106 
vered with wood; the hills and dry 
grounds, with trees of an immenfe fize 
mixed with canes, rattans, and a great 
variety of creeping plants; the fwamps, 
with large trees of a more flimfy texture, 
and with the neeboon or cabbage and 
beetle-nut-tree ; and the ground over- 
flowed by the tides, with the mangrove, 
trom the bark of which a rich red dye is 
prepared, and other trees that grow in 
falt water. 
The foil is generally light, and in fome 
parts fandy, aud mixed witha black vege- 
table mould. For the mott part it is too 
rich for grain; fo that from its luxuriancy, 
the crop falls down. and rots before it is 
ripe. The mott proper objects of cultiva- 
tion are fupposed to be pepper and other 
ipices, and the fruits common on the pe- 
mufula of Malacea. 
ft is well known that the Dutch derived 
immenfe advantage from the fale of 
Cinnamon, Nurmec, Macr,and Cioves. 
‘The true cinnamon tree is peculiar to 
Ceylon, which is now im our pofletfion. 
The monopoly of the ether three {pices 
the Dutch Eaft India Company had for 
more than a century fecured to them- 
jelves, by extirpating the trees that 
produce them wherever they could be 
found, except in Banda and Amboyna ; 
with which no other nation was allowed 
to have any intercourle. _ When the 
lilands were captured laft war, the Direc- 
tors of the Eait India Company, and the 
Indian Government, forefeeing, I fuppofe, 
that on the refioration ef peace they 
would probably be given up again to our 
rivals, fent thither an mtelligent botanif, 
under whofe fuperintendance the Nutmeg — 
and Clove trees in various ftuges of growth, 
were tranfported to the couft of Sumatra, 
(near Bencoolen, ) and to Prince of Wales’ 
SIfland, where the climate and foil have 
proved fo congemal to. them, that we may 
hope, ere long, to fee thofe * valuable 
Spices become as plentiful as pepper 3 
cfpecially as they will not be expofed 
here to the hurricanes, which fome years 
ago blew down in one night, almoft all 
the nutmeg-trees in Banda. 
At any rate, the monopoly, which the 
Dutch had ettablithed by fraud, cruelty, 
and ufurpation, and cemented with the 
blood of our countrymen facrificed to 
their avarice, in the infamous maflacre 
of Amboyna, is wrefted from them for 
eyer. 
I have been told, that the French had 
before fucceeded in carrying plants of the 
clove-tree to the Mauritius and the Weft 
Indies, with what fuccels lL know not; 
New Establishments for the Cultivation of Spices. 
[March f, 
but as we have heard noching of their 
produce, it 1s probable that they have 
tailed. 
The land produces a great variety of 
forelt-trees, many of which are fit for 
ip-building. The Chinga is in much, 
efteem among the Malays, for the pur- 
pofes of houfe and f{hip-building. A tree 
at its full growth will yield from 70 to 
to 90 by 2% to 3 feet diameter of clear 
timber. ‘The Pennager, which grows 
only on the fea-fhore and rocky ground, 
furnifhes: knees and crooked timber for 
fips. ‘The Bentanghoor, or red poon, 
atiords the beit timber for mafts and 
yards, of any that is produced in India, 
and is efieemed next m quality te ftir. 
It grows to a very gyeat ize and per- 
fectly ftrarght. 
The forefts abound with gum and wood- 
oil trees. One of the numerous {pecies 
of creepers, 1s about five inches in dia- 
meter, and grows continually twittine 
like a cork-ferew, fhooting up tll in a 
{piral form even when it has nothing to 
fupport it: the bark of this parafite plant, 
which is remarkably thick, emits, when 
cut, a white vifcous juice, which, on ex- 
potureto the air, takes im a very few mi- 
nutes the colour and confittency of 
elaftic guin, of the fame appearance and 
anfwerimg the fame purpotes as the Ca- 
outchouc of South America. 
The mdigenous wild quadrupeds were 
fome deer and wid hogs. The latter are 
very large and numerous, and commit 
great ravages on the lands cultivated 
with fugar-cane and.yams. Sheep, goats, 
bullocks, and other animals, that have 
been introduced by the fettlers, thrive 
welland multiply faft ; and haply are not 
expofed to the fury of the hyena or other 
rapacious beats of prey, which abound 
on the Malay coaft, but. none of which 
are found here. 
There are very few birds on the ifland, 
doves excepted, of which there is great 
abundance, as well as variety of fpecies ; 
geefe, ducks, and other domeftic fowls, 
thrive furprifing well; and game and 
poultry may be furnithed from the Malay 
coaft. At Quida in particular they are 
fo cheap, that a hundred good fowls may 
be purchafed for three dollars; from 
twelve to fixteen ducks, for one dollar; 
and the price of a fujl-grown bullock 
feldom exceeds fix dollars, 
The whole coaft {warms with every 
kind of fith, known in other parts of In- 
dia. The market is lkewie’ plentifully 
fupplied with oytters, cockles, mufeles, 
and turthe. 
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