VIII 
PEPPERS 
305 
It was known as early as 1364, being imported from 
Liberia to France, but the King of Portugal prevented 
its importation into Europe, for fear of depreciating the 
value of Indian pepper (1485). It is used in West 
Africa locally as a spice, but though it could be had 
in abundance, should it prove as good as black pepper, 
it seems to find its way into European markets but 
seldom. It is not cultivated. 
Cubebs [Piper cubeba, L.), though used as a spice up 
to 1480, have long been used only as a drug. For this 
purpose they were very largely cultivated in Java till 
about 1890 when their use was much diminished, and 
the cultivation almost died out. As they are now only 
used as a drug, they are not described in this work. 
Appendix to Chaptepv 
The following accounts of early pepper cultivation in the 
Straits Settlements are of interest, especially as they are published 
in works not usually accessible. 
The first is taken from a manuscript account of the plants 
of Prince of Wales Island (Penang) by Sir William Hunter, 
written about 1803, and published in the journal of the Straits 
Branch of the Boy at Asiatic Society, vol. 53, 1909. It is interest- 
ing as giving an account of the cultivation practised by the 
Chinese at that date, with an estimate of the cost of opening up 
a plantation and the profit. 
The second is a letter by Mr. De Mornay to Major M‘Kair, 
detailing the system practised in Province Wellesley in 1883. It 
was published in the Government Gazette of the Straits Settlements 
in August 1884. 
I. Pepper cultivation in Penang, 1803, by Sir W. Hunter. 
1. P. nigrum, black pepper. 
This plant has been so fully described that I have nothing 
to add on that head. But as it is the most important article of 
produce on Prince of Wales Island, the manner of cultivation 
pursued there merits a particular detail. 
It is propagated by cuttings or suckers. These are generally 
planted at a distance of about ft. ; that is 1,000 plants in an 
Oorlong, which is a measure of 80 yards square, nearly equal to 
IJ acre. But some experienced cultivators think that the 
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