EASTERN GEOGRAPHY. 



The population of tho colony vn, according to tho census of J8S1. 

 423,334 ■ & lflSfl it was 243,000, and will tun* have doubled ttaelf in » 

 generation. The Uhiuesd and Indian population have greatly increa^-d, 

 but L-nn only Ihs maintained nt their present figures hy Immigration, for 

 tin? womMti numlwr b>jl :i finirth of tin- men. Atuong the Malay*, the 

 sexes are almost e*m«l in nunilx j r ; ami the increment, which in their ease 

 an i i units to i |wr cunt, jmit annum, is a natural menuum, J,uc to a high 

 lirth-r.it>! ( and not dependent on immigration, 



PigtilibU Fftxlnft*. — Tim /o™ of the colony is vary rich in variety of 

 forms, The thhnIut of flowering pi nut* lias linn e.sliiiinti<il nt idiont 

 60XH), and th" lUnv-rli-si fciu'h tit about 300 ; but a gmt number uF tlit! 

 tin we ring klndf produce inconspicuous blossoms, an it so are. commonly 

 supposed to ho without flowers. Thn tn»u producing valuable titular 

 w\v bo put At 100 kinds, of which, the best are thn lifdaii, tampini^ 

 scriva, tihrauti, darn, kladang, kulim, petalmg, rengas, mcrbau. 



OF native, fruiti there inv ahout tiinu varieties in ilaily \w, supple- 

 mented hy about six introduced kinds, including the pineapple and 

 or.ui^i". Tin- ■ ■uliiiury vegetables ;ire chiefly acclimatim-d ('Iain's** kinds, 

 CMUiiprktng lettuces, beans, radishes, &c. of a much inferior sort to the 

 simitar European vegetable*. The vegetable products which form jmrt of 

 the exports of the colony arc aIkhh iii in nuinWr, nf which pepper, sugar, 

 tapioca, indigo, coffee, cocoa-nuts, sago, gutta-percha, caoutchouc, and 

 canes are the principal. Tliu well-known Malacca cane is not, however, 

 found in Malacca, hut only in Sumatra and Borneo. 



(In I la |iereha (Gffuh) mmitn special mention. Tin* plants that pro- 

 diiLv it, i>f a coin mere in I standing, are alvmtliO in number; about ten of 

 v, In. 1 1 | n treea, and 10 creepers, Uitah Tnban^ the produce of a tree, being 

 the lie »t known* 



Tint Straits sago is chiefly produce d by a large palm which grows in 

 iW WPy plaees, Emu the pith of whieh aago is made. The kinds of oil 

 exported an. 1 the in number, among which an essential dl, extruded IVocta 

 the lemon-grass, is Lite mint inifnirlaut. Tea, coin e, iiud r5i>H-nLa1^ nr.. 

 not yot produced in any large tpiaulity, hut Li I * nan coffee promise* to do 

 will. Among spire*, nutmegs, eloves pepper, and cinnamon are vx- 

 ported, ttyfl pepper In large quantities, though most of it is not grown in 

 the eolou>\ 



The grarN^-vinB ia tint found native in the colony, and only surf-coda 

 with ^real ditTiculty Under cultivation, Native Trinea with clusters rival- 

 ing thoM« of tin- gn^w-vin.- in I want}', hut uni-atahh-, .ir- t hosvuvvr, i'euii'i \u 



great plenty* 



Of late years, both public and private enterprise hnvo boen active in 

 introducing various fomgt) planti which yield valuable foreign nroiliTcts t 

 among mure recent ones may \*o enninemtetl the teak tree of India, the 

 Brazil mi ut tree, and American ami African india-rubber- producing trees, 

 'J'.'n- nu.-n.-hmd nut-l-uili uii-3 nui ..-y-iin- «.r li- r Hm-Ful and Kuropwin j'l.-r^r -. 

 are being tried on the idlla, with inort 4 or leant success. 



A eurioii.H feature of thu ve^utation of thu colony Is the Appearand of 

 many Australian plants on the higher hill-lops. The Iwauluul Victoria 

 regia lily nf the A masons grows w«ll, and many uther iutrwtiwd pUnls 

 have hocome acclimatiwid in gardens and hy tln> way-side ; but owing to 

 the stimulating nature of thf elimate, F. ^- of'thiun produoi tlowcrs or fruit 

 as freely as in their uativa foil>ti<tt, ivtiile leaves and branches nourish much 

 more Freely. 



Many products, once, abundant in thu colony, have become compara- 



