328 



Now, although i\m table exhibits a falliog o€ 

 of only 68 vesstels of all sorts entering, and of 62 

 clearing out. in the year in which these causea 

 began to operate, there was in reality a far great- 

 er decline in the trade, as the largest proporiion 

 of these vessels, instead of resorting to the other 

 IVeiherlands ports, as in previous years, carried 

 their cargoes to the English settlements ofSia^ 

 gapore, Malacca, and Pinang, whence they re- 

 turned with English goods, the Dutch produce 

 being thus thrown out of its own market In- 

 deed, so languishing was the trade at Rhio, that 

 a very trifling portion of the cargoes of these ves- 

 sels was landed for its market, and the bottoms 

 thus em pi 05 ed must be considered more as engag- 

 ed in the English carrying trade than contribut- 

 ing to the commerce of Hhio, the principal pro- 

 fit derived by the Dutch arising from the harbor 

 and aochorage dues. 



Thus, the re-transfer of Malacca to the British 

 has been attended with the most beneficial re- 

 sults to the shipping interest and commerce of 

 that country. It has been occasioually contend- 

 ed that, because Malacca does not pay its own 

 expences, the retention of it only hangs a dead- 

 weight upon the finances of the Government. 

 The following circumstances will, however, 

 shew the fallacy of the assumption. 



The foregoing statement shews the indirect 

 profit deriv.^d by the English from the paralyzed 

 state of the commerce of Rhio, consequeot, in a 

 great measure, on the transfer of Malacca, and 

 the following considerations as clearlv indicate 

 the direct advantages to be traced to the same 



