Page:History of the Indian Archipelago Vol 3.djvu/419

 ARTICLE* OF EXPORTATION. 403 and history of this branch of the spice trade, a re- view of the prices of the nutmeg and mace in Eu- rope, in different periods of the trade, will be ne- cessary. The ancient price of nutmegs in England, before the discovery of the route by the Cape of Good Hope, was 133^ Spanish dollars per picul, or 4s. 6d. per pound, and of mace 266f Spanish dollars per picul, or 9s. per pound. The price of nutmegs in England two centuries ago was 7^ rod Spanish dollars per picul, or 2s. 6d. per pound, and of mace 177r[^ Spanish dollars per picul, or 6s. per pound. The prices in Holland, when the Dutch were in full possession of the monopoly, was for nutmegs S05 Spanish dollars per picul, or 10s. 3|d. per pound, and for mace 903 Spanish dollars per picul, or L. 1, 10s. 5fd. per pound. It is no won- der that such enormous charges should diminish the consumption. During the years 1803, 1804, and 1805, nutmegs sold in England for 309 Spa- nish dollars per picul, or 10s. 5d. per pound. At present the price, exclusive of duties, is 5s. per pound for nutmegs, and 8s. per pound for mace, or including duties, 7s. 6d. for the one, and lis. 6d. for the other. The alleged consumption of Europe in the dif- ferent periods of the trade is next to be consider- ed. In the year 1615, the consumption of Eng- land in nutmegs was reckoned at 100,000 lbs., and of mace 15,000 lbs. Two centuries ago, Mr