"Pepper grows but slowly on any soil, and is so nice with regard to it, that in some places, where to all appearance there would be an abundant produce of the plant, it will not grow at all. The vine requires four or five years to produce fruit. The improvident Javan, who under the present despotic administration, can and will scarcely provide for his daily subsistence, finds this too long a delay between his labour and its reward: having, therefore, no sufficient motive to pursue the cultivation cheerfully or actively, he can only be driven to it by force; but let him once experience the advantage of property in land; let him see the trader ready with plenty of money to purchase the fruits of his labour; let him, if he should still be idle, observe his more industrious neighbour acquire wealth, by the sale of those articles which he slothfully declines to cultivate, and with it procure the necessaries or conveniences of life, and he will soon be induced, by emulation and the desire of ameliorating his condition, to plough and plant his ground. The Island of Java will then produce a considerable quantity of pepper, for which, if the cultivator obtains twelve rix-dollars per _píkul_, he will be amply paid. "Although every thing goes on with difficulty at first, and it cannot be denied that it will require time and trouble to stimulate the Javans, who are now confounded, as it were, with tyranny and oppression, to industry and emulation, it is notwithstanding equally certain, that an improved system of administration, founded on property of the soil, freedom of person and trade, would by degrees, though perhaps much quicker than may be imagined, bring about such a change, and that Java might and would produce as much pepper for exportation annually as coffee, or about two hundred thousand _píkuls_, which will bring three thousand six hundred rix-dollars into the country." In the year 1801, it was estimated by one of the first commercial houses in Europe, that the following quantities of pepper might be obtained from different ports of the Archipelago. * * * * * "PORTS _and_ PLACES _where_ PEPPER _is to be had_:--_estimated in March 1801_. "At _Bencoolen_, belonging to the English, may be had about twelve hundred tons of pepper per annum. "At _Prince of Wales Island_, belonging to the English, may be had at present only one hundred tons per annum: in a few years it will be five hundred tons. "At _Susú_, on the west coast of Sumatra, belonging to the King of Acheen, may be had one thousand tons per annum. "At _Acheen_ and its ports, belonging to the King of Acheen, may be had about one thousand tons per annum: the Danes often go to these two ports. "At _Tringano_ and _Kalanton_, belonging to a Malayan prince, may be had about two thousand tons per annum: the Europe Portuguese ships often call at these ports on their way to China.