I am satisfied this rigid course was taken on the
suggestion of the Dutch, induced by Lackmoy, the great Chinese
merchant, on purpose to prevent us from giving credit to the Chinese,
that we might be constrained to deal only with himself: and, as he is
provided by the Hollanders with all kinds of commodities, he will
entirely overthrow our trade, as we cannot now give credit to any one,
justice being refused to us.
Captain William Keeling arrived here from Banda on the 26th of August,
having laden there 12,484-1/2 cattees of mace and 59,846 cattees of
nutmegs, which cost him 9,10, and 11 dollars the bahar. The cattee
there weighs 13-1/2 English ounces; the small bahar of mace being ten
cattees, and the small bahar of nutmegs 100 cattees; while the large
bahar is 100 cattees of mace, or 1000 cattees of nutmegs: so that if
a person owe ten cattees of mace, and pay 100 cattees of nutmegs, the
creditor cannot refuse payment in that manner.
Captain Keeling having taken in the rest of his loading at Bantam,
consisting of 4900 bags and 3 cattees of pepper, set sail in the Hector
for England on the 4th October, 1609; on which occasion I embarked in
that ship to return home, having been four years, nine months, and
eleven days in the country.
Sec. 8. Rules for the Choice of sundry Drugs, with an Account of the
Places whence they are procured.[136]
Lignum aloes, a wood so called by us, is called garroo by the
Mallays. The best comes from Malacca, Siam, and Cambodia,[137] being in
large round sticks and very massy, of a black colour interspersed with
ash-coloured veins. Its taste is somewhat bitter, and odoriferous; and
when a splinter is laid upon a burning coal it melts into bubbles like
pitch, continuing to fry till the whole is consumed, diffusing a most
delightful odour.
[Footnote 136: Purch. Pilgr. I. 389, being a continuation of the
Observations by Mr Saris. - E.]
[Footnote 137: In the Pilgrims this last place is called Cambaya, but
which we suspect of being an error of the press. - E.]
Benjamin, or Benzoin, is a gum called Minnian by the Mallays. The
best kind comes from Siam, being very pure, clear, and white, with
little streaks of amber colour. Another sort, not altogether so white,
yet also very good, comes from Sumatra. A third sort comes from Priaman
and Barrowse, which is very coarse, and not vendible in England.[138]
[Footnote 138: On this subject Purchas has the following marginal note.
"Burrowse yieldeth Tincal, called buris in England; worth at Bantam
a dollar the cattee, and here in England ten shillings the pound.
