57 
which now formt so much more secure a basis of future prosperity, ha* 
taken time todcvelope. But within the last few ycare, it lias rapidly as- 
sumed increased proportions, and ah'eady far exceeds the ocean-going trade. 
At the Transfer, the United Kingdom trade with the Colony (for 
1868) was £3,476,000, and the local trade ( including Netherlands India 
and the Malay Penins^da ) .€2,669,000 ; but now the position is reversed : 
the United kiii^-dom trade ffor 1882) Qraourits to only ;^6,026,000, 
while there is a local trade of i;10. 109,000. 
A Bimilar changu is seen to be in progress, on a smaller scale, in the 
trade with India, m compsii'ed with the essentially local trade with the 
^Malay Peninsula. This k seen bv comparing again the totals for the 
yearK 1868 and 1882:— 
18G8. 1882. 
Indmn trade, £1,968,000 £3,803,000 
Malay Peninsula trade, € 830,000 £3,799,000 
Witli these facta established, there can be little to fear from any 
change in ocean routes. The Colony will find its surest guarantee of con- 
tinuing prosptij-ity in the growing proportions of the trade done* with 
its immediate neighbours — those nuraerous and rising countries briefly 
referrcfl to in Chapter YII— for which its situation makes it the natural 
metropolis, 
Populafion. — The population of the Colony was, according to the 
Census of 1881, 4'i;j,38J-; and if the rate of increase during the last 
decennial period is maititaiued, it should, before the close of 1885, reach 
5OO,0fX). There is good reason to believe that.it ia, in fact, increasing at 
a still more rapid rate. Ttie population in 1 856 was 248,000, and will 
thus have doubled itself in a generation. The Chinese and the Malays 
numbered alike at the last Census — the Chinese 174,327, and the Ma- 
lays 174,326. It is probable that the Chinese wiU he in a large majority 
at the next enumeration. 
The Chinese and Indian population liave been increiised, and in fact 
can ouly he maintaiucd at their present ligures, by immigration, for the 
women number but a fourth of tlie men. Among the Aid ays, the sexes 
are almost equal in uumlier; and the iuLTcmcnt, whicli in their case 
amounts to 2 per cent, per annum, is a natural increase, duo to a high 
birth rate and not dependent on immigration. 
Vegetabk and Mineral Products, — The florn of the Colony is very 
rich in variety of forms. The number of dowering plants has been es- 
timatetl at about 5,000, and the flowerless kinds at about 300 j but a great 
number of the flowering kinds produce inconspicuous blossoms, and eo 
arc commonly supposed to be without flc»w^ers. 
The kinds of trees number about 1,000 : which lb 1,000 hs^ 
than arc found in India, and 960 /wort^ than are found in Europe. The 
number of trees producing valuable timber may be ptit at 100 kinds, of 
which the following are considered among the best and are therefore the 
most commonly in use, viz. Balau, tamplnis, seraya, meranti, darn, 
kladang, kfilim, petaling, rengas, merbau, &c. 
