295 



Malacca, however, was an important port and being often visited 

 by travellers we have some account of its productions. LlNSCHOTEN 

 (1583) mentions in his "Voyage to the East Indies", as cultivated 

 plants in Malacca, Mangoes, Cashew-nut (which he says had not long 

 been introduced from America), Jambus (obviously from its descrip- 

 tion Eugenia Malaccensis, " Jambu Bol"), Jambolanes [Eugenia 

 J {j nib 1 ana), Bananas, Coco-nuts, Durians, Betel-nuts, Sirih, Black 

 Pepper, Papaya, Cana fistula [Cassia fistula) and the shrub Nyctan- 

 thes arbor-tristis. Pineapples, he mentions as having been brought 

 not very long previously from Santa Cruz in Brazil to the West 

 Indies and thence to India, and they were almost certainly cultivated 

 in Malacca about that time. Chillies of several varieties were also 

 cultivated in Malacca, then (Carcia da Orta Historia aromatum). 

 The only plant, however, which was cultivated at that time to any 

 extent, was Black Pepper, for the export of which Malacca was the 

 great emporium. Rice was, of course, also cultivated, but only, it 

 seems, for local consumption. Indeed it appears that this country, 

 then and certainly later, did not produce enough Rice for its popula- 

 tion. It is probable that other plants were introduced during Portu- 

 guese occupation, especially some of the fruit trees such as the Jujub 

 [Zizyphus Jujuba) and the Sapodilla (Ac/iras sapota), but of this we 

 have no definite proof. 



No progress seems to have been made under Dutch rule, and indeed 

 agriculture seems to have retrograded somewhat, as it is stated 

 that, under Dutch administration, the natives were actually prohibited 

 from growing Rice. • 



Arabian Coffee was probably introduced at this time, for it was 

 introduced to Java by the Dutch Governor Van HOORNE in 1690, 

 (Crawford's Dictionary) and doubtless soon found its way to Malacca. 



A number of introduced plants bear in their Malay names the affix 

 Blanda, (Javanese Wolanda, i.e., Hollander), but this does not I think 

 necessarily imply that the plants bearing this name were introduced 

 by the Dutch as the word now at least merely means foreign. 

 " Nona Blanda" [Anona muricata, the Sour Sop) and " Chermei 

 Blanda" [Eugenia uniflora) are examples. The latter was intro- 

 duced into Malacca from Brazil long after the Dutch had left the 

 Peninsula. 



The next development of cultivation followed on the settling of 

 Penang by Captain LIGHT in 1786. The Island, at that time, con- 

 tained practically no cultivated plants except a few coco-nuts and 

 fruit trees. Mr. CHRISTOPHER SMITH, the Botanist to the Hon'ble 

 East India Company (1794), was appointed in 1796 to go to the 

 lyioluccas to collect spice-plants. He shipped off from there 71,266 

 Nutmegs, and 55,264 Clove plants and large quantities of. seeds of 

 the Canary-nut [Canarium commune) and Gomuti Palm (Arenga 

 saccharifera). The greater part of these plants were sent to Penang 

 the rest to Kew, Calcutta, Madras and the Cape of Good Hope. 



He was appointed sole Superintendent of the Botanic Gardens of 

 Penang, in 1806, and is said to have died there about the same year. 



