SpicesfromtheOrientwerealreadycostlywhen16th-centuryEuropeanpharmacistsclaimedthatnutmegcouldcuretheplague.AsmostEuropeancitieswereplague-riddenatthetime,thevalueoftherarespicerocketed,andtherewasfiercecompetitionbetweenBritainandHollandforpossessionofthenutmeg-producingislandofRunintheEastIndies.
In1616,NathanielCourthope,aBritishmerchantnavyofficer,tookthetinyisland.HeheldoffaDutchsiegeforfiveyearsbeforehewaskilled,andRunbecameaDutchpossession.Aswarwenton,theBritishtooktheDutchcolonyofManhattan.Itwasnottill1667thatbothsideswerewearyofwar.ThesubsequentpeacedealgaveHollandRunandtheBritishManhattan.
Today,Manhattanisaninternationalfinancialcentre,whileRunremainsasleepyspiceisland.
十六世紀時，東方的香料在歐洲價格高昂，而歐洲藥劑師還聲稱肉豆蔻可治黑死病，更令這種罕有香料的價格狂升，因為黑死病當時為患歐洲大部分城市。英國和荷蘭為了奪取東印度群島中盛產肉豆蔻的倫島，鬥爭非常激烈。
一六一六年，英國商船隊員納撒尼爾．考托普佔領了這個小島，遭荷蘭人圍攻，堅守五年，終於遇害，倫島也就落入荷蘭手上。英荷繼續交戰，其間英軍攻佔荷蘭殖民地曼哈坦島。到了一六六七年，兩國厭倦了戰爭，協議講和，同意倫島歸荷蘭，曼哈坦島歸英國。
今天，曼哈坦是國際金融中心，倫島則依然是個產香料的恬靜海島。