at first covered by two skins or shells, the
outer one being tough and as thick as one's finger, which falls off
when the fruit ripens. This outer rind when candied has a fine taste
and flavour. When this falls off, the next is a fine smooth skin or
peel, which is the mace, or flower of the nutmeg; and below this is a
harder and blackish shell, much like that of a walnut; and on opening
this shell, the nutmeg is found within, being the kernel. The mace is
at first of a fine scarlet colour; but, when ripe, it falls off the
shell, and is then of an orange colour, as it comes to Europe. They
preserve whole nutmegs in sugar, which make the best sweetmeat in
India. The Bandanese call nutmegs _palla_, and mace _buaa-palla_.
There are two sorts of nutmegs; the one being of a long shape, called
males, and the other round and reddish, called females, which latter
have better taste and flavour than the other. When gathered and the
mace carefully preserved, the shells are removed and the nutmegs
dried, being first thrown among quicklime, as otherwise worms would
breed in and destroy them.

There are several islands in the neighbourhood of Banda in which the
nutmeg-trees grow, but these are carefully destroyed every year, which
at first sight may seem extraordinary, as, if once destroyed, one
would imagine they would never grow again. But they are annually
carried by birds to these islands. Some persons allege that the birds
disgorge them undigested, while others assert that they pass through
in the ordinary manner, still retaining their vegetative power. This
bird resembles a cuckoo, and is called the nutmeg-gardener by the
Dutch, who prohibit their subjects from killing any of them on pain
of death. The nutmeg is a sovereign remedy for strengthening the
brain and memory, for warming the stomach, sweetening the breath,
and promoting urine; it is also good against flatulence, diarrhoea,
head-ach, pain of the stomach, heat of the liver, and amenorrhoea.
Oil of nutmegs is a powerful cordial. Mace is an effectual remedy
for weakness of the stomach, helps digestion, expels bad humours,
and cures flatulence. A plaister of mace and nutmegs in powder,
and diluted with rose-water, greatly strengthens the stomach. Being
peculiar to Banda, merchants from Java, Malucca, China, and all parts
of the Indies, come to Nera and the other towns of Banda to purchase
mace and nutmegs; and immediately on their arrival, they all purchase
wives to keep