Contrary to the narrow and short-sighted policy of the 
Dutch, it has been the endeavour of the EngHsh to dissemi- 
nate the nutmeg tree in every climate that may appear suited 
to its growth. In 1798, Mr R. Broff introduced it to Ben- 
coolen in Sumatra, where plants little more than five years old 
produced perfect fruit ; and a short time afterwards, at the sug- 
gestion of the same gentleman, Mr Roxburgh, the son of the 
late Dr Roxburgh of Calcutta, arrived at Amboyna with 
22,000 nutmeg plants, which, in a few years, yielded 200,000 lb. 
weight of nutmegs, and 50,000 lb. of mace. 
Again, with respect to our West Indian colonies, I am in- 
formed by the Rev. L. Guilding, that this valuable plant was 
brought to St Vincent's from Cayenne about thirty years since, 
though not without great difficulty, on account of the extreme 
jealousy of the inhabitants of that colony. The three trees ori- 
ginally imported have borne fruit for many years, and have at- 
tained the height of 20 feet, with a trunk 8-9 inches in diameter. 
It does not appear, however, that the culture of the nutmeg suc- 
ceeds so well in the West as in the East Indies. The trees 
love shade and moisture ; few of them, comparatively, prove 
female ; and even the old plants of that kind, though they pro- 
duce flowers and fruit in all stages, and at all times, yet they 
do not ripen, upon an average, above forty nutmegs annually. 
Tab. I. — Fig, 1. Slight sketch of a tree, to shew its habit. Fig. 2. Branch, 
with male flowers. Fig. 3. Section of a male flower, to shew the co- 
lumn of stamens. Fig. 4. Column of stamens, young. Fig. 5. Co- 
lumn of stamens, old, the Anthers burst. Fig. 6. Portion of a branch, 
with a female flower. Fig. 7- Section of a female flower, to shew the 
pistil. Fig. 8. Young fruit, the perianth having fallen away. 
Tab. II. — Fig. 1. Branch, with a ripe fruit in the act of bursting. Fig. 2. 
Nut, with its Mace. Fig. S. Nut, having the Mace removed. Fig. 4. 
Seed, the shell being removed. Fig. 5. Transverse section of the seed. 
Fig. 6. Portion of the Shell. Fig. 7. Vertical section of the seed. Fig. 8. 
Embryo. — All but Fig. 8. of the natural size. 
