As I noted, Penang is a state in Malaysia and George Town is its capital. The name alone is pregnant with the history of the place (as it is with all of the other places named George Town). I hope that you know by now, but Malaysia has a long and interesting history with the British and George Town is, predictably, named after King George III of the United Kingdom. George Town has been the capital of Penang state since it was founded by Francis Light, on behalf of the British East India Company, in 1786. Light built Fort Cornwallis around that time, and Fort Cornwallis was one of the first historic sights we saw:
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| Wearn and I at the entrance to the fort |
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| "Ang mo" means "Read-head"; I'm not sure how you get "European" out of that... |
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Francis Light: Privateer and Corporate Lackey
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| The accompanying plaque says that if you put flowers in this cannon's barrel, you can cure infertility |
All in all, Fort Cornwallis kind of reminds me of Sutter's Fort back home in Sacramento. You can tell it was once kept up very nicely, but it looks as though the elements have taken their toll on the fort.
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