Brief Account of the Iflands of Banda, 305 



been governed, it appears efTential to put them under the 

 authority of the governor of Amboyna. He will thereby be 

 enabled, from the contiguity of his place of refidence, to 

 make himfelf acquainted with all the occurrences in the Sub- 

 ordinate Settlement, regulate its intercourfe with the adjacent 

 countries, furnifh it with every neceffary fupply, receive re- 

 gular returns of the flate and produce of its plantations, and 

 finally, punifh every infringement of the eltablifhed regula- 

 tions. By thefe means the affairs of the Spice iflands might 

 be conducted with an union and confiftency which would at 

 once extend their commerce and confolidate their ftrcngth. 



With regard to the difpute between the Dutch company and 

 the native burghers, relative to the right claimed by the latter of 

 a property in the foil, though it behoves thejufticeof our govern- 

 ment to mvefiigate that claim, it were little inftruclive to our 

 readers to enter into a confideration of it ; for it cannot be of 

 much confequence to have it ascertained who is the nominal 

 proprietor of the foil, when the whole of its produce is mo- 

 nopolized by government. As the want of population, there- 

 fore, feems to be the greatelt hindrance to the progrefs of. 

 improvement, the planters mould be encouraged to incrcaie- 

 the number of their (laves ; and, in order to give them art 

 interefl in the produce of the foil, they mould have the pri- 

 vilege of transferring their property. 



The company are, at prefent, obliged to furnifh the Banda 

 iflands with rice and other provifions at a rate fo low as to 

 fubject them to a confiderable lofs; they are alfo liable to a 

 vague and undefined charge on account of new buildings and 

 repairs for ftorehoufes, &x. all of which, in the general Scale 

 of expenditure, mould be confidered as deductions from the 

 value of the fpices. It would therefore be nut only a material 

 faving to the company, but far more fuitable to the interefU 

 of the planters themfelves, to increafe the price of the fpices, 

 and make them chargeable with all the expenfes attending 

 thofe buildings and repairs; and alfo to furnifh themfelves 

 with rice, which, however, the government mult at any rate 

 fupply, but in this way would not lofe by that obligation 

 which neceffity has impofed on them. 



Upon inveftigating this Subject with the moft impartial 

 and beft informed perfons at Banda, it appeared evident that 

 this mode of arrangement would be the molt agreeable to the 

 people, and the moft likely to produce beneficial effects to 

 the flate; and, with regard to the increafe neceflary to be 

 made to the prefent price of the fpices, an addition of H\ d. 

 for the nutmegs, and 15 d, for the maee, per pound, would 

 fufficiently fatisfv the planters. 



As 



