THE MALAY PENINSULA* 



41 



whfch commenced seven years nft^r the fotimlatinra of Ponnng, 

 brought special opportunities to thin outlying station ; nu-t ul the 

 clone ci f n Kiuglc generation the little Settlement had become a 

 power in Mataya, under the direct and indirect in (hit -inv ,,f which 

 the "Dutch monopoly ayetcra" had been completely overthrown. 

 The British possession of the Straits, after 17%, became secure, 

 first through our holding Malacca, uud when Unit, was given back by 

 the establishment of Singapore. 



The settlements were not formed into one Government till 1826. 

 But the Wtraitfl have, since 1795,, bcen t in every sense, u British 

 possession, our power being paramount on the western "V jiiivig^Ui.' 

 shore. 



The colony lias hitherto been liltle more than a place o£ trnde ; 

 sod though it is now beginning; to show some development in other 

 directions, yet, frotn its circumstances, trnde must always bo its 

 principal feature. As n market alone, it rinik.s, with Hongkong and 

 M,l11:l, Ii<>[ only nb.iVf nil ihImt Crown I'lildni^s, hnl willi :i gross 

 total of imports rind exports which, excluding those two trade 

 centres only, exceeds that of all other such colonies put together. 

 For 1884 its total trnde was at the extraordinary rate of above £85 

 n head of the population,, a rate exceeding that of the United 

 Kingdom and its most prosperous colonies in Australia, and prob- 

 ably of any other country in the world. 



The early prosperity of the colony resulted from it? central 

 position as a port of call for European, Indian, and Chinese trade. 

 The local trnde, fur which both Singapore and Ponang are so well 

 placed, and which now forms su mm h mom ^trnre a h a-h id fulure 

 prosperity, has taken time to dcvelope. But within the last few 

 years it bus rapidly assumed increased proportions, and already far 

 exceeds the ocean-going trade. 



At the Transfer, the United Kingdom trade with the colony was 

 £3 > 47fi,0O0, and the local trade (including- Netherlands India and 

 the Malay peninsula), £2, G6&.000; but now the position h reverted ; 

 that of the United Kingdom for amounting to only £5,500,000, 

 while there is a local trade of nearly £13,000.000. 



A siiuihir change has been in progress, on a smaller scale, in ibe 

 trade with India, as compared with the essentially local trade with 

 Iho Malay Pen insula. With these facls established, there can bo 

 tittle to fear from any change in ocean routes. The oniony will find 

 its sin-cut gunrnnlee of continuing prosperity in the growing propor- 

 tions of the trade done with its immediate neighbours, far which Ub 

 situation makes it the natural metropolis, 



