CHAPTER VIII 

 SPICES 



THE NUTMEG. Myristica fragrans. 



Habitat. THE nutmeg tree is a native of the Molucca Islands, and 



it is largely cultivated there and in many of the other islands 

 of the Eastern Archipelago. The Moluccas, or spice islands 

 as they are sometimes called, were taken possession of in 

 1619 by the Dutch, who encouraged the cultivation of nut- 



The Dutch megs and cloves in some of the islands, whilst they used 



poly! mt ' every means in their power to create a monopoly in the spice 

 trade. Only a certain number of nutmeg and clove trees 

 were allowed to grow, all others being ruthlessly destroyed. 

 When the crops were too abundant, immense quantities 

 of spices were actually burned so as to keep up the high 

 prices in the markets. Although enormous profits were 

 made in this way by the Dutch, they kept the natives 

 who raised the spices in a condition of abject poverty, and 

 so great did the oppression bear on the poor people that the 

 natives of the island became nearly extinct. Fortunately, 



How the oil- this disgraceful monopoly was broken down ; clove trees were 



tivation was /. . r i i i i 



extended found growing on some of the islands not taken posses- 

 coumries sion of b Y the Dutch, and the French carried plants to 

 Mauritius and from thence to Cayenne. And, it is recorded 

 that the nutmegs were sown, in other islands, by a species 

 of pigeon, and in this way plants sprang up and became 

 disseminated. 



