The number of inhabitants has been 
eftunated at thirty thoufand; of thetfe 
above one thoufand are Chinefe. ‘The 
remainder confitts of Malabars; Mnglith, 
European and Afiatic Portuguefe, a few 
Butch and Danifh families, Malays, 
Japanete, Acheenefe, Siamefe, Burmans, 
Bugeules, Bengalees, Perfees, Armeni- 
ans, "en Arabs. Each of thefe tribes 
have a part of the town allotted to them, 
and nominates one of their own elafs for 
their head man, who is in fome degree 
refpontible tor their conduct. 
The ihops in the Bezar, which are 
very numerous, are kept by Chinefe and 
Malabars. ‘The Chinete are a very in- 
dutirious quiet people, exercife almott all 
the hi mdicratts, and carry on tmott of the 
retail trade in thefe parts. 
The harbour is futficiently capacious 
to hold a large fleet, being the whole of 
that {pace between the north-catt part of 
the Hland and the Quida fhore, extending 
a very little way to the point where Fort 
Cornwallis ftands. In the whole of this 
{pace there is good anchorage for the 
largett thips, as the water is always 
imooth, however ftrongly and fron whac- 
ever quarter the wind may blow. 
In fine, the potition of Prince of Wales 
Ifland, its elimate, its fertility, its har- 
bours, its preduce of large timber, its con- 
tiguity to Pegu, which contains mott 
abundant teak-torefts, will render it an 
acquilition of great impertance, both in 
@ commercial and political point of view 5 
and [ doubt not that it will foon, under 
the foftering care of the Britifh govern- 
ment, and “by the enterpriling fpirit of 
the Britith merchants, become what Ma- 
lacca was during the profperity of the 
Portugueie Empire i in India, and in later 
times Batavia,—the centre and emporiuin 
of the commerce of the Eaftern fea. 
The Directors of the Eatt India Company 
were fo fenfible of its importance, that 
they have ereéted it into a feparate fettle- 
ment under a governor and council, and 
commander of the garriion of Fort-Corn- 
wallis, which contitts of a confiderable 
body of Sca-povs and Europeans. There 
is likewife a clergyman of the church of 
FEngland,a clerk and fchoolmatter. Juitice 
is adminitered nearly in the fare man- 
ner as in the Englith fettlements in In- 
dia, ky a Mayor, Alderman, and Jutftices 
of the Peace. 
I am {fo well pleafed with this place, 
that I fhall with reluctance leave it tor 
the purpofe of fulfillmg my engagement 
with my prefent employer. Should we 
in the courfe of our trading voyage touch 
The Enquirer.—Ne: AXTI, 
107 
at any port not much frequented by Fia- 
ropeans, I fhall not fail to fend you an 
account of my adventures, and of what- 
ever {hall feem curious and intere {ting 
Prince Wales’ Ifland, Your's, &c. 
Jan. 3, 1806. J. WALLACE. 
eS 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
THE ENQUINER. 
No: XXI- 
CONTINUATION OF THE QUFSTION, “What 
are the Ultunate Projpecis of the “~ 
in England ?” 
“© If ir be a fin to covet honour, I am the 
moft ottending foul alive.”—=-Sbake/peare. 
N the preceding part of this queftion, 
(pubhthed November 1, 1806) tome 
areuments were offered, tending to prave 
that one of the sreatett obttacles to the 
ultimate advances of the Arts in England, 
arote from this circumitance, viz. that 
commerce, the moft general and extenfive 
fource of Britith profperity, does not 
aflord the fpecies of ‘aid requifite to the 
perfection of the liberal arts; that, from 
its nature, it neither participa stes in their 
highett views, nor coaleices with their 
noblett interetts. 
It was propofed to confider, next, the 
probable effects of encouragement given 
to the cultivation of the arts, and of ex- 
citement produced in their progrefs, by 
the means of henours, and through the 
channels of dittinétive rank, — 
The experience of the naturalitt de- 
monttrates, that nothing more powerfully 
contributes to bring a tender and fenfitive 
plant to maturity, “and finally to. perfec- 
tion, than the nourfhment of it by a 
conitaut renewal of materials agreeable 
to its original growth, or nature. Ina 
{smilar manner, ‘reafon will thow us, that, 
in the intellectual, as in the phytical zar- 
ihe the bloffoms of the tree will ever be 
oft beautiful, when the natrition it ree 
ceives from the care of fuperintendance, 
is congenial with its cflential qualities. 
Honour, ifit may not be contidered as 
an innate oe of defire in the breatt 
of men of talents, is at leaft the fenfible 
image of that impretfion on the infant 
mind, inferutable in its origin, but inde- 
lible in its effect, which alone appears to 
command the energies and direét the fu- 
perior exertions of genius. The painter 
and the poet, indeed, often turn aide 
from the guiding brightuets of their guar- 
dian ftar, to feek fupport, or eafe, nnder 
ignobler ‘influence ; but it will be found 
that they never do fo without a confciout- 
nels that they degrade, or, as it were, 
O2 detert 
