68 mTtAH, iV\ 



sum to an extent equivalent to the amount of capital 

 expended originally in the purchase of hud. mills, 

 cattle, &e. and in erecting buildings, the same hav- 

 ing been recovered the first season. 



The Chinese are not very willing" to admit that 

 tlicv gain at all by the cultivation ; hut they are mo- 

 nopolists whenever the\ can pos>ibl\ become s->. ;nnl 

 it is 11 ell known tliat n umbers have returned from the 

 sugar plantations to China with well-tilled pursrs. 



Perhaps, however, it might he safest, in originating 

 a sugar plantation, to reckon onl\ an average pro- 

 duce of 22 pieuls of sugar, and the usual proportion 

 of molasses, instead of what has been given al*ove, 

 shire it might he difficult to get a large tract of land 

 of uniform quality. 



The Chinese have occasionally received from 8 to 

 0 drs. picul, for their sugar ; there is hardly aov 

 imported to Penang from other countries, since its 

 growers here can keep d >\vn the price h\ glutting the 

 market when there is competition, and rendering the 

 speculation a losing one. Finally, the speculator is 

 warned against believing all that the Chinese may 

 tell him regarding .sugar-making. It is against their 

 interest to speak the truth. 



TAKl M-IXDItiO. 



Tit re are three species of the Indigo plant, known 

 in the Malay* of ihis Coast, — the Tarum rinne, or 

 true sort, (ludign-fera tiuctona) or Auil : — the Tarum 

 hfsar kithor. the erei .ping, broad- lea \ed kind and 

 the Tarum ahar. ;iIm a creeping indigo, which is a 

 strung perennial plant, found in great abundance, 

 growing wild in the islands, lung near Junk-cey Ion, 

 ttlic] tht^e in the vicinity <d' Trang. This last species 

 wa.-. in 1T98, conveyed from Sumatra to India by 

 Colonel K}d. 



