after. For that purpofe, His Excellency Governor Moffel propofed (in his SecretConfiderations on the State of India , offered to the gentlemen in authority at home,under the head of Amboyna,) to encourage the cultivation of pepper and indigo there,as much as poffible, in order to furnilh a better means of fubfiftence to the natives;but the little inclination which the rulers of Amboyna have fhewn to comply with thispropofal, and the little attention they have bellowed upon the fubjecl, or, as theyallege in their own exculpation, the indolence of the Amboynefe, have almoft whollyfruftrated the attempts which have been made in this line.
The indigo that is produced upon Leytimor is thought to be much better than thatof Buro : a pound of the former Hands the Company in fix gilders * ; but it is verylittle inferior in point of brilliancy of tint to Prullian blue.
The government then adopted the mode of taking it by contrail, promifing to payforty-eight ftivers for the fir It, thirty-fix for the fecond, and twenty-four for the thirdor worft fort f ; but neither did this fucceed, while its failure is equally attributed to
the lazinefs of the natives.
The following quantities were delivered to the Company in 1748 and 1749, accord-ing to the report of Governor Roozeboom :
From Bouro.
From Hila.
281 lb.225 flb.
1748 - 1851b.
1749 - 2oolb.
3851b. 5o6|lb.
3 8 S
In all 891 fib.
The cultivation of pepper in Bouro fucceeded no better, though the pepper-vineit is faid grows very well there, and produces a large corn; but which is not of fohard a fubftance, nor fo ftrong a flavour, as that of Bantam , or the Malabarcoaft.
I am much furprifed that the government has not hitherto taken any pains to profe-cute the cultivation of the fugar-cane in thejflands of Amboyna, for it grows as lux-uriantly, and as full of fap here, as in Java or any where elfe; which I know by havingfrequently feen and examined the canes which have been planted here and there bythe Haves for their own ufe. This would not only alleviate the poverty of the Amboy-nefe, as their clove- trees are deftroyed from year to year, but it would, on the otherhand, be no lefs profitable to the Company, as the article would be conveyed hence,without any additional expence, by the clove-fhips, on board of which it could be flowedas a lower tier, and ferve for ballafl. Perhaps, however, this has never been put inpradlice, in order that the competition of the fugars from Amboyna might not be ofprejudice to the fugar.works of Jaccatra, in which perhaps the gentlemen in the direc-tion of affairs are interefled.
Coffee likewife grows here in fufficient luxuriance to encourage the Amboynefe
in the cultivation of it $ and the quality of it is by no means inferior to that ofJava.
* About 1 is. fterling. Tr.
t About 4s. 4d. for the firft, 3s. 3d. for the fecond, and 2s. 2d. for the third fort. Tr.
CHAP.