CINNAMON. 



113 



disappeared from the Moluccas; and only the Nutmeg 

 is still cultivated there to any extent. 



The Nutmeg tree, so often mentioned together with 

 the Clove tree, belong-s to tlie penus M\'ristica, and is 

 classed near to the Laurels. The most important of the 

 Nutmegs is j\l\ristica fragraiis. This tree resembles the 

 Laurel. Its flowers are white or ^'ellowish and are remark- 

 ably like those of our Hawthorn. The^- are not ver-\" 

 striking on account of their small size; but the bright 

 yellow apricot -like fruits, which arc borne at the same 

 time as the flowers, are ver}' conspicuous. When ripe 

 these fruits burst open and expose tire red aril within, 

 ^rhis surrounds the dark brown seeds, known as nutmegs, 

 in the form of a laminated covering, and is known b^- 

 the name of "Mace". 



C^innamon was also once a monopoh' of the Portu- 

 gese, From them it fell into the hancls of the Dutch 

 East Lidia Company, and linalh* passed to the English 

 Elast India Compan\' when the English obtained pos- 

 session of Ceylon in 1/96. — As cinnamon, cloves and 



nutmeg figured in the 

 lands, so did East 

 that of Venice, 

 sake of their 

 it behoved 

 the Red Sea 

 Quantities of 

 to the Germans 

 de " Tedeschi in 

 Ages, as Fliickiger 



Cndiinii Bifi'.s:!. 



histor\' of the Nether- 

 Indian Pepper in 

 Thus for the 

 trade in pepper 

 \'enice to hold 

 and Eg\'pt. 

 pepper were sold 

 at the Fondaco 

 Venice. In the Middle 

 states, the consump- 



