504 MYRISTICE/E. 



w 



appraised per ounce at S sols 8 deniers, etpinl to about 8s. M. of cur 

 present money .^ 



The use of these spices was diffused throughout Europe long before 

 the Portuguese in 1512 had discovered the mother-plant in the isles of 

 Banda. The Portuguese held the trade of the Spice Islands for about 

 a century, when it was wrested from them by the Dutch, who pursued 

 the same policy of exclusiveness that they had followed in the case of 

 cloves and cinnamon. In order to secui^e their monopoly, they endea- 

 voured to limit the trees to Ban da and Amboyna, and to exterminate 

 them elsewhere, which in fact thev did at Coram and the small neiijh- 

 bearing islands of Kelang and Nila. So completely was the spice 

 trade in their hands, that the cro[>s of sixteen years were said to be at 

 one time in their warehouses, those of recent years being never thrown 

 on the market. Thus the crop of 1744 was being sold in l7G0,in which 

 year an immense quantity of nutmegs and cloves was burned at 

 Amsterdam lest the price should fall too low.^ 



During the occupation of the Spice Islands by the English from 

 1796 to 1802, the culture of the nutmeg was introduced into Bencoolen 

 and Penang,^ and many years afterwards into Singapore. Extensive 

 plantations of nutmeg-trees were formed in the two islands last named, 

 and by a laborious and costly system of cultivation were for many 

 years highly productive.^ In 18G0 the trees were visited by a de- 

 structive blight, which the cultivators were powerless to arrest, and 

 which ultimately led to the ruin of the plantations, so that in 1867 

 there was no such thing as nutmeg cultivation either in Penang or 

 Singapore.^ 



Though so long valued in Europe and Asia, neither nutmegs nor 

 mace seem to have been employed in former times as a condiment m 

 the islands where they are indigenous.*' 



Collection and Preparation — Almost the whole surface of the 

 Banda Isles, observes Mr. Wallace,^ is planted with nutmeg-trees, W'hich 

 thrive under the shade of the lofty Canarium commune. The lig W 

 volcanic soil, the shade, and the excessive moisture of these islands, 

 where it rains more or less every month in the year, seem exactly to 

 suit the nutmeg-tree, which requires no manure and scarcely any 

 attention. 



In Bencoolen' the trees bear all the year round, but the chief harv^? 

 takes place in the later months of the year, and a smaller one m Apni; 



\ 



^ Leber, Appreciation de la fortune privee as 85-?. to 90^-. per lb. ;— to these rates fflus 



aunwyen dje, ed. 2, 1847. 95. be added the duty of 7s. U. per lb. .^ 



- V abnont de Bomare, Diet. iVIIiMoire * Seemaim, Hooker's Jourii. oj o<j ■ 



A at. IV. (1775) 297.-This author writes as (1852) 83. . , .„„,.« So- 



an eye-witness of the destruction he has = Collingwood in Journ. of Linieai 



recorded :-"Le 10 Juin 1760, j'en ai vu h ciet>/, Bot., x. (1809) 45. . ,/,„ 



Amsterdam, pros de TAmirautii, un feu «'Crawfurd, Dictionary f,.//'' ,inf.,r- 



«l«mt aliment etoit ostime huit millions hlamU. 185G. 304. -Much adaitionau 



u"ui. laument etoit ostune huit millions /s/r7?)f/.s, 185G. 304.— Wucuamuuv-. 

 argent de France : on devoit en brftler matioii will be found in this 'iVorK- ^^., 

 autant le lendcmain. Lcs pieda des spec- ^ The Mahu/ ArchJpdaijo, i. Vf",' jy..> 

 tateurs ba.gnoient dans I'huile cssentiellc -See also Bickmorc, Travels »« '/'<^ 

 deuces substances . . ." /«,/;„„ Archipelaijo, 1868. 22o go) 

 How temptuig tlie cultivation must 8 Lumsdainc, Pharm. '^'?!"'"- ,, tbe ma- 

 have appeared, may be judged from the 51G. For further information out,, 

 price of mace, which we find quoted on the nagement of nutmegplantationsui su 



A«-jTy''^^ v^^^' ^° ^^^ ^''»^«>« ^'-'ce consult the original paper. 

 tuirent (which gives only import prices), 



