the general name of five islands in the East Indies, belonging to the Dutch. Two of them are uncultivated, and almost entirely uninhabited; the other three claim the distinction of being the only islands in the world that produce the nutmeg.

If we except this valuable spice, the islands of Banda, like all the Moluccas, are barren to a dreadful degree. What they produce in superfluities they want in necessaries. The land will not bring forth any kind of corn; and the pith of the fago serves the natives of the country instead of bread.

As this food is not sufficient for the Europeans who settle in the Moluccas, they are allowed to fetch provisions from Java, Macassar, or the extremely fertile island of Bali. The company itself carries some merchandise to Banda.

This is the only settlement in the East Indies that can be considered as an European colony; because it is the only one where the Europeans are proprietors of lands. The company finding that the inhabitants of Banda were savage, cruel, and treacherous, because they were impatient under their yoke, resolved to exterminate them. Their possessions were divided among the white people, who got slaves from some of the neighbouring islands to cultivate the lands. These white people are for the most part Creoles, or malecontents who have quitted the service of the country. In the small island of Rofring, there are likewise several banditti, whom the laws have branded with disgrace; and young men of abandoned principles, whose families wanted to get rid of them: so that Banda is called the island of correction. The climate is so unhealthy, that these unhappy men live but a short time. It is on account of the loss of so great a number of hands, that attempts have been made to transfer the culture of the nutmeg to Amboyna; and the company were likewise probably influenced by two other strong motives of interest, as their trade would be carried on with less expense and greater safety. But the experiments that have been made have proved unsuccessful, and matters remain in their former state.