standard of this coast Pegu, however, being for the most part an extensive delta 
composed of alluvion, its soil perhaps takes the lead of ours. The productiveness of 
the soil of Malacca or of Singapore will scarcely, it is supposed, reach our standard: 
30-fold is the estimated average at Malacca. Out of 42,667 orlongs , the quantity- 
supposed to be available at Malacca for rice cultivation, only 3,297 orlongs were un- 
der tillage three years ago. According to the “ Malayan Annals,” and they are 
rendered credible by European contemporary accounts, — the population of the city of 
Malacca, when first attacked by the Portuguese, amounted, independent of the coun- 
try or interior population, to 190,000 souls. If this number -or, say, 200,000 for the 
whole, — were supported by the grain produce of that country, it must have required 
an extent of 1025 square miles or 49,602 orlongs to have been under rice cultivation, 
supposing the fertility to have equalled that of the Kedah coast as above given. 
Being a commercial state, however, it is probable that it received grain from other 
countries. It is only in those Malayan states where agriculture seems to have never 
been entirely subordinate to trade, that we now find a fixed agricultural population of 
any considerable magnitude. Java was one of these; Kedah, Perak, Patani and 
Trengganu, with Ligor, and Sanggora, were probably also in the list. Kedah, from 
its position and general features, must always have been a grain country. Its com- 
merce, never extensive, was in the hands of its rajahs, and their favourites, and when 
that was all but annihilated by the drain caused by the new channels into which trade 
flowed consequent on the proximity of European settlements, the population sustain- 
ed little comparative diminution : and continued to raise supplies of grain for its 
neighbours as well as itself, until, falling under foreign dominion, its energies were 
paralysed and its population dispersed. 
The Imports and Exports of Rice for this Settlement are as follows 
IMPORTS. 
Koyans. Bngs. Koyans, Gantangs. 
For the year ending 30th September 1833 3,197! 6,053 
For the ^-year ending 30th Sept. 1834 721 11,482 
Total 4,357 80 
EXPORTS. 
Koyans. Bags. 
For the above 18 months ... ... 1,478 25 
Total 
1— 1 
00 
500 
Excess of Imports over Exports, 
2,878 
380 
Total estimated consumption by the fixed population— iti- 
nerants — cattle, &c. &o. &c. in Penang and Province Wellesley 
for 18 months — seed grain for the half-year excluded; consump- 
tion of troops also excluded 
10,740 
600 
Total excess of consumption over importation for 18 months 
as above 
7,862 
220 
The produce to meet this is estimated as under:— 
PENANG. 
Fixed cultivation for 18 months ... ... 197 
Fugitive crops ... ... ... ... 50 
“ 2 47 
being equal to nearly one month s consumption. 
PROVINCE WELLESLEY. 
Fixed cultivation for above period ... ... ...6,6044 
Irregular and fugitive ditto ... ... ... ... 300 
6,9044 
7 A 5 1 4oo 
Total deficiency unaccounted for, being excess of consump- 
tion over the balance remaining of Exports and Imports and 
amount of produce added thereto ... ... ... 710 820 
There is no reason to doubt the accuracy of the statement of exports and im- 
ports, yet it is highly probable that a good deal of rice has been imported in small 
quantities through numerous channels both into Penang and the opposite coast with- 
out being observed. The crops for the last two years in Province Wellesley were 
