custard…apple；　papaya；　pine…apple；　with　countless　others。　The
  indigenous　fruits　alone　are　so　innumerable；　that　a　description　of　the
  most　valuable　of　them　would　fill　a　chapter。
  Our　homely　vegetables　do　not　flourish；　but　watermelons；　cucumbers；
  gourds；　capsicums；　chilies；　cocoa…nut　cabbage；　edible　arums；　and；　where
  the　Chinese　have　settled；　coarse　lettuces；　radishes；　and　pulse；　grow
  abundantly；　with　various　other　not　altogether　to　be　despised　vegetables
  with　Malay　names。
  The　timber　is　magnificent；　and　under　the　unworthy　name　of　〃jungle
  produce〃　a　large　trade　is　done　in　it。　Perak　is　the　land　of　palms；　and
  produces　the　invaluable　cocoa…palm；　most　parts　of　which　have　their
  commercial　value；　the　areca　palm　which　produces　the　betel…nut；　the
  gomuti　palm　from　whose　strong　black　fibres　they　make　ropes；　cordage；
  and　strands　for　capturing　the　alligator；　the　jaggary…palm；　from　which
  sugar　is　made；　as　well　as　a　fermented　beverage；　the　nibong　palm；　which
  grows　round　the　Malay　kampong；　and　is　used　for　their　gridiron　floors
  and　for　the　posts　of　their　houses；　the　dwarf…palms　which　serve　no　other
  purpose　than　to　gladden　the　eyes　by　their　beauty；　and　the　nipah　palm
  which　fringes　the　rivers；　and；　under　the　name　of　attap；　forms　the
  thatch　of　both　native　and　foreign　houses。
  Road…making　has　not　made　great　strides　in　Perak；　but　railroads　are
  being　planned；　and　a　good　road　extends　from　the　port　of　Larut　to　the
  great　Chinese　mining　town　of　Taipeng；　and　thence　to　the　British
  residency　at　Kwala　Kangsa；　a　distance　of　over　thirty…three　miles；　the
  electric　telegraph　accompanying　the　road。　Others　are　in　course　of
  construction；　and　there　are　numerous　elephant　and　jungle　tracks　through
  the　western　parts　of　the　State。
  Still；　the　rivers　form　the　natural　highways。　Perak　has　two　portsTeluk
  Anson　on　the　Perak　river；　thirty…four　miles　from　its　mouth；　and　Teluk
  Kertang；　a　few　miles　up　the　Larut　river；　and　eight　miles　from　the　great
  tin　mines　of　Taipeng。　　The　import　and　export　trade　is　carried　on　mainly
  with　Pinang；　and　at　this　time　one　of　several　small　steamers　leaves
  Larut　for　that　port　daily。　A　steamer　calls　at　Teluk　Anson　once　a
  fortnight　on　her　voyage　from　and　to　Singapore　and　Pinang；　and　another
  calls　at　the　same　port　every　fourth　day；　as　well　as　at　the　Dindings　and
  the　Bernam　river。
  Trade　is　rapidly　advancing。　The　exports　of　the　State；　which　were　valued
  at　147；993　pounds　in　1876；　amounted　to　513；317　pounds　in　1881；　and　the
  imports　which　amounted　to　166；275　pounds　in　1876；　had　reached　488；706
  pounds　in　1881；　the　whole　import　and　export　trade　of　that　year
  amounting　to　1；002；023　pounds。　The　free　population　of　Perak　is　now
  estimated　at
  Malays　　　　　　　　　　56；000
  Chinese　　　　　　　　　40；000
  Other　Asiatics　　　　　850
  Europeans　　　　　　　　　　　90
  Aborigines　　　　　　　1；000
  97；940
  To　which　may　be　added　a　slave　and　bond　debtor　population　of　nearly　four
  thousand　souls。
  The　revenue　of　Perak　has　risen　from　42；683　pounds　in　1876　to　138；572
  pounds　in　1881；　and　the　expenditure；　keeping　pace　with　it；　has　risen
  from　45；277　pounds　in　1876　to　130；587　pounds　in　1881。　The　chief　sources
  of　the　Perak　revenue　are　customs　duties；　opium　and　other　farms　and
  licenses；　and　land　revenue；　and　the　chief　items　of　expenditure　are　for
  civil　and　police　establishments；　roads　and　bridges；　and　allowances　and
  pensions　to　chiefs。　It　is　worthy　of　remark　that　the　military
  establishmentfor　so　the　magnificent　Sikh　armed　police　force　may　be
  calledcosts　more　than　the　civil　establishment。　It　may　also　be
  remarked　that　the　revenue　of　Perak；　thanks　to　the　financial　sagacity
  and　wise　discrimination　of　the　Resident；　is　collected　with　little
  difficulty；　and　without　inflicting　any　real　vexations　or　hardships　on
  the　taxpayers。
  Public　works；　such　as　the　construction　of　good　cart　roads　and　bridges；
  the　making　of　canals；　the　clearing　rivers　from　impediments　to
  navigation；　the　enlargement　of　experimental　gardens；　the　introduction
  and　breeding　of　sheep；　cattle；　and　improved　breeds　of　poultry；
  surveying　wild　land；　and　rebuilding　and　draining　mining　towns；　are
  being　carried　on　energetically。　It　has　been　found；　after　long　and
  carefully…conducted　experiments；　that　the　lower　mountains　of　Perak　are
  admirably　suited　for　the　growth　of　tea；　cinchona；　and　Arabian　coffee；
  while　Liberian　coffee　grows　equally　well　on　the　lower　lands。　Coffee
  appears　to　be　so　nearly　〃played　out〃　in　Ceylon；　that　many
  coffee…planters　have　been　〃prospecting〃　in　Perak；　and　now　that　the
  Government　of　India　has　consented　to　the　importation　of　Indian　coolie
  labor　into　the　State；　under　certain　restrictions；　as　an　experimental
