Chapter XV: Introduction (3)

Of Amber,[140] in regard to colour, there are many different kinds, as black, white, brown, and grey; of all which the black is usually the worst, and the grey the best. That which is freest from filth or dross of any kind, and purest in itself, ought to be chosen; of a colour inclining to white, or ash-coloured, or intermixed with ash-coloured veins, and other white veins. When put into water it ought to swim; and though some that is sophisticated will likewise float, it is certain that none which is pure will sink. The greatest quantity of this commodity comes from Mozambique and Sofala.

[Footnote 140: Ambergris is assuredly meant in the text.--E.]

§ 9. _Of the principal Places of Trade in India, and the Commodities they afford._[141]

Bantam, a town of Java Major, stands in latitude 6° S. and the variation here is 3° W.[142] It is a place of great resort by various nations, and where many different commodities are to be bought and sold, though of itself it produce few things, besides provisions, cotton-wool, and pepper. The quantity of this last at the yearly harvest, which is in October, may be about 32,000 sacks, each containing 49-1/2 Chinese cattees, and each cattee 21-1/2 rials English.[143] A sack is called a _timbang_, two of which are one _pekul_, three pekuls a _small bahar_, and 4-1/4 pekuls a _great bahar_, or 445-1/2 _cattees_. As the Javanese are not very expert in using the beam, they mostly deal by means of a weight called _coolack_, containing 7-1/4 cattees. Seven _coolacks_ are one _timbang_, water-measure, being 1-1/4 cattees more than the beam weight, although there ought to be no difference; but the weigher, who is always a Chinese, gives advantages to his countrymen, whom he favours, as he can fit them with greater or smaller weights at his pleasure.

[Footnote 141: This subdivision is likewise a continuation of the Observations of Saris, while factor at Bantam, and is to be found in the Pilgrims, vol. I. p. 390.]

[Footnote 142: The latitude of Bantam is 6° S. as in the text, and its longitude is 106° 10' W. from Greenwich.--E.]

[Footnote 143: This seems a mistake for English ounces. If so, the sack weighs 1065-1/2 ounces, or 66 libs. 6-1/2 ounces.--E.]

In the months of December and January, there always come many junks and proas to Bantam laden with pepper, from _Cherringin_ and _Jauby_,[144] so that there is always enough of pepper to be had at the end of January to load three large ships. There is no money coined here, all the current coin being from China, called _cashes_, which are made from very impure brass, in round thin pieces, having holes on which to string them: 1000 cashes on a string is called a _pecoo_, which is of different values, according as cashes rise or fall in demand. Their accounts are kept in the following manner: 10 _pecoos_ are a _laxsau_, 10 _laxsaus_ a _cattee_, 10 _cattees_ an _uta_, and 10 _utas_ a _bahar_. There are two ways of stringing the _cashes_, one called China_ chuchuck_, and the other Java_ chuchuck_, of which the Java is the best, as there ought to be 200 _cashes_ upon a _tack_, but in the Chinese _tacks_ you will only find 160 to 175; and as 5 tacks make a _pecoo_, you may lose 200 _cashes_, or 150, on each _pecoo_; which in extensive dealings will rise to a considerable matter. By the law of the country there ought to be just 1000 cashes upon a string or _pecoo_, or they must give _basse_, which is allowance for the deficiency. On the departure of the junks, you may buy 34 or 35 _pecoos_ for a dollar; which, before next year, you may sell at 22 or even 20 pecoos for a dollar; so that there is great profit to be made on this traffic; but the danger of loss by fire is great.

[Footnote 144: Cherringin, is probably that now called Cheribon on the south side of Java; but Jauby is not to be recognised in our modern maps.--E.]

The weight used in the purchase and sale of bezoars is called a _taile_ which is 2-1/4 dollars, or 2 English ounces. A Mallay _taile_ is only equal to 1-1/2 dollar, or 1-1/3 English ounces. A China _taile_ is 1-7/20 dollars, or 1-1/5 English ounces; so that 10 China _tailes_ are exactly equal to 6 Javan _tailes_.

