aric gold was the produce of the spice trade, of
which the Sultans kept the monopoly, and by which they became wealthy.
Ternate, with the small islands in a line south of it, as far as
Batchian, constitute the ancient Moluccas, the native country of the
clove, as well as the only part in which it was cultivated. Nutmegs
and mace were procured from the natives of New Guinea and the adjacent
islands, where they grew wild; and the profits on spice cargoes were so
enormous, that the European traders were glad to give gold and jewels,
and the finest manufactures of Europe or of India, in exchange. When the
Dutch established their influence in these seas, and relieved the native
princes from their Portuguese oppressors, they saw that the easiest
way to repay themselves would be to get this spice trade into their own
hands. For this purpose they adopted the wise principle of concentrating
the culture of these valuable products in those spots only of which they
could have complete control. To do this effectually it was necessary to
abolish the culture and trade in all other places, which they succeeded
in doing by treaty with the native rulers. These agreed to have all the
spice trees in their possessions destroyed. They gave up large though
fluctuating revenues, but they gained in return a fixed subsidy, freedom
from the constant attacks and harsh oppressions of the Portuguese, and a
continuance of their regal power and exclusive authority over their own
subjects, which is maintained in all the islands except Ternate to this
day.

It is no doubt supposed by most Englishmen, who have been accustomed to
look upon this act of the Dutch with vague horror, as something
utterly unprincipled and barbarous, that the native population suffered
grievously by this destruction of such valuable property. But it is
certain that this was not the case. The Sultans kept this lucrative
trade entirely in their own hands as a rigid monopoly, and they would
take care not to give, their subjects more than would amount to their
usual wages, while: they would surely exact as large a quantity of spice
as they could possibly obtain. Drake and other early voyagers always
seem to have purchased their spice-cargoes from the Sultans and Rajahs,
and not from the cultivators. Now the absorption of so much labour in
the cultivation of this one product must necessarily have raised the
price of food and other necessaries; and when it was abolished,
more rice wo