1330
SINGAPORE--MALACCA
OFFICES
Samarang Sea and Fire Insurance Company Scottish Amicable Life Insurance Company Scottish Imperial Insurance Company Scottish Union and National Insurance Company Shanghai Life Insurance Company, Limited
South British Fire and Marine Ince, of New Zealand South British Insurance Co., Ld.
South British Insurance Company, Limited Standard Life Assurance Co.
State Fire Insurance Company
Sun Insurance Office, London
Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada
Thames and Mersey Marine Insurance Co., Ld., L'don Tokyo Marine Insurance Company, Limited.. Triton Insurance Company, Limited Union Insurance Society of Canton.. Union International Company, Assur., Antwerp Union Marine Insurance Company, Limited.... Union Marine Insurance Company, Limited. Union Marine Assurance Company, Limited Union of Paris (Fire Insurance Company), United Dutch Marine Insurance Co. Western Assurance Co. Western Assurance Co....
Yangtsze Insurance Association, Limited Yorkshire Insurance Co., Limited...
AGENTS
Hooglandt & Co.
Paterson, Simons & Co., Ld. Syme & Co. Syme & Co.
The Ned. Ind. Commercial Bank Meyer Bros.
J. Henry, local manager
Malacca Rubber Plantations, Ld. Adamson, Gilfillan & Co. Behr & Co.
Brinkmann & Co. W. A. White, manager Brinkmann & Co.
Mitsui Bussan Kaisha, Ld. Guthrie & Co. Ld. Wm. Macbean, agent Beln, Meyer & Co., Ld. Barlow & Co.
Sarkies & Moses
Boustead & Co. Moine-Comte & Co.
Paterson, Simons & Co., L. Guthrie & Co., Ld.
Rigold, Bergmann & Co., sub-agts. Adamson, Gilfillan & Co. Travers & Sons, Ld., Joseph
MALACCA
The settlement of Malacca excites more interest from a historical point of view than either of its sister towns, but has so completely fallen to the rear commercially since the establishment of Penang and Singapore as to merit but brief notice in this compilation. It is now seldom visited by foreigners except for purposes of relaxation. Originally settled by the Portuguese in 1511, it retained its importance as the one foreign entrepôt in the East until the founding of Penang, when its fortunes as a port rapidly declined. The settlement, however, has made considerable progress in agriculture since the formation of new roads. At the present moment it is the least European of all British Settlements in the East, though the fact that it has given its name to the Peninsula and that it was the cradle of Anglo-Chinese study attest its former importance. Its area is embraced by boundaries some 42 miles in length, with a breadth of from 8 to 25 miles. It is governed by a Resident Councillor in subordination to Singapore,
The geological formation of the territory of Malacca consists chiefly of granite rocks, overlaid in several places by the red cellular clay iron-stone called by geologists laterite. Many of the low plains are alluvial, the soil composed of decayed vegetable mould interlaced with sand. The metallic ores are iron, gold, and tin. The surface generally is undulating, consisting of low round ridges and narrow valleys, the only mountain of considerable elevation being the Ledang of the Malays, and the Ophir of the Portuguese, 4,400 feet above the level of the sea, or less than one-half the height of the principal mountains of the volcanic islands of Java-Bali and Lomboc--or those of the partially volcanic neighbouring island of Sumatra.
The mineral products of Malacca were at one time looked upon as offering valuable prospects. Gold to the extent of 1,500 ounces yearly was obtained in 1857-8, but the yield decreased to such an extent that it is no longer worked. Tin, about the same period, assumed considerable importance. The first nines were opened in 1793, but no great enterprise was displayed until 1848, when some 5,000 cwt. was the annual product.