'Although his death robbed England of her nutmeg, it gave her the biggest apples' - A Book Review

Nathaniel's Nutmeg

How One Man's Courage Changed the Course of History

Giles Milton

I have always been fascinated by the Age of Discovery, a period in history starting in the early 15th century and continuing into the early 17th century during which Europeans engaged in intensive exploration of the world. It is common to think that these long-distance maritime travels  into unmapped waters were undertaken not merely to map the world but to be the first European to set foot on an unchartered continent in an unchartered ocean. In fact, these marine explorations were driven by Europe's profit-hungry merchants who would chance everything in their desperation for alternative trade routes to 'the Indies' moved by the trade of gold, silver and the very much desired and hugely profitable spices. The purpose of Christopher Columbus' initial voyage of 1492 was not discover a new continent but to map a faster trade route to the Indies. He estimated a westward route across the Atlantic, from Iberia to the Indies, would be shorter than the overland trade route through Arabia and this would allow Spain entry into the lucrative spice trade.  He had severely underestimated the circumference of the Earth and, following his plotted course, he landed at a locale he named San Salvador. He believed the lands he encountered to be Asia. History shows us he accidently landed on what was to be seen by the Europeans as the 'new world', America.

In Nathaniel's Nutmeg, Giles Milton deals with the struggle between the East India Company of London and the Dutch East India Company for the control rights of the spice-producing islands of the East Indies throughout the 17th century, especially the smallest and richest of the Banda Islands - the nutmeg-producing island of Run.

In 17th century Europe, nutmeg was a most coveted luxury. It was claimed to have powerful medicinal properties and became as sought after as gold when the physicians of Elizabethan London claimed their nutmeg pomanders were the only certain cure for the plague. The market price became so high that a small sack full could set up a man for life, affording him with all things gentry.

The central character of the story is Nathaniel Courthope (1585-1620), a merchant naval officer, who was hired by the  East India Company of London to go to the Spice Islands on a quest to break the Dutch hold on the nutmeg supply. He left England with great fanfare in April 1610.

What follows is a voyage of deadly illnesses, seiges, battles, torture and executions.

On 23 December 1616 Courthope landed his ships, Swan and Defence, on Run. He persuaded the islanders to enter an alliance with the British for nutmeg much to the great annoyance of the Dutch. Following attacks from the Dutch he fortified the island by erecting forts to overlook approaches from the east. With only 39 men and vastly outnumbered he proceeded to hold off a Dutch seige for 1,540 days.

Courthope arranged a visit to the island of Great Banda, accompanied by his Boy William, he would set sail in a small boat under the cover of darkness. His men were most unhappy about this. Two miles off the Ai's coastline, 50 Dutch soldiers lay in wait. A spy in Courthope's camp had informed the Dutch governor-general in Niera of Courthope's movements and a heavily-armed ambush party was despatched with one simple order - kill the troublesome Englishman.

Courthope was shot and wounded. Rather than surrender, he leapt overboard. It was the last time he was seen alive.

What followed was one of the most incredible deals in world history.

Today, Run is of such insignificance that it fails to even make it onto the map. However, in the 17th century it was the most talked about island in the world. An island of such fabulous wealth. An island of nutmeg. The English were outraged by the murder of Courthope, who they saw as a man who had laid down his life in the defence of Run and now the island was lost to the Dutch. Nathaniel Couthorpe's defiance, heroism and murder would spark an unstoppable train of events that would last for the next forty-seven years.

The Dutch presence in New Netherland began in 1624. New Netherland was a colonial province on the East Coast of North America and the provincial capital, New Amsterdam, was located at the southern tip of the island of Manhattan on upper New York Bay. Little did the settlers realise that its future would be inextricably entwined with the nutmeg-producing island of Run. In 1664, the English conquered New Amsterdam and renamed it 'New York'. This provoked the second Anglo-Dutch War that would last for two years with neither side gaining the upper hand.

In March 1667, with the war dragging on, it was agreed both sides would meet at the Dutch city of Breda to discuss their grievances. On 31 July 1667 they had reached an agreement. One of the most significant documents in history, The Treaty of Breda, was signed.

The result.....The Dutch retained Run and secured a worldwide monopoly on nutmeg, whilst England was given the whole of New Netherland, producing the Colonies of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware.

All that from the little seed that sits, unassumingly, at the back of your cupboard.

A glorious, historical account of a world full of infinate adventure...a book I have read and re-read ****
                                                                                        Cluski

The book is available from Cluski's Book & Grocery Store at the top of the page priced at £5.02