130 Travels in India. Partll. 



Tis obfervable of the Nutmeg, that the Tree which bears it is never planted 

 which has been confirm'd to me by feveral perfbns that have liv'd fevcral years 

 in the Country. They related to me, that the Nutmeg being ripe, feveral Birds 

 come from the Iflands toward the South, and devour it whole, but arc forced to 

 throw it up again before it be digefted. The Nutmeg then befmear'd with a 

 vifcous matter, falling to the ground takes root, and produces a Tree, which 

 would never thrive were it planted. This puts me in mind of making one 

 obfervation upon the Birds of Paradifc. Thefe Birds being very greedy after 

 Nutmegs, come in flights to gorge themfelves with the pleafing Spice, at the 

 feafon, like Felfares in Vintage time } but the ftrength of the Nutmeg fo intoxi- 

 cates them, that they fall dead drunk to the Earth, where the Emets in a fhort 

 time eat off their Legs. Hence it comes, that the Birds of Paradife a/e laid to 

 have no feet 5 which is not true however, for I have feen three or four that 

 had Feet } and a French Merchant fent one from Aleppo as a Prefent to Lewis 

 the Thirteenth that had Feet j of which the King made great account, as being 

 a very lovely Fowl. 



But notwithftanding all the Hollanders Projects , you may buy Cloves at 

 Macajfar without purchafing them of the Hollander ; in regard the Iflanders 

 buy them of the Dutch Captains and Soldiers, which the Hollanders have in 

 thofe place where the Cloves grow, giving them in exchange Rice, and other 

 neceflaries for the fupport of life, without which they would ftarve, being very 

 fadly provided for. 



When the Natives of Macajfar are thus furnifh'd of Cloves , they barter 

 them in Exchange for fuch Commodies as are brought them ; fbmctimes they 

 give Tortoife-Shells in exchange, and Gold Duit ; by which the Merchant gains 

 fix or (even in the hundred, being better than the Money of the Ifland, though 

 it be Gold, by reafon the King ofttimes enhances the value of it. The places 

 where Cloves grow, are uimboyna, ElUas, Seram, and Bouro. 



The Iflands of Banda alfo, in number fix, viz.. Nero, Lontour, Toulcay, Rofe- 

 guin, and Crenapuis, bear Nutmegs in great abundance. The Ifland of Grena- 

 fms is about fix Leagues in compafs, and ends in a fharp point, where there is 

 a continual fire burning out of the Earth. The Ifland Damme, where there 

 grows great ftore of Nutmegs, and very big, was difcover'd in the year 1647, 

 by Abel Tafman, a Dutch Commander. 



The price of Cloves and Nutmegs, as I have known them fold to the Hol- 

 landers at Surat, was as follows. 



The Mein of Surat contains forty Serres, which make thirty- four of our 

 Pounds, at flxteen Ounces to the Pound. 



A Mein of Cloves was fold for a hundred and three Mamoudi's and a half. 



A Mein of Mace was fold for a hundred and fifty-feven Mamoudi's and a 

 half. 



Nutmegs for fifty-fix Mamoudi's and a half. 

 . .Gumamou comes at prefent from the Ifland of Ceylan. The Tree that bears 

 it is very much like the Willow, and has three Barks. They never take off bat 

 the firft and fecpnd, which is accounted the beft. They never meddle with the 

 third, for mould the Knife enter that, the Tree would dye. So that it is an 

 art tQtflkeoff the Cinnamon, which they learn from their youth. The Cinna- 

 mon Spice is much dearer to the Hollanders than people think j for the K\% 

 of Ceylan, other, wife call'd King of Candy, from the name of his principal City, 

 being a fworn Enemy to the Hollanders, ifends his Forces with an intention to 

 furprize them, when they gather their Cinnamon } fo that they are fore'd to 

 bring feven or eight hundred men; together to defend as many mjore that are at 

 work. Which great expence of theirs very much enhances the price of the 

 Cinnamon. There grows upon the Cinnamon Tree a certain fruit like an Olive, 

 though not to be eaten. This the Ponttgals were wont to put into a Caldrqn 

 of Water, together with the tops of the, . Branches,, and boil'd it till the Water 

 was all confum'd, When it was cold, the upper part became a Pafte like white 

 Wax; of which they made Tapers tofet up in their Churches, for no fooner 

 were the Tapers lighted, but all the Church was perfum'd. Formerly the Tot- 

 tugals brought Cinnamon out of other Countries, belonging to the Rajahs about 



Cochin. 



