The Sun.
London, England, 1805-01-11 00:00:00

PRIN7E of WALtn ISL/SD.

THE Island: 'of Penang, called Prince of
Wales's Island, situated bet -.veers, 5. 5 and 5.29
degrees north Irkti. ode, in the Straits of Malacca,
lying a mile a.kd a half front the cOast`ef Quetta ;
its greateit bre nith at the nortltend is about -twelve
miles, but it decreases towards the south,' where it
is only ten miles, over ; its length, from north to
•
south, is. i 6 statute miles.
The Island is at present, in general; thickly Co.
vexed with .wool of various qualities ; but,'where
any part has been cleared,- the-
.soil ,has been found
sufficiently good for the produce of
„all kinds of
grain, and vegetables common.in Hintlbstan, fruits
of, every kind, thrive well, and the spice •plants

grow wild. • .
• Thy Island is ,in every part ilentifully supplied
with fresh water oldie finest q‘i3lity ;stti,lll
.rivulets
descending from the hills in every diredion, re-
freshing the country, and. affording an easy. passage
fr. the timb'er that is-.cut down in the interior of
the,lstand., Der and wild hogs are,iii great ab.une
dance on the Island, as well as all kind tft wild arid
water fowl. Fish is. in great plenty, • and reckoned
superior to any found on the other coasts of India.
Oysters. here are in great perfettion, and ttirtle •
of the first quality .are plocured. ,at a very trifling
expence. No fetocious animals, of any kind have
ever been discovered•on. the Island, though the op-
posite coast of Queda abounds with the royal tiger,

rhinoceros, &c.
Poultry of every description is procured here in
great abundance, two dollars being the usual price
for an hundred fine fowls. Beef, mutton, &c. have
lately been introduced' front Bengal, and are .ftiund
to thrive remarkably well.
With reaped to the climate, it will be unneces_
nary to say more than -to quote the following :re-
count of it frOm theeXcellent report of COL KIDD :
' " It is hardly po'ssibie to conceive a finer climate ;
it i. never liable to extremes 'of heat, lia's.seldOin
very violent, ;and river email-wed rains, but is fee.
siumily refreshed with cool anti agreeable showers.
Anti while all the neighbouring countries are under
the influence, of violent gales and deluges of, rain,
he Island tf Penang is blessed with is perfealy se.
retie sky, having only now arid then a Jay's mode,
rate rain. In consequence
,of these great .advan.
cages of climate, Pena'ng is. wonderfully healthy,
suiting boll) the cohstitutions of Europeans and
Natives of Hindostati:".
Amongst the .woiais there is A great variety of
creepers, one of which yields the elastic gum, which
has been said, by a French Author, to be 'the pro.
duce 'of a tree in South Airierica. This gum, so
peculiar in its nature, is in the bark of this creeper,
or tree, which is remarkably thick; and, •svhen.cut
or wounded, emits a thick white juice, resembling
cream, which takes the consistency and colour 'of
the .ebstic guru, after having been exposed to' the
air for a few minutes. ' ' - •
The harbour of Prince Of‘Wides's Hand is Very
capacious, and has good (anchoyage for the largest
Ships, of from seven' to 'fifteen. 'fathoms water.—
There is a bar so fortunately thrOwn up by the sea,
that it effeClually prevents violent seas from break.
ing in, and tOrnis, the harbour in a kind of basin-,
rendering a secure harbour against every wind that
blows, and where the largest fleet may ride,' with.
out ever being pressed for room.
With respett vi that part of the Island which is
considered capable of cultivation, it may he said
that not more than one.third of its surface can be re.
duce& to •tillage, as that part only is upon a level,
or easy inclination. The inte-rior.uf the country is
hilly, anti in ;many parts the 'woods are impervious.
At the notch end, at the distance of for miles from
Fart George (the capital of the Island, a will.built
town), is a hill or' mount, on which mast of the
Company's'servants have country villas. The hill
is of easy 'ascent, being abourthree r,.iles to the
top, Where' she flag.staris erected. T:ie climate
on the hill differs 'ten. degrees, at' least, fr-to that
in the town ; the thermometer being gtaner:,l!), in
the town (ruin so to•9o.degrees,' Willie,' tin the. hill,
the average f 40111'7o-1n 8o degrees..
-. Suds are • the climate and.ontiuttions of Prince
of Wales's Nand,. on •which she East -India Coin.
pany are now forming a Settlement on the plan of
Fort St. Genrge 'and limbay its advantages in
these particulais render' it fa superihr to the other
parts of India, wilily its central situation, in a Xatti.
rneici al and political point of view, ,giyes
pletereiwe over 'Madras and tritribay, as an Aver.
tageutic Settlement ffir the'Cithpany.