ITTJTMEGS. 



411 



no protection to mace, the growth of British possessions. From 

 tabular stateaients, furnished by the Chamber of Commerce of 

 Pinang, drawn up apparently with great care, it appears that in 

 1843 there were 3,046 acres cultivated with spice trees in Pinang 

 and province Wellesley, containing 233,995 nutmegs, and 80,418 

 clove trees, besides 77,671 trees in nurseries ready to be planted 

 out ; and by a similar statement from. Singapore, which is however 

 not so complete, that 743 acres are cultivated, containing 43,544 

 nutmeg trees. The island of Pinang is estimated to contain 160 

 square miles, nearly the whole of which, with the exception perhaps 

 of summits of the hills, is well adapted to spice growing. Province 

 AVellesley is of much greater extent, and the soil of it has already 

 been proved to be equally Avell fitted fur that kind of cultivation ; 

 and the settlements of Malacca and Singapore are said to be 

 admirably suited, in many places, for that species of produce, the 

 latter of which has already several plantations fast approaching to 

 maturity. 



The cultivation is capable of great extension ; encouragement is 

 only required to be held out, and new plantations will be rapidly 

 formed in these settlements. The same tables show that the 

 produce in 1842 was, in Pinang and Province Wellesley, 18,560,281 

 nutmegs, 42,866 lbs. of mace, and 11,813 lbs. of cloves * ; and in 

 Singapore, 842,328 nutmegs, and 1,962 lbs, of mace. Thus 

 making the produce from the two settlements 19,408,608 

 nutmegs in number (or in weight 147,034 lbs.), 44,822 lbs. of 

 mace, and 11,813 lbs. of cloves. Now the consumption of these 

 spices in Grreat Britain was, on an average of four years ending 

 1841, as follows :— Nutmegs, 121,000 lbs. ; mace, 18,000 lbs. ; 

 cloves, 92,000 lbs. Showing, therefore, that the Straits' Settlements 

 already produce more than sufiicient of the two former to supply 

 the home market. 



In the course of four or five years more, Pinang alone will more 

 than double the present quantity of nutmegs and mace produced 

 in the Straits, and the produce of cloves will be more than tripled. 



I have been able, from several elaborate papers in my " Colonial 

 Magazine," to condense details, showing the progress of spice 

 plantations in Prince of Wales Island and Province Wellesley. In 

 the close of 1843 there were 64,902 nutmeg trees in bearing in 

 the island ; 39,209 male trees, 103,982 not bearing ; making a 

 total of 208,093 trees planted out, besides 52,510 plants in nursery. 

 The quantity of ground under cultivation was 2,282 orlongs. The 

 produce in 1842 was 15,116,591 good nuts, 1,461,229 inferior 

 nuts, and 38,260 lbs. of mace. The gross value of the produce in 

 1843, reckoning the good nuts at five dollars per thousand, and the 

 inferior at one dollar, was 76,944 dollars. The estimated number 

 of nuts in 1843 was 12,458,762 ; in 1844, 25,429,000. 



In Province Wellesley there were 247 orlongs under cultivation 



* Although this was the amount of produce for 1842, it must he remarked 

 that that crop was a complete failure, and the average crop for some years past 

 has been 46,666 pounds. 



