The Bonano Tree is exactly like the Plantain for shape and bigness, nor easily distinguishable from it but by its Fruit, which is a great deal smaller, and not about half so long as a Plantain, being also more mellow and soft, less luscious, yet of a more delicate taste. They use this for the making Drink oftener than Plantains, and it is best when used for Drink, or eaten as Fruit; but it is not so good for Bread, nor doth it eat well at all when roasted or boil'd; so 'tis only necessity that makes any use it this way. They grow generally where Plantains do, being set intermixt with them purposely in their Plantain-walks. They have plenty of Clove-bark, of which I saw a Ship load; and as for Cloves, Raja Laut, whom I shall have occasion to mention, told me, that if the English would settle there, they could order Matters so in a little time, as to send a Ship-load of Cloves from thence every Year. I have been informd that they grow on the Boughs of a Tree about as big as a Plumb-tree, but I never happened to see any of them. I have not seen the Nutmeg-Trees any where; but the Nutmegs this Island produces are fair and large, yet they have no great store of them, being unwilling to propagate them or the Cloves, for fear that should invite the Dutch to visit them, and bring them into subjection, as they have done the rest of the neighboring Islands where they grow. For the Dutch being seated among the Spice-Islands, have monopolized all the Trade into their own Hands, and will not suffer any of the Natives to dispose of it, but to themselves alone. Nay, they are so careful to preserve it in their own Hands, that they will not suffer the Spice to grow in the uninhabited Islands, but send Soldiers to cut the Trees down. Captain Rofy told me, that while he lived with the Dutch, he was sent with other Men to cut down the Spice-Trees; and that he himself did at several times cut down 7 or 800 Trees. Yet altho' the Dutch take such care to destroy them, there are many uninhabited Islands that have great plenty of Spice-Trees, as I have been informed by Dutch Men that have been there, particularly by a Captain of a Dutch Ship that I met with at Achin, who told me, that near the Island Banda there is an Island where the Cloves falling from the Trees do lie and rot on the ground, and they are at the time when the Fruit falls, 3 or 4 Inches thick under the Trees. He and some others told me, that it would not be a hard matter for an English Vessel to purchase a Ships Cargo of Spice, of the Natives of some of these Spice-Islands.