90IL. 



i 



trials for building are obtained cither in the Province 

 or from the country immediately beyond, ami all 

 ordinary supplies, such as cattle, puiiltr) and batter 

 &c. &c. are abundant, and indeed, Periling is now 

 chiefly provided with these supplies from this Pro- 

 vince. 



The facilities for cultivating come next to be con- 

 sidered. Dry waste land for plan tattoos may be ob- 

 tained from the Government on leases of 5J8 yefra en- 

 durance, at a quit-rent \ an ing according- to its locali- 

 ty, but not on the average exceeding 2 lis. an or- 

 long, from 2 to 5 years being allowed rent free, and 

 the rent gradually increasing to the maximum ; and 

 persons desirous of growing spices or other valuable 

 products may, it is believed, on application to the 

 Government, have the term extended. 



A very large portion of the land at Penang and Pro. 

 vince Welleslej is held by "rants in perpetuity at vari- 

 ous rates of fpiit-renf, the latter rarely exceeding one 

 tenth per centum of the gross grain produce, and never 

 more than one-fifth, which is less than one-third of the 

 average of rent in England — that being about 33 per 

 cent, and is much below the rent taken by Govern- 

 ment in any other part of British Italia. Quit-rents 

 of long oeeupied land in Penang and of some lands in 

 Province Wellesley do not exceed one per cent, of the 

 value of the gross grain produce. " The assessment 

 for roads on Penang lands has hitherto been *2J per 

 cent, on the estimated clear rental, and is confined to 

 the Island as yel, for many substantial reasons. Land 

 thus held and not cultivated, with \ a! liable trees, are 

 daily in the market, the priee van ing from 10 up to 

 40 dollars an orlong, ci/ual to one-and-a-third of an 

 acre. The original cost of clearing primeval forest 

 cannot be average* I at less than 10 Spanish dollars 

 an orlong, under the most favorable cuxumstauceSj 



