CH. XIV THE ' VENDUTIE ' 855 



dence in Talisse, he would escape the unhappy experiences I 

 passed through during the last month of my stay there, and 

 I can say without hesitation that if it should be my good 

 fortune at any future time to revisit the Malay archipelago 

 as a naturalist, I should ask once more the Moluksche 

 Handels Vennootschap to permit me to reside in their 

 httle island Talisse. 



The time was now fast approaching when I was to 

 leave Celebes for home again, and for some days I was 

 busy in collecting together the things I intended to take 

 with me, and also those I would get rid of in a vendutie, or 

 auction sale, in Manado. The vendutie system of the 

 Dutch in the East Indian colonies is managed on an 

 exceedingly sound and useful plan. In places where there 

 are mihtary and civil officers who may be changed from 

 one part of the archipelago to another with very httle 

 notice, it is of great importance that there should be a 

 system of sale by auction which does not involve risks or 

 delays of payment. For the convenience therefore of its 

 public servants, and it should be added for its own 

 pecuniary benefit, the Government becomes the auctioneer. 



A Government official appoints the time for the sale, 

 and a friend of the vendor acts as ' Cheap Jack ' to sell the 

 goods to the best advantage. When the sale is concluded 

 the Government is the debtor to the vendor for the amount 

 the sale has realised, and the purchasers are debtors to 

 the Government. The Government pays the vendor the 

 amount in six months, and the purchasers pay the 

 Government in three months. By this arrangement any 

 one leaving the colony can realise on his effects at once, 

 for the Government bond is always negotiable; and the 

 Government gains three months' interest on the total 

 amount the sale has reahsed in addition to certain com- 

 missions charged to the purchasers. 



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