The English commodities vendible here are as follow: English iron in long thin bars, sells for six dollars the _pekul_. Lead in small pigs, 5-1/2 dollars the pekul. The barrel of fine corned powder 25 dollars. Square pieces _sanguined_ 10 dollars each. Square pieces _damasked_ all over, 6-1/2 feet long, 15 dollars each.[145] Broad-cloth, of ten pounds the cloth, of Venice red colour, sells for 3 dollars the _gasse_, which is 3/4 of a yard. Opium _misseree_,[146] which is the best, 8 dollars the _cattee_. Amber, in large beads, one _wang_ and half a _taile_ mallay, for 6 dollars. Coral in large branches, 5 or 6 dollars the _taile_ mallay. Dollars are the most profitable commodity that can be carried to Bantam.

[Footnote 145: These _pieces_ were probably matchlocks.--E.]

[Footnote 146: Misseree here certainly means from Egypt.--E.]

In February and March every year, there come to Bantam three or four junks from China, richly laden with raw silk, and wrought silks of various stuffs, China _cashes_, porcelain, cotton cloth, and other things. The prices of these are as follow: Raw silk of _Lanking_ [Nankin] which is the best, 190 dollars the pekul; raw silk of Canton, which is coarser, 80 dollars the pekul; taffeta in bolts, 120 yards in the piece, 46 dollars the _corge_, or 20 pieces; velvets of all colours, 13 yards the piece, for 12 dollars; Damasks of all colours, 12 yards the piece, at 6 dollars; white sattins, in pieces of 12 yards, 8 dollars each; _Burgones_, of 10 yards long the piece, 45 dollars the _corge_; sleeve silk, the best made colours, 3 dollars the _cattee_; the best musk, 22 dollars the _cattee_; the best sewing gold thread, 15 knots, and every knot 30 threads, one dollar; velvet hangings with gold embroidery, 18 dollars; upon sattins, 14 dollars; white curtain stuffs, 9 yards the piece, 50 dollars the _corge_; flat white damask, 9 yards the piece, 4 dollars each; white sugar, very dry, 3-1/2 dollars the pekul; very dry sugar-candy, 5 dollars the pekul; very fine broad porcelain basons, 2 dollars the piece; coarse calico cloths, white or brown, 15 dollars the _corge_. They bring likewise coarse porcelain, drugs, and various other commodities; but as these are not suitable to our country, I omit to mention them, but the following may be enumerated: Very good and white benjamins, from 30 to 35 dollars the pekul; alum, from China, as good as English, 2-1/2 dollars the pekul. Coromandel cloths are a principal commodity here, and those most vendible are _goobares_; pintadoes or chintz, of four or five colours; fine _tappies_ from St Thomas; _ballachos_; Java girdles, otherwise called _caine-goolong_; calico lawns; book calicos; and white calicos made up in rolls.[147] A _goobar_ is double, and contains 12 yards, or 6 _hastaes_ single; coarse and fine _ballachos_ contain from 32 to 34 _hastaes_, but the finest are always longest. In general, all sorts of cotton cloths that are broad and of good length are here in good request.

[Footnote 147: Probably turbans.--E.]

The king's custom, called _chuckey_, is 8 bags on the 100, rating pepper always at 4 dollars the sack, whatever be its price. _Billa-billian_ is another custom of this port, by which every ship that arrives here, whatever be its lading, as cloth or the like, must in the first place give notice to the king of all the sorts and quantities of commodities, with their several prices, before landing any of them; upon which the king sends his officers to look at the goods, who take for him such goods as he inclines, at half the prices affixed to them, or somewhat more, as can be agreed upon: Thus, if the cloths be rated at 20 dollars per _corge_, the king will only give 15 or 16 dollars at the most. Instead of this, the Hollanders have been in use to pay to the king 700 or 800 dollars at once for the freedom of a ship's loading, to clear them of this troublesome _billa-billian_. By the custom of the country, this duty upon 6000 sacks of pepper is fixed at 666 dollars, if you purchase and load the pepper from the merchants; or otherwise to purchase so many thousand sacks of pepper from the king, paying him half or three quarters of a dollar more than the current price at the time. Even if you have provided a loading beforehand, you must pay this exaction before you can be permitted to load. _Rooba-rooba_ is the duty of anchorage, and is 500 dollars upon 6000 sacks. The sabander's duty is 250 dollars on 6000 sacks. The weighers have one dollar on every 100 sacks; and the _jerotoolies_, or weighers belonging to the customhouse, have a similar duty of one dollar the 100 sacks.

