360 Brief Account of the IJlands of Banda. 



months : they are both paid for on delivery, the mace at *{• 

 flivers per pound, and the nutmeg at %\. From this price, 

 however, a deduction is made of 17 per cent, from the weight 

 of the fpices ; to per cent, in favour of the company as an 

 acknowledgment of their right to the foil, and 7 per cent, in 

 favour of the fervants of the company. The 7 per cent, is 

 an old cuftom ; but the additional 10 per cent, has only been 

 levied a few years previous to the arrival of the Englifh. 



The quantity of nutmegs and mace produced for feveral 

 years part, has been inconnderable, owing to an unaccounta- 

 ble inattention in the collection of them. But fince the ar- 

 rival of JVJr. Boeckholtz, the late Dutch governor, the pro- 

 duce was fo much increafed, that the half-yearly collection 

 which was found in (lore when taken poueffion of by the 

 Englifh in 1796, amounted to 81,618 lb. of nutmegs, and 

 23,385 lb. of mace. This was the flrft half year's crop fince 

 Mr. Boeckholtz's government had commenced ; the crop of 

 the half year following equalled it in quantity 3 and in future 

 years, under proper management, the quantity produced may 

 with confidence be fuppofed to average 600,000 pounds of 

 cloves, and 200,000 pounds of nutmegs — an efti-mate founded 

 upon the moft moderate computations of the mod experienced 

 and beft informed perfons in the Spice iflands. 



The nutmeg- tree grows to the fize of a pear-tree ; its leaves 

 refemble thofe of the laurel ; it begins to bear fruit at ten 

 years growth, and the fruit improves in quality and increafes in 

 quantity until the tree has attained the age of a hundred years. 

 It requires to be fecurely fheltered from the hurricanes to 

 -which thefe iflands are fometimes expofed ; for many of the 

 nutmeg-trees are fituated on the fteepeft fides of the hills, 

 where they cannot take deep root, and by confequence are 

 likely to be torn up by fudden gufts of wind. It is afferted 

 that the chief lofs which the nutmeg plantations fuftained by 

 the hurricane in 1778, was in confequence of a great many 

 of the almond-trees, which had afforded them flicker, having 

 been cut down. 



The nutmeg, when ripe on the tree, has both a very curious 

 and beautiful appearance : it is about the fize of an apricot, 

 and nearly of a iimilar colour, with the fame kind of hollow 

 mark all round it ; in fhape it is fomewhat like a pear : when 

 perfectly ripe, the rind over the mark opens, and difcovers 

 the mace, of a deep red, growing over and covering in part 

 ' the thin fhcll of the nutmeg, which is black. 



There are perfons called forefters who fuperintend the parks 

 and the drying of the nutmegs and mace. They are directed 

 to make regular reports to the governor reflecting trie ftate of 



the 



