6Q6 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1817. 



attempts to preserve the monopoly 

 of the clove and nutmeg trade 

 should be regarded as a beacon to 

 prevent us from splitting upon the 

 same rock. They were anxious 

 to engross the trade in these ar- 

 ticles ; it is our interest, exclusive 

 of the produce of our own settle- 

 ments, to reduce the cinnamon 

 annually exported. They discover- 

 ed that cloves and nutmegs Avere 

 not confined to the islands and 

 establishment which owned their 

 sway. We know that, although 

 Ceylon produces cinnamon of a 

 quality unequalled, yet we also 

 know that the plant abounds in 

 the eastern islands, and that they 

 afford large quantities of a secon- 

 dary quality. We have also strong- 

 reasons to believe that these is- 

 lands would affoid cinnamon which 

 would rival the finest on Ceylon, 

 were an equal attention extended 

 to its culture and preparation. 



The Dutch used every means in 

 their power to limit the produce 

 and diminish the exportation of 

 cloves and nutmegs. This was 

 done to increase the value of these 

 articles. These restrictive mea- 

 sures led to smuggling the culti- 

 vation of cloves and nutmegs in 

 different countries, and to voy- 

 ages to ascertain whether they 

 grew in islands and situations 

 which had not been sufficiently 

 explored. 



We, on the other hand, have 

 not collected and exported all the 

 cinnamon which we might have 

 done 5 and in so far as we have 

 from inattention cr indifference, 

 omitted to supi)ly the demands of 

 Europe and America with Ceylon 

 cinnau^on, this neglect has con- 

 tributed to encourage the impor- 



tation of cinnamon from China, 

 which is now very generally sub- 

 stituted for the finest Ceylon 

 cinnamon. 



The means adopted by the Dutch 

 to obtain the exclusive trade in 

 cloves and nutmegs are worthy of 

 attention, because, from the simi- 

 larity of our prospects, their failure 

 may teach us to avoid the same 

 ineffectual or hurtful measures, 

 and perhaps open our eyes to a 

 more liberal, and not improbably 

 to a more efficient and advanta- 

 geous policy. Shortly after they 

 had established themselves in the 

 Moluccas, they attempted to con- 

 fine the growth of the clove trees 

 to the islands of Amboina, Honi- 

 moa, Oma, and Noussalant ; and 

 the nutmeg tree to the island of 

 Banda. To carry their intentions 

 into effect, they employed extir- 

 pators to destroy the clove and 

 nutmeg trees that grew in the 

 neighbouring islands which owned 

 their sway ; and they paid an an- 

 nual tribute to the kings of Ter- 

 nate, Tidor, and Bonton, to per- 

 mit and as.sist the extirpators to 

 destioy the trees which abounded 

 in the Archipelago, of which they 

 were masters. When the crop of 

 cloves and nutmegs was abundant, 

 they burned large quantities, some- 

 times in the islands where they were 

 j)roduced, and sometimes after they 

 had been landed in Holland. The 

 contraband trade between the spice 

 islands and the large island of Cele- 

 bes they never could prevent. The 

 English had generally an establish- 

 ment, either on the main land of 

 Borneo, or some of its dependen- 

 cies ; by which means they were 

 always readily supplied by the na- 

 tives with whatever spices they 



required. 



