fcouN. — Rice; SS 



lack of a paddie-field forced them from their counlri ? 



Puddle means riee in the husk —ftice the grain, 

 when unhusked; a distinction to be kept in mind 

 when adverting to the call 'illations \ihich fdlo'w. 



Data are uahting from which a very precise esti- 

 mate might be formed of the quantity of rice grown 

 on Penang. It is pretty certain that the quantity of 

 - 1 >\ ah, or proper paddie (and, actually under cultiva- 

 tivation, does not exceed 700 nrlongs. IVo prospect 

 tive estimate can ever lie formed of the quatttit \ of 

 dry, or oomah. land likely to be used for light paddie 

 crops, since the Malay can never, .if he can avoid it^ 

 cultivate such lands for two seasons successively, 

 't he quantity of jungle cleared for such c'ulfivati hi 

 for tlie ensuing season, may be rated at 2(M) nrlongs. 



Neither can the actual extent of rice land, cultivated 

 in Province \Vel!e*le\, he y t ascertained* owing" to 

 the quatjiily of new land constantly coining under 

 tillage, and as such, is not surveyed until well clear- 

 ed. But .there are sufficient data for enabling; us td 

 rate it at not less than 15,000 orldngs; or twenty 

 thousand acres, which is rather more than thrice 

 the quantity which was under culture in lK2o. At 

 the latter period, Government was induced to adv 

 vauce cash to the cultivators and to give them rice 

 lands at a rate of quit-rent almost nominal. This 

 liberality was hut ill repaid. Tew of the Malays who 

 received advances, cultivated the land allotted, or re- 

 turned the loan ; while the worst consequence was, 

 that they began to Hunk that the ir services could not 

 be dispensed with, and thus a great incentive toexertiort 

 was reunved. From the period that the ryots were 1 

 thrown on their. own resources, (1826) the competition' 

 fa-laud, and .in a sure conseqm nee, its value, has rapid- 

 ly increased. It is estimated that about 30,-000 acres of 

 land of every description are in cultivation within the 

 Province, 



