t 8 7° ] 
I mention this defign, becaufe it would not be pof- 
flble elfe to explain what Mr. Combes means by 
the word Society , which he fo often mentions in his 
letter j of which I fhall produce an extract, fo far 
as it relates to the preient inquiry. 
It feemed to me very improbable (as the fame 
plants are generally found in the fame latitude and 
foil), that the fpices now in the poffeflion of the 
Dutch fhould grow only in that fmall trad of land, 
which is in their poffeflion. And I had many credible 
informations, that, whatever they may pretend to the 
contrary, this is only a pretence. 
I therefore defired to obtain tire bed information 
of the nature and culture of the plants producing 
fpices, as well as of many other things, which are 
foreign from this inquiry. 
I deflred to know, how the fpices were dried and 
cured; and that different fpecimens might be fen t 
me of the plants, their feed, flower, leaf, and bark, 
and properly cured and prepared. 
This produced the anfwer I lay before you here- 
with, together with the fpecimens now produced. 
You lee hereby, that the Dutch dry their Cinna- 
mon in fand ; probably to take away that vifcoiity, 
which is complained of in the Caflia. 
And you will obferve alfo, that the fpecimen 
produced dried and cured is alfo as free from any 
vifcoiity, as the Cinnamon of Ceylon : That it agrees 
alfo with the Cinnamon in every other quality, and 
in colour j and that none of the diftindtions men- 
tioned by Mr. Ray can be found herein ; but that 
they may arife from the part of the tree, from whence 
the bark was taken ; the inner bark of the large 
wood being red, as you fee by the other fpecimen 
produced. 