  measure；　a　future　of　coffee　may　be　predicted　with　tolerable　certainty。
  One　of　the　causes　for　satisfaction　in　connection　with　this　State　is
  that　the　Malays　themselves　are　undoubtedly　contented　with　British　rule；
  and　are　prospering　under　it。　Crime　of　any　kind　in　the　Malay　districts
  is　very　rare。　The　〃village　system〃　works　well；　and　the　courts　of　law
  conduct　their　business　with　an　efficiency　and　economy　which　compare
  favorably　with　the　transactions　of　our　colonial　courts；　English　law　is
  being　gradually　introduced　and　gives　general　satisfaction；　and　the
  native　Rajahs　are　being　trained　to　administer　even…handed　justice
  according　to　its　provisions；　and　at　the　same　time　without　trenching
  upon　Malay　religion　and　custom。　　Slavery　and　debt　bondage；　which；　as
  hitherto　practiced　in　Perak；　have　involved　evils　and　cruelties　which
  are　unknown　to　any　but　those　who　have　actually　lived　in　the　State；
  will；　it　is　hoped；　be　abolished　by　equitable　arrangement　in　1883。
  Various　difficulties　remain　to　be　settled；　the　large　Chinese　element；
  with　its　criminal　tendencies；　requires　great　firmness　of　dealing；　and
  the　introduction　of　foreign　capital　and　an　additional　form　of　alien
  labor　may　lead　to　new　perplexities；　but　on　the　whole　the　outlook　for
  Perak　and　its　people　is　a　favorable　one；　especially　if　the　present
  Resident；　Mr。　Hugh　Low；　is　able　to　remain　to　continue　his　task　of
  developing　the　resources；　settling　the　difficulties；　and　consolidating
  the　well…being　of　the　State。
  Nothing　is　known　of　the　early　settlement　of　Perak。　It　was　formerly
  tributary　to　the　Malay　sovereigns　of　Malacca；　and　afterward　to　those　of
  Acheen；　to　whom　the　Perak　Sultans　sent　gold　and　silver　flowers　as
  tribute。　Siam　has　also　at　different　times　asserted　sovereign　rights　and
  demanded　tribute；　but　the　Siamese　were　expelled　in　1822　with　the　help
  of　Rajah　Ibrahim；　the　warlike　chief　of　the　neighboring　State　of
  Selangor。　The　Government　was　a　despotism；　administered　during　the　last
  three　centuries　by　Sultans　who　were　connected　with　the　ruling　dynasties
  of　Johore　and　Acheen。
  Our　connection　with　Perak　began　in　1818　by　a　commercial　treaty　between
  the　East　India　Company　and　the　Sultan；　the　chief　object　of　which　was　to
  circumvent　the　Dutch　on　the　subject　of　tin。　By　another　treaty；　in　1826；
  it　was　agreed　that　the　Sultan　should　govern　his　country　according　to
  his　own　will；　that　no　force　should　be　sent　either　by　Siam　to　〃molest；
  attack；　or　disturb〃　Perak；　and　while　it　was　stipulated　that　the　Siamese
  should　not　attack　or　disturb　Selangor；　the　English　engaged　not　to　allow
  Selangor　to　attack　or　disturb　Perak。
  So　things　jogged　along　till　1871；　when　the　Sultan　died；　and　the　Rajahs；
  passing　over　two　men　who　by　blood　were　nearest　to　the　throne；　elected
  Ismail；　an　old　and　somewhat　inoffensive　man。　Three　years　of　intrigue
  followed；　and　many　singular　complications；　which　would　be　quite
  uninteresting　to　the　general　reader；　and　they　furnished　no　excuse　for
  English　interference。
  It　is　singular　that　the　fall　of　Perak　as　an　independent　State　was
  brought　about　by　what　may　be　called　a　civil　war　among　the　Chinese；　who
  in　1871　were　estimated　at　thirty　thousand；　and　were　principally　engaged
  in　tin…mining　in　Larut。　These　Chinamen　were　divided　into　two
  sectionsthe　Go　Kwans　and　the　Si　Kwans；　and　a　few　months　after　Sultan
  Ismail　was　elected；　a　dispute　arose　between　the　factions。　　Both　parties
  flew　to　arms；　and　were　aided　with　guns；　ammunition；　military　stores；
  and　food　from　Pinang；　Pinang　Chinese　having　previously　supplied　the
  capital　needed　for　working　the　mines。　The　settlement　was　kept　in
  perpetual　hot　water；　its　trade　languished；　and　in　return　for　military
  equipments　the　Chinese　of　Larut　sent　over　two　thousand　wounded　and
  starving　men。　The　Mentri；　the　Malay　〃Governor〃　of　Larut；　although　aided
  by　Captain　Speedy　and　a　force　of　well…drilled　troops　recruited　by　him
  in　India；　and　possessing　four　Krupp　guns；　was　powerless　to　restore
  order；　and　Larut　was　destroyed；　being　absolutely　turned　into　a
  wilderness；　in　which　all　but　three　houses　had　been　burned；　and；　while
  the　Malays　had　fled；　the　surviving　Si　Kwans　were　living　behind
  stockades；　while　those　of　the　faction　opposed　to　that　with　which　the
  Mentri　and　his　Commander…in…Chief；　Captain　Speedy；　had　allied
  themselves；　were　living　on　the　products　of　orchards　from　which　their
  owners　had　been　driven；　and　on　booty；　won　by　a　wholesale　system　of
  piracy　and　murder；　practiced　not　only　on　the　Perak　waters　but　on　the
  high　seas。
  The　war　waged　between　the　two　parties　threatened　to　become　a　war　of