Hongkong, and surpasses all the ports 

 of the other Crown Colonies in importanc3. As the seat of Gov- 

 ernment, and a strongly fortified " coaling station" — ships take in 

 in JSTew Harbour from 1,600 to 1,800 tons of coal in four hours — it 

 forms one of the most strategical points of the English, on the 

 great highway of traffic between Europe, "British India, and East 

 Asia. It may be seen from the following figures how greatly it 

 has grown : — The population of the town and island, 27 miles broad 

 and 14 miles long, amounted in 1819 to 150 Malays, in 1821 to 

 nearly 5,000 souls, in 1871 to nearly 100,000 and in 1891 to 

 185,000. The amount of import and exports was in 1823, 

 812,000,000, in 1860 $51,000,000, and in 1890 had risen to 

 8200,000,000. 



The shipping wdthout counting the numerous Native coast ves- 

 sels, amounted in 1879 (earlier figures are not at my disposal) to 

 4,443 ships with a tonnage of three millions, and in 1891 to 8,339 

 ships with a tonnage of nearly seven millions. 



Penang, which also profited from the development of the coun- 

 tries in her neighbourhood, increased as much in size, prosperity 

 and well-being. The population of the town and island, 15 miles 

 long and 9 miles broad, amounted, with Province Wellesley, in 

 1786 to 600 Malays, in 1812 to 27,000, in 1871 to 133,000, and in 

 1891 to 235,000 inhabitants. The amount of imports and exports 

 was in 1790 8240,000, in 1867 820,000,000, and in 1888 

 395,000,000. The shipping rose from 1,900 ships with a tonnage 

 of 970,000 in 1872, to 3,400 ships with a tonnage of 1,765,000 m 

 1878, and 6,078 ships with a tonnage of 3,500,000 in 1890. It 

 seems, to put the mildest construction upon it, to be a gross error ■ 

 to say that the trade of Penang has seriously suffered through the 

 Achinese war. This complaint has several times been made to the 

 English Grovernment by Penang agitators, and unfortunately has 

 been supported by some of the authorities. Sir Feedeeick Weld 

 said in a lecture at the Royal Colonial Institute in London on the 

 loth June, 1S84 : — "The pepper trade of Penang with Sumatra 

 '•'has suffered most seriously from the Acheenese war." 



Malacca, which up till the present day has preserved its Portu- 

 guese-Dutch features, remained a station of less importance. It 

 was thrown upon its own resources, and made but slow progress. 



