Eastern Islands] ORIENTAL COMMERCE. 



397 



other laws, which owe their origin to this monopoly, but do not tend to 

 protect or maintain it, were declared null and void. — It was provided by 

 the same edict, that the Residency of Banda should thenceforward consist of 

 the following, besides the Banda islands : — The East part of Great Cerani, 

 the Islands of Kessing, Ceram Laut, Gisser (Gasses) Goram, Key, and 

 Arou, and in general all the other little islands to the East and South of 

 Banda. 



ARTICLES PRODUCED AT BANDA, WITH DIRECTIONS. 



Nutmegs (Jaephal t Hind. Jatlpha/o, San.) are the produce of the 

 Mijristlca^ a tree, native of several of the islands to the E., but which has 

 in a great measure been extirpated from them all, except that of Banda. 

 The tree is handsome and spreading, the bark smooLh, and of a brownish 

 grey colour; the leaves elliptical, pointed, obliquely nerved, on the upper 

 side of a brightish green, on the under whitish, and stand alternately upon 

 foot stalks ; they afford a most grateful aromatic scent when bruised. It 

 does not bear frmt till the eighth or ninth year, when little yellowish buds 

 appear, out of which small white flowers are blown, hanging two or three 

 together upon slender peduncles ; in the centre of the flower is an oblong 

 reddish knob, from which the fruit is produced, though no more than one 

 blossom out of three commonly ripens. The fruit is eight or nine months 

 arriving at maturity ; but blossoms and ripe fruit are found at the same 

 time upon the tree, and the nutmegs are generally gathered three times in a 

 year. The fruit appears like a small peach, in shape and colour, only 

 pointed towards the stalk when ripe; the outer coat, which is almost half 

 an inch thick, opens, and shews the nutmeg in its black and shining shell, 

 encircled by a net-work of scarlet mace; the outer coat is generally whitish, 

 a little hard, and is very good preserved in sugar, or stewed. You then 

 come to the mace, which is of a fine bright red colour, and under it a black 

 shell, ahout as thick as that of a filbert, but very hard ; it is opened by being 

 first dried successively in five different drying places, made of split bamboos, 

 upon which the nutmegs are laid, and placed over a slow fire, in each of 

 which places they remain a week, till t*he nutmegs are heard to shake within 

 the shell, which is then easily broken. The nutmegs are then sorted, and 

 delivered ; each sort is separately put into baskets, and soaked three times 

 in tubs of sea water and lime; they are then put into distinct closets, where 

 they are left for six weeks to sweat: this is done that the lime, by closing 

 the pores of the nuts, may prevent their strength from evaporating, and 



