ad 
35% 
ufed to examine the oyfters at the fifhing 
feafon ; and if they had attained toa fuf- 
ficient fize, the council permitted the 
fithery to be begun, and made known 
the number of veffels and men that might 
be employed. The number of the di- 
vers amounted, in general, to ninety-fix. 
The governor received a certain fum per 
cent.on the profit. 
The trade of the Dutch Eaft India 
company in Bengal, which was confined 
roa very {mall diftriét, was under the 
management of a dire€tor. Their Juru- 
digtion was equally fmall at Surat, where 
they had only a warehoufe for their goods. 
From Bengal they procured cotton cloth, 
falt-petre, and opium ; and, from Surat, 
ali kinds of cotton ftuffs, &c. 
The Dutch poffetfions on the Malabar 
coaft, were under the direction of a com- 
mandant. ‘Their principal produétion 
was pepper. Another commandant re- 
fides on the weft coaft of Sumatra, and 
the articles brought from thence are 
gold, camphor, and pepper. Bantam, 
which delivers moft of its pepper to tne 
corapany, has alfo a commandant. At 
Palembang, onthe eaftern coaft of Suma- 
tra, the company keep a refident, and 
procure from it pepper and tin. | A re- 
fident is fettied likewife at Cnheribon, 
where the greater part of the Javanefe 
coffee is landed. 
One of the branches of India com- 
merce moft advantageous to the com- 
pany, is that exclufive privilege (the Chi- 
nefe excepted) which they have of trading 
to Japan. They are allowed the {mall 
land of Defima,near the city of Nangafaki, 
where they keep their goods; and the trade 
3s under the management of a direc- 
tor, who, every two years, returns to 
Batavia. The expences of this factory 
amount annually to upwards of 100,000 
florins +, of which the prefent to the em- 
peror of Japan, makes fully one half. 
They fend thither Dutch cloth, fugar, 
and other articles; and receive in re- 
turn, camphor, copper in bars, porcelain, 
and lackered ware. 
The company trade every year to 
China with four fhips, which are fent 
direGily from Europe. They touch at 
Batavia to take in a cargo of tin, which 
is fold in China with advantage ; and, 
on their return, they run under the 
northern iflands not far from the ftraits 
of Sunda, where they water, and do not 
t Almoft Seool. iterling. 
Airs of the Dutch India Company. 
[ Nov. 
returm to. Batavia. The time of their 
failing from Batavia to China is generally 
about the beginning of July. 
By-the many misfortunes which took 
place in the Dutch fettlements, their late 
war with England, and the multiplied 
abufes which had long prevailed in the 
adminifiration of their India affairs, the 
company, in the year 1799, were re- 
duced to fuch a ftate of difficulty that 
they were obliged to pledge 250,000 
pounds of cloves in.t&eir warehoufes, in 
order to raife 500,000 florins * for five ” 
years. The direétors, about that-time, 
reckoned the amount of their fales in 
Holland, with which it was neceflary to 
defray the principal expences of the 
company, and even to fupport India, to 
be as follows : 2 
Amount of the Sales Expences.  _ 
_ Filorins. Florins. 
1736 17,719,027 23,279,369 
1787 18,903,295 33+5325514 
1788 17,418,860 20,717,167 
2789 14,446,316 23,351,543 
799. 14,421,050 26,004,765: 
The whole deficit, however, in the 
year 1786, was fixty-eight millions of 
florins ; in 1788, feventy-fix millions ; 
and, in 1790,96, 110,526, which was di- 
vided inthe following manner among the 
different chambers of Holland. - 
Florins, 
Amfterdam § 6,228,031 
Zealand = 14,901,567 
Delft ~ | csi Mg SA nats 
Rotterdam 5,557,810 
Hoorn =), uc OGES 3848 
Enkhuyfen 65407,299 
From this view of the income and ex- 
penditure of the company, which have 
always been confidered as fecrets of 
fiate, it is evident how neceflary it was 
for them to think of improving their 
trade, and of making new regulations for 
placing it on a better focting. For this 
purpofe the following refolutions were 
entered into: 
1. The company will limit their own proper 
trade to Japan, China, the Moluccas, and the 
neighbouring iflands, and retain only the mone- 
poly of opium, fpices, Japanefe copper, tin, pepe 
per and coffee from Java, and caufe thefe pro- 
duétions to be foid by public fales, partly at Bae 
tavia and partly in Europe, : 
2. The trade to the continent, Bengal, Core 
mandel and Malabar, fhall be given up to their 
fervants and private merchants. The company 
Pa, 
* A florin is about as. gd}. fterling. 
therefore 
