eONTRACTS POR AREKA NUTS* 



13 



it occasions a. scbircity tor tlic smaller ones ; in 

 tlifs. ^a^, tli«dfefor^j although the tnimibsr of 

 vfised^ l6^d ticft m pm% t^e cfitaiiitifty ex- 

 ported is pretty Tieiu-Iy llie s;iin<\* 



The cnrp^o sent on lni;ir(l tlie sliij) in which 1 

 \ isited Pedir, came not from the Pedir district 

 ^Idii^, but was brought (by contracts eatered 

 into by the ra^ dTB^dlie^ tmliVe met- 



chants of those pla<oe») fc^m (Mst^hixn, Sawang, 

 t'cc., and of conr^Jc at an inereaRed price. T 

 made iuqniry, if a ship was brought next raonth, 

 (August,) whether they could load her with 

 Ar«^Q*ikiit, BDiil what pedbd of tee wmM 

 take to dieliver six tliousand peculs on boaifd*. The 

 reply was. that at this season a gTe?ifer scarcity 

 of not pi'e vailed than nsnal, on acconnt of in- 

 ternal wars drawing away the men^ and causing 

 ■a igdaJK^i^ ^ cdl«ct and fihell It ; iny 



informant, tbetSfesfe, would not en[i-aoT' to de- 

 liver anv next montli, hut the followinij' May 

 wonkl engage to snj>ply the quantity of six 

 thousand pec ids in a week, receiving dollars^ 



* I have before stated, that tlie Iicat generated by n cargo 

 of the Areka-ftut is exee^ive. 1 recoilect tlic carpenter of 

 a ship, when desl«ktfe 6f Ijetifltng^ mfa^ wtM, placing it under 

 the main hatch, among the nuts ; in a few minutes it was 

 sufficiently steamed for its intended purpose ; after a tort" 

 night or three weeks the heat is materially moderated. 



