TO THE COURT OF AVA. 
197 
mese territory appears well suited to the growth 
of the areca and cocoa palms; and the consump¬ 
tion being general, the importation of their pro¬ 
duce is consequently very large. Areca nut pre¬ 
pared is brought from the eastern parts of Bengal; 
and it is brought in the crude state from Penang 
and the east coast of the island of Sumatra. 
A considerable quantity of tobacco is imported 
from Masulipatam and its neighbourhood : this, 
in the estimation of the Burmese at least, is very 
inferior in quality to what is raised in the upper 
provinces of their own country, and, generally, 
does not fetch above one-third of the price of 
the best description of the latter. The following 
sketch of the trade of the port of Rangoon, which 
was furnished to me by an intelligent person long 
engaged in it, will show that it has partaken of 
the augmentation and prosperity which have, of 
late years, characterized other branches of the 
Indian trade. For some years previous to 1811, 
the number of square-rigged vessels which clear- 
ed-out of Rangoon was from eighteen to twenty- 
five annually. A striking increase took place in 
1811, consequent probably on the capture of the 
French and Dutch possessions, and the suppres¬ 
sion of privateering. From that year to 1817, 
the annual number was from thirty-five to thirty- 
six ships. From 1817 to 1822 , the average was 
forty ships; and in this last year itself they 
amounted to fifty-six. Previous to 1811, the 
