^AN. 1, 1900.] THE TEOPICAL AGEICULTURIST. 
487 
"With a staff of a good many more than 19,000 
Europeans in India(1770) of vjhich nearly 3,300 in 
the Moluccas, the Company's Administration must 
no doubt have been far too intricate to allow 
many, either to appreciate its real state, or to 
foretell its future career but for grave blunders on 
its part. 
Involved in every war which threatened Hol- 
land, bound to assist the State either with salt- 
peter and ships or money or both, the 0. I. Com- 
pagnie had of course more to do than simply to 
administer the Indian territory. Her greatest 
fault was the waste of produce ordered to be burnt 
in Amsterdam, or destroyed in the Moluccas, 
conforming to strict orders from the Company's 
headquarters. Their eyes were closed against 
.everything that should have been taken as a 
warning to break with the cutting down of trees 
(hongi-expeditions) and slavery. They were wil- 
fully closed against everything that savoured of 
free labour and free trade, and they would remain 
so even for many and many years in favour of the 
old prejudicee. When in 1798 the Company's 
bankrupt household showing a deficit of 120 mil- 
lions was handed over to the State, the govern- 
ment did not know how to act better than to 
continue the Monopoly of Spices, which even 
managed to drag on its miserable life till 1870. 
We need not wonder that, whilst in Europe at 
the end of the 18th Century the Eevolution 
changed everything, the ideas in India moved 
very slowly only. Of course there were some 
persons in India and even amonst the highest 
officials that pleaded for a complete opening up of 
the islands for trade, but the advice they sent 
home did not find much favour. Under the ad- 
ministration of Holland as well as under that of 
England, proposals concerning the Banda Isles to 
this effect met in the Mother country with too 
little knowledge of India's wants. 
When in the second period of English possession 
of the Banda-group (1810 — 1816) Governor Eaifles 
declared himself an absolute foe of monopoly and 
asked the English government to sanction a 
change, he complained that the Bandanese knew 
just as little of England as the English knew of 
the Banda-group. If on commercial principles — 
Eaffles wrote — it may be deemed advisable that 
the spices shall be collected into few hands, let 
the gardens or their produce be farmed out. Let 
the East-India Company or any Association of 
Europeans enter into the speculations, but let the 
British government preside, 
This advice was quietly passed by. England 
did not take any real interest in the Banda-group 
itself, except that its produce should be directed 
to England instead of to Holland as before. When 
the Treaty of Breda in 1816, once more restored 
the Banda possessions to Holland, no material 
change whatever had been made in their adminis- 
tration. 
Mercus, the Dutch Governor-General, after 
his visit to Banda pleaded for the abolition of the 
Monopoly. Van den Capellen, who visited 
Banda after him in 1824, though much impressed 
with the desolate state of the impoverished islands, 
did not dare to abandon the venerable monopoly 
system sanctioned by a usage of 200 years. 
Some change however had been introduced. In 
18X9 slavery [slaves had beeu emaucipated nomi- 
nally in 1812 under the English] had been defi- 
nitely abolished iu the Moluccas by the Hol- 
lander?, and though for the moment the difference 
between slaves and "adscripti gleboe'' {perlihooriijen) 
is still less essential than it pretended to be, this 
first reorganisation was to smooth the way for 
broader views of lawful trade also. 
In 1853 the port of Banda was opened to the 
flag of every friendly nation. However as the 
produce was still monopolized by the government, 
merchantmen knowing that they would not find 
any cargo, of course did not call. 
In 1862 the expeditions of exterminatioli {Hongi- 
tochten) were abolished, and for the future the 
young nutmeg trees are allowed to thrive in any of 
the islands of the Moluccas. Very likely the 
unforeseen rise of Penang and Singapore as Spice- 
markets, supplied by the produce cullivated on 
English territory (Malacca) helped to open the 
eyes at last. Only three years later the first 
parcel was sold in Banda Neira in free auction. 
The destruction of the nutmeg by disease in the 
Straits in 1866, which made prices go up till 1871, 
fortunately did not alter the liberal policy of the 
Dutch government. On the contrary the govern- 
ment now fully convinced that the Moluccas 
wanted the stimulus of free trade, urged the estate 
owners (perkeniers) to make themselves independent 
from the monopoly system. At first few of them 
seemed to appreciate the change, being far more 
willing to continue their improfitable connection 
with a buyer as the government, instead of being 
thrown upon the open markfet. With the prices 
ruling very high just then, the energy pent up 
so long, seizes from a few examples the profit 
which can be made. One after the other of the 
planters made himself free, and on the 1st of Oc- 
tober 1873 at last every vestige of the monopoly 
of spices had been buried in the past. 
Applications for opening up Shun und Sosen- 
gain reached the government. 
Already the next year the Colonial Reports of 
Netherlands India stated that the abolition of the 
Monopoly of Spices had proved a boon, having 
awaked more interest in the cultivation, both 
labour and money being supplied on a larger 
scale than before by the planters in the 
Banda Islands. 
Since then the free cultivation of nutmegs has 
not always been so profitable, and especially of 
late years competition in every part of the globe, 
combined with low prices have put the energy 
of the planters to a severe test. 
It may be safely asserted, however, that as the 
Banda nutmeg and mace still enjoy the highest 
reputation in the market, the care bestowed upon 
their cultivation as well as the large sums spent 
on it, must ensure a reasonable profit. In fact 
there are signs that prices will improve, cultiva- 
tion having nearly reached its maximum in 
Banda. The days may be over when the produce 
of Banda was synonymous with the "trees that 
bear gold"' ; its gardens still bear the promise of 
wealth ready to fall into the hands of those who 
know to cultivate well this part of the wonderful 
East Indian Archipelago. 
II.— CULTIVATION. 
NUTMEGS AND MACE IN THE BANDA-GROUP. 
A glimpse at the map of the Banda-group 
makes it clear that thQ islands are remnants of 
