Prince of Wales Island derives its impcirtance partly from the culti vation of spices. Pepper has long been the object of an extensive culti vation, but of late it has been to a considerable extent replaced by clove and nutmeg trees. The mace and cloves grown in the island are considered the finest in the world. The sugarcane is partially cultivated on Prince of Wales Island, and extensively in Province Wellealey, especially in the central and southern districts; the cultiva tion in both places is in the hands of the Chinese settlers. Tobacco, coffee, and cotton are only raised for consumption. A considerable quantity of betel is exported to the neighbouring state of Keddab. The areca raised on the east coast of Sumatra is brought to this island, and thence exported to other parts of Asia. Rico and Indian corn are the only kinds of grain cultivated. The plantains and bananas are, next to rice, the principal objects of agriculture, and in times of scarcity supply in some measure the place of grain. A great variety of frait-trees are cultivated ; and many different kinds of trees are met with in the forests of the country which are applicable to building and other domestic uses. Besides the native vegetables, which are numerous, the Chinese cultivate cabbages, celery, and lettuce. There are many varieties of sweet potato, one of which is much esteemed. Yams, both red and white, and French beans, are extensively grown.
Buffaloes and cattle are numerous. The cattle are reared for the dairy, cattle for slaughter being chiefly imported from Keddah and Patent. The black buffalo is most prized, both for draught and slaughter. Goats and sheep do not abound, but a great number of hogs are reared by the Chinese. Poultry are reared in large num bers in Province Wellesley. The elephant, rhinoceros, and tiger are found in that province. The elephants aro sometimes exported to Madras, and used in the neighbouring states to carry the tin from the mines to the coast. They are also killed by the Malaya for the sake of the ivory. The rhinoceros is killed for its horn and hide. There are two species of wild ox, and abundance of wild hogs and ,deer. Birds are found in great variety, and of great beauty. Fish is abun dant, and the fishing-stakes afford nearly exclusive employment to numbers of Chinese and Malays. A species of eea-turtle abounds in some places, and another smaller kind in the rivers : the eggs of both species are eagerly sought after.
When the English in 1786 took poisesalon of Pulo Penang (the original name of Price° of Wales Island), they found only a few Malay families, mostly fishermen ; but natives from the neighbouring coun tries, as well as Chinese and natives from I lindustan, soon flocked to it, and the population in 1835 consisted of ten different nations, amounting altogether to 40,207.
When the British acquired the coast-line called Province Wellesley, it was very thinly inhabited ; and though the population gradually increased, It did not exceed 5000 In 1821. But in this year the Raja
of Ligor invaded the neighbouring state of Keddab, and took pos session of it for the king of Siam. Upon this a great part of the Malay population abandoned Keddab, put themselves under the protection of the British, and settled in Province Wellesley. In 1835 the popu lation amounted to 46,880, chiefly Malays and Chinese.
George Town is built on the eastern side of Prince of Wales Island, where it projects into the strait, and contains a population of 20,000, mostly Chinese. It is the seat of the Governor of the British Pos sessions on the Strait of Malacca, and carries on a considerable com merce. The harbour, which lies on the south-east of the town, is well sheltered. It is visited by most of the vessels sailing from Hiudustan to China, and likewise by vessels from China, Arabia, and Siam. There are sometimes 300 vessels in the harbour. The establishment of the free port of Singapore took away some of the commerce of George Town. The articles brought to the port include pepper, ben zoin, camphor, gold-dust, areca-nuts, rice, ratans, sago, brimstone, tin, arrack, sugar, oil, tobacco, birds'-nests, trepang, and ivory. It exports to the eastern coast of Sumatra and the Malay countries north of Malacca various kinds of piece-goods from England, Bengal, and Coro mandel ; cotton, opium, iron, steel; European coarse blue, red, and green cloth, and coarse cutlery. James Town is a small but thriving place, about a mile from the sea, on the eastern plain of Prince of Wales Island, in a very fertile district. There are no towns in Province Wellesley ; but in the northern more fertile and better cultivated dis tricts, the higher parts of the low ridges are in some places covered by continuous rows of houses for several miles. The most extensive of these villages is Pinaga.
Before 1786 the island and province belonged to the email kingdom of Keddah. In the war between the English and French, which ter minated in 1783, the want of a good harbour in the southern part of the Gulf of Bengal was much felt by the British. The island of Penang was found fit for that purpose, and it was accordingly purchased by the Eaat India Company from the then proprietor, an Englishman, Captain Francis Light, who had received it from the king of Keddah as a marriage-portion with his daughter. Captain Light was appointed first governor, and the sovereignty first of the island and afterwards of the coast, was ceded by the king of Keddah in consideratiou of an annual payment. The British flag was hoisted on the 7th of July, 1786. The country, which at the time of its cession, contained only 1500 inhabitants, including a very few Chinese, was then termed Point Wellesley; but this not being a very correct designation for a line of coast, was subsequently changed to Province Wellesley. The esti mated revenue of the government of Prince of Wales Island for 1851-52 was about 19,500L; the estimated charge was about 40,000/.