soir. 



(Old 15 or even 20 dollar* may not be ronstdered 

 too hitfh an estimate for many of the «(rfii^ r soils. 



The ci»-l of k< < A j>in- il ch ar d< | Is on main varying 1 



circmiv Ftana -s. 



• Kmie speculators have proposed cultivating In wis 

 in the neighbouring states of Perak and Keddah — 

 but it will be obvious to any one, on reflection, that 

 independent of other circumstances, the despotic na- 

 ture of I lit* ^overiunents of both interposes many ob- 

 stacles to success. Most of the Malayan mahomedan 

 govermennts are regulated on similar principles. 

 That of Keddah (which country is m»u tmdei ■ ihe 

 ■me refined despotism of the Siamese) as it existed 

 previous to the late cttbquest, ma} he taken as a I) pe 

 of the rest. The sovereign was lord of the soil, which 

 the orang bindang, or ryots, cultivated under regular 

 tenures. The chief one was termed $nrat Pit (its, 

 under vvl licit the occupier paid, at the outset, the price 

 of one mas, or rupee, for every orlongf of ground* He 

 Deceived this deed from the Raja, and it was stamped 

 lIIl the chops of the htter at id his ministers. It was 

 in perpetuity and could Hot he alienated, but was 

 subject to resumption by the gtm :i rnment if the 

 1 1 - r :.ll.owd the html to <jo to waste within a 

 ei* period — sometimes 30 yearn. Instead of a re- 

 (ar quit-rent, each ryot, capable of labor, was suh- 

 jected to a ca pit at ion-tax of 10 g«ntaaig« of paddy 

 and one of cleaned rice, which w ould BOW be equiva- 

 leut to nearly a dollar. This was occasionally cdlttf 

 muted into a copper payment. But the ryot wiw 

 obliged to sustain a much more yric\ous rax in tin an- 

 on. d (eodal service required of him at the will of the 

 prince, and whieh cannot he computed at a lower year- 

 ly average then 4 rupees a head. The Siamese follow- 

 ing the code of Menu, affect to exact only one-tenth 

 of the gross produce value — but the tax is more than 



