Page 317
An. 1686
The Dutch monopolize the Spice.
uninhabited Islands, but fend Soldiers to cut the Trees down. Captain Rofy told me, that while he lived with the Dutch, he was sent with other men to cut down the Spice Trees; and that he himself did at several times cut down 7 or 800 Trees. Yet altho the Dutch take such care to destroy them, there are many uninhabited Islands that have great plenty of Spice-trees, as I have been informed by Dutch- men that have been there, particularly by a Cap- tain of a Dutch Ship that I met with at Achin, who told me, that near the Island Banda there is an Is- land where the Cloves falling from the Trees do lye and rot on the ground, and they are at the time when the Fruit falls, 3 or 4 inches thick under the Trees. He and some others told me, that it would not be a hard matter for an English Vessel to pur- chafe a Ships Cargo of Spice, of the Natives of some of these Spice Islands.
He was a free Merchant that told me this. For by that name the Dutch and English in the East In- dies, distinguish those Merchant who are not Ser- vants to the Company. The free Merchants are not suffered to Trade to the Spice Islands, nor to many other places where the Dutch have Factories; but on the other hand, they are suffered to Trade to some places where the Dutch Company them- selves may not Trade, as to Achin particularly, for there are some Princes in the Indies, who will not Trade with the Company for fear of them. The Sea-men that go to the Spice Islands are obliged to bring no Spice from thence for themselves, except a small matter for their own ufe, about a pound or two. Yet the masters of those Ships do common- ly so order their business, that they often secure a good quantity, and fend it ashore to some place near Batavia, before they come into that Harbour, (for it is always brought thither, first before it's sent to Europe,) and if they meet any Vessel at Sea that will