Brief Account of the IJlands of Band a. 361 



the different parks, and of the quantity of fpiees which they 

 yield. Befides thefe perfons there are directors of the parks, 

 who vifit them every month to fee that the trees are properly 

 attended to, and planted at regular diftances from each other; 

 and alfo to obferve whether the forefters are active and careful 

 in the execution of their duty. 



Almoft the whole of thefe iflands being appropriated to 

 the cultivation of nutmegs, they neither feed cattle nor pro- 

 duce grain enough for the maintenance of the inhabitants. 

 Like Amboyna, they have therefore been fupplied annually 

 from Batavia with rice and other articles of provifion. 



All the aforefaid regulations concerning the cultivation of 

 the nutmeg- trees, and the price paid for the produce of them, 

 were eftablifhed by the late Dutch governor, who arrived 

 about fifteen months before the Englim took pofTeflion of the 

 Banda iflands. Previous to his arrival, moll of the planters 

 were in great diftrefs, having been charged with very heavy 

 debts incurred on account of loans in rice and money, made 

 at different periods, to the former governors : and this cir- 

 cumftance, together with the great lofs which they fuftained 

 by the dreadful hurricane in 1788, entirely ruined their pri- 

 vate fortunes as well as their plantations. In this diftrefsful 

 fituation, the Dutch government, with a wicked avarice, ag- 

 gravated their mifery by compelling them to deliver their 

 nutmegs at the reduced price of three farthings per pound, 

 and the mace at a fiill lower rate. Under the prellure of 

 this accumulated diftrefs, the fpirit which had animated their 

 fathers in the rude days of their favage independence feemed 

 once again to revive, and they remon 11 rated in bold and de- 

 termined language : they claimed the lands as their own pre- 

 fcriptive inheritance, and actually proceeded to portion them 

 out to each other. And the Dutch, though unfufceptible of 

 any feelings of remorfe for their own oppreflive folly, which 

 had reduced the country to this deplorable condition, had yet 

 prudence enough to avert, by conciliatory meafures, the im- 

 minent danger which threatened them ; and when they found 

 that the fury of the people was not to be appeafed but by ample 

 conceihons, they gladly confented to grant them. But the 

 general idleneft, and confequcnt neglect of the nutmeg plant- 

 ations, to which this infurre&ion had given birth, reduced 

 the annual quantity of fpices from 600,000 lbs. to 50,0 o lbs. 

 weight. It was thought advil'eable, therefore, bv the fupreme 

 government of Batavia, to adopt the fcheme of reform pro- 

 posed by Mr. Boeckholtz, and to appoint him governor of 

 the Banda iflands. One of the firft acts of his government 

 was entirely to cancel the old axrear of debt, which was con- 

 9 fidered 



