OF LA PEROU5E. g3l 



night, at" the houfc of a very rich Chinefc, who 

 fold arrack and other fpirituous liquors. H<; 

 told us, with much ingenuoufnefs, that he might 

 in this cafe have availed hirnfelf of the rishts of 

 his office, to extort a good turn of money from 

 this Chincfe, by impoiing on him a heavy fi: 

 for his own emolument. Many others, faid he 

 to us, would not have failed to do this, but I do 

 not repent having acted with integrity. 



The clove-tree conftitutes the principal article 

 of culture of Amboyna, and of feveral ifiols 

 iituated to the eaftvvard of this ifland, where it 

 thrives as well as poffiblc. In each of thefe ifiols 

 the Dutch keep refidents, to prevent the fraudu- 

 lent exportation of this valuable commodity. 



It appears that the foil and the nature of the 

 land of the ifland of Banda, agree full better 

 with the culture of the nutmeg-tree than the 

 ifland of Amboyna ; for it is generally admitted 

 that the nutmeg of the latter is inferior. 



Formerly the nutmeg-trce and the clove-tree 

 were diftufed in the iflands of Terrate, Tidor, 

 Macquian, &c. in a much greater quantity than 

 at Amboyna and Banda ; but the Dutch, wifhing 

 to appropriate thefe valuable trees exclulively to 

 themfelves, forced the fovereigns of the former 

 iflands to deftroy the plantations of them : at their 

 courts they keep agents, who are very uricl in 

 their viftts ; and thefe trees arc allowed to be cul- 

 tivated 



