Accompanied by Captain M’Alister, I visited the village of “Gingham.” At the entrance of the river, a bar, (similar to, I believe, the whole of the rivers upon this coast,) on which usually rolls a heavy surf, rendering its entrance somewhat dangerous for boats; the river maintained a very winding course even to the village: a number of shrubs abounded in the water, and about the banks, among which were the _Acanthus ilicifolia_, and several others. The village of Gingham is situated about a mile distant from the entrance of the river; the thatched-houses, of which it is composed, were partially concealed by the graceful and elegant Bamboo, Eju, Cocoa, and Areka palms. Having landed and ranged about the village, I made inquiry of the native merchants, who were the Moormen of Hindostan, many of whom had been born in India, and others on the coast, respecting the trade of the place, which consists exclusively of the Betel-nut; they informed me that they contracted with the supercargoes of vessels[5] visiting the coast, paying to the rajah a certain tribute. The export is from forty to sixty thousand peculs annually, during the months of May, June, July, and some part of August. The total amount collected upon the coast, the greatest portion of which grows some distance inland, is computed at or about eighty or ninety thousand peculs. The number of vessels, of all classes, freighted every year upon this coast during the season, varies, and depends a great deal upon their size; sometimes forty of all classes had been loaded, but when a large Bombay Indiaman comes and takes ten thousand peculs at one time, of course it occasions a scarcity for the smaller ones; in this case, therefore, although the number of vessels loaded is not so great, the quantity exported is pretty nearly the same.[6] The cargo sent on board the ship in which I visited Pedir, came not from the Pedir district alone, but was brought (by contracts entered into by the rajah of Pedir, with the native merchants of those places) from Gingham, Sawang, &c., and of course at an increased price. I made inquiry, if a ship was brought next month, (August,) whether they could load her with Areka-nut, and what period of time they would take to deliver six thousand peculs on board. The reply was, that at this season a greater scarcity of nut prevailed than usual, on account of internal wars drawing away the men, and causing a scarcity of hands to collect and shell it; my informant, therefore, would not engage to deliver any next month, but the following May would engage to supply the quantity of six thousand peculs in a week, receiving dollars, cambrics, long cloths, opium, iron, &c., in exchange, and delivering the Areka-nut at one dollar the pecul; however, much depends on the agreement of price between the contracting parties at the time, and the greater or less demand for the European and other goods brought into the market.