84 ON NUTMEG CULTURE IN THE BANDA ISLANDS. 



a pound for the best nuts, 6 doits for the inferior, and 4 doits for the 

 broken ; for the first quality of mace, 40 doits ; and for the second, 20 

 doits. Those of Lonthoir are allowed a little more, on account of the 

 greater cost of carriage. The gross receipts of each vary from 1,0C0 florins 

 to 8,000 florins. 



The whole sum paid to them for the crop of 1854 was 113,223 florins. 

 Their average receipts are 130,497 florins, and expenses 79,488 florins T 

 leaving only 51,009 florins as their gross incomes. The income from one 

 park is about 5,300 florins, of another about 4,000, of two about 3,000, of 

 one about 2,000, of seventeen about 1,000, of eight about 500, one being as 

 low as 145 florins, while another shows a deficit of about 500. In many 

 cases these petty incomes belong to several persons jointly, eighteen of the 

 thirty-four plantations having from two to nine shareholders each. When 

 it is added that twenty-one of the plantations are in debt to the amount of 

 143,867 florins, bearing an interest of 13,213 florins, it will be seen that the 

 lot of a Banda spice planter is not a very enviable one, and that so long as 

 the Government maintains the monopoly it provides most effectually against 

 any improvement in the plantations, or in the condition of the population 

 dependent on them. It should be stated, however, that the park-keepers 

 have some other sources of income. 



The fruit of the Kanari trees, which overshadow the nutmegs, yields by 

 expression a valuable oil. By this and other means, especially fishing, 

 they gain from 2,000 to 3,000 florins a-year. 



The profit made by the Government on the spices of the Bandas is con- 

 siderable, as the following accurate account will show : — 



Debit. Florins. 



537,861 lbs. of nuts and 133,986 lbs. of mace— viz. :— 



No. 1 nutmegs, 410,228 lbs. at 16 to 20 doits 61,218-40 



No. 2 nutmegs, 86,215 lbs. at 6 doits 4,310-90 



41,418 lbs. broken, at 4 doits 1,380-72 



No. 1 mace, 131,389 lbs. at 40 to 44 doits 45,861-16 



No. 2 mace, 2,597 lbs. at 20 to 22 doits 452-12 



113,223-80 



Expenses preceding shipment to Java..'. 109,717-23 



Freight to Java 7,000* 



Freight to Holland, insurance, &c, 12| per cent, on 



the market price in Holland : 122,094-17 



Total 352,035* 



Credit. 



No. 1 nuts,- 410,228 lbs. at fl. 1-57 644,057-96 



No. 2 nuts, 86,215 lbs. at fl. 1-40 120,701* 



No. 1 mace, 131,389 lbs. at fl. 1-45 190,514-05 



No. 2 mace, 2,597 lbs. at fl. 0-90 2,337-30 



959,610-31 



Profit 607,575-31 



• 



Equal to £50,631 



