THE CLOVE. 



361 



well above the earth. In 1772 a further supply 

 was procured ; the greater part was kept in the 

 Isle of France, the rest were dispersed amongst 

 the Seychelles, Bourbon, and Cayenne. All the 

 specimens given to private individuals died : 

 skilful botanists, however, succeeded in preserv- 

 ing 58 nutmegs and 38 clove trees. Of the latter 

 two bore blossoms in 1775, and the fruit was 

 gathered in the following year; the produce, 

 however, was small, light, and dry, and all deemed 

 that the Dutch had been unnecessarily alarmed. 1 

 The project, however, proved completely success- 

 ful. 



In 1818 the clove-tree (Caryophyllus aroma- 

 ticus) was introduced from Mauritius and Bour- 

 bon into Zanzibar; requiring little care, it 

 speedily became a favourite, and in 1835 the 

 aristocratic foreigner almost supplanted the 

 vulgar valuable cocoa-nut, and the homely rice 

 necessary for local consumption. The Banyans, 

 Americans, and Europeans shared amongst them 

 the principal profits of other commerce, and the 

 cloves enriched the squirearchy, the landed pro- 

 prietors. Yet it was early predicted that this 

 prosperity would end in ruin ; and presently the 

 man who first introduced the spice became a 



1 Establicimientos Tlltramarinos, vol. iii. Madrid, 1768. 



