The Inhabitants Used Formerly To Cheat The Dutch In The
Sale Of Their Cloves, In The Following Manner.
They hung up their cloves
in a large sheet by the four corners, and set a large tub of water
underneath, which the cloves, being of a very hot and dry nature, drew
up by degrees, and thus made a large addition to their weight.
But the
Dutch are now too cunning for them, as they always try the cloves, by
giving them a small filip on the head with the forefinger: if thoroughly
ripe, and no deceit has been used, the head breaks off like a piece of
thin brittle glass; but if watered, the clove is tough, and will sooner
bend than break.
The nutmeg-tree is much like the peach, and there are a few of these
in this island, but they grow mostly on the island of Banda, whence two
or three ship-loads are exported yearly. The fruit of this tree consists
of four parts. The first and outer rind is like that of a green walnut.
The second, which we call mace, is dry and thin. The third is a tough
thin shell, like that of a chesnut; and the fourth is the nutmeg,
being the kernel included in that shell.
There are said to be some gold-mines in the island of Amboina; and a
Malay once shewed me some of the ore, which, he said, came from these
mines: but he said, at the same time, that he would be severely punished
if the Dutch knew of his having any, as they wish, as much as possible,
to keep this from the knowledge of all other Europeans.
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