2*J0 ACCOUNT OF CELEBES, AMBOYNA , &C.

But this evil has, alas! been of long Handing ; it will always be one of the mollcorroding cankers that confume the vitals of the Company, and will at laft bring thefociety to deffru&ion.

The revenues of a governor at Amboyna being but fmall, on account of the littletrade which is carried on here, and the confequent extreme degree of fraud and op-preffion that prevailed here, induced the government at Batavia, with the approbationof the directors at home, to come to a resolution in the year 1755, to provide againffthe growing evil; and they therefore determined to give the governor a yearly addi-tional allowance of fix thoufand rix-dollars, or fourteen thoufand four hundredguilders

This, added to other- emoluments which long prefcription has legalized, is fufficientto enable the governor to live according to his rank, without his being obliged to putfuch means in practice as one of the governors, whofe name I fhall not here mention,ufed to employ to double his revenues.

The vice-governor, or fecond perfon in rank, is a fenior merchant, and at the fametime head adminiflrator, filling likewife, as is the cuftom in all the out-fa&ories, theoffice of commercial book-keeper ; he is alfo prefident of the council of juffice, and ofthe orphan-chamber.

The third in rank is the commandant of the military, who has the rank, title, andpay of captain. He is the chief of all the troops in the whole province, the promotionof all the fubaltern officers ufed formerly to be folely effected at his recommendation ;but the advantages of this office were confiderably curtailed by Mr. # # # , who evenpublicly fold the places of ferjeants and corporals in the military for fifty, or onehundred rix-dollars, both to the Amboynefe and to the Europeans, without thecommandant daring to complain of his proceedings, and it now yields but a poorfubfiftence.

Upon this officer follows the chief or refident of Hila, who has the greateff part ofthe north coaH of Hitoe, and Little Ceram Hoewamoehil, under his management;next to Saparoua, his diftridl is the moil famous for the collection of cloves : he has agood income, and the rank of merchant.

The fifth in order is the chief of Saparoua; this factory lies in the ifland Honimoa ;not only that ifland but alfo Notifla Laut, and part of Great Ceram belong to his juril-diftion. The firft named iflands are very fertile, and yield more than half the annualquantity of cloves which are gathered in the province. The income of this refident iscomputed to yield only in amount to that of the governor.

Next follows the fifcal, who is equally a merchant in rank; his duty, as everywhere, is to take cars, that the property of the Company be not injured : he has like-wife a concluding vote in the council of polity.

The fixth is the chief of Haroeko, upon the ifland of Oma, to which alfo belongs a-part of Ceram : he is generally a junior merchant.

The feventh is the chief of Larike. This factory Hands on the fouth-weff coaff ofthe land of Hitoe, and the ifland of Amblauw, which formerly belonged to Bouro, haslately been put under the jurifdiction of Larike.

The Soldyboekhouder, paymaffer, or garrifon book-keeper, is the eighth; whois, at the fame time, curator ad lites, and prefident of the board of controul overmarriages.

Thefe eight, together with the winkelier, or purveyor, who, as well as the laff-mentioned officers, is a junior merchant, make the nine, who are appointed as a

* About 1300I, fterling. Tr.

council