_Jortan_ is a place to the eastwards of _Jackatra_, called likewise _Sourabaya_, which produces plenty of provisions, together with cotton wool, and yarn ready spun. There come to this place many junks from _Jauby_, laden with pepper, and several small proas belonging to this place trade with Banda; so that some mace and nutmegs are to be had here.

_Macasser_ is an island not far from Celebes, having abundance of bezoar stones, which are there to be had at reasonable rates. It has plenty of rice and other provisions; and as it has some junks which trade with Banda, nutmegs and mace are likewise to be procured there, but in no great quantity.

_Balee_, or Bally, is an island to the eastward of Macasser, standing in 8° 30' S. latitude.[148] It produces great abundance of rice, cotton-yarn, slaves, and coarse white cloth, which is in great request at Bantam. The commodities for sale there, are the smallest sort of blue and white beads, iron, and coarse porcelain.

[Footnote 148: Instead of the eastwards, Bally is W.S.W. of Macasser, in long. 115° E. and lat. 8° 30' S. while Macasser is in about the lat. of 5° 15' S. and in 120° E. long.--E.]

_Timor_ is an island to the eastwards of Bally, in the latitude of 10° 40'. This island produces great quantities of _Chindanna_, called by us white saunders, of which the largest logs are accounted the best, and which sells at Bantam for 20 dollars the pekul, at the season when the junks are here. Wax likewise is brought from thence in large cakes, worth at Bantam 18, 19, 20, and even 30 dollars the pekul, according to quantity and demand. Great frauds are practised with this article, so that it requires great attention in the purchaser, and the cakes ought to be broken, to see that nothing be mixed with it. The commodities carried there for sale are chopping knives, small bugles, porcelain, coloured taffetas, but not blacks, Chinese _frying-pans_,[149] Chinese bells, and thin silver plates beaten out quite flat, and thin like a wafer, about the breadth of a hand. There is much profit made in this trade, as the Chinese have sometimes given four for one to our men who had adventured with them.

[Footnote 149: Perhaps, as stated in conjunction with bells, _gongs_ are here meant, which are not unlike frying-pans.--E.]

_Banda_ is in the latitude of 5° S. and affords great store of mace and nutmegs, together with oil of two sorts. It has no king, being ruled by a sabander, who unites with the sabanders of Nero, Lentore, Puloway, Pulorin, and Labatacca, islands near adjoining. These islands were all formerly under the dominion of the King of Ternate, but now govern themselves. In these islands they have three harvests of mace and nutmegs every year; in the months of July, October, and February; but the gathering in July is the greatest, and is called the _arepootee_ monsoon. Their manner of dealing is this: A _small bahar_ is ten cattees of mace, and 100 of nutmegs; a great bahar being 100 cattees of mace, and 1000 of nutmegs. The cattee is five libs. 13-1/2[150] ounces English, and the prices are variable. The commodities in request at these islands are, Coromandel cloth, _cheremallay_, _sarrasses_, chintzes or pintadoes of five colours, fine _ballachos_, black girdles, _chellyes_, white calicos, red or stammel broad-cloths, gold in coin, such as English rose-nobles and Dutch ducats and dollars. But gold is so much preferred, that you may have as much for the value of 70 dollars in gold as would cost 90 dollars in silver. Fine china basons without rims are likewise in request, together with damasks of light gay colours, taffetas, velvets, china-boxes, gilded counters, gold chains, gilt silver cups, bright and damasked head-pieces, fire-arms, but not many sword blades, which must be _brandt_ and backed to the point. Likewise Cambaya cloths, black and red calicos, calico lawns, and rice, which last is a good commodity to carry there.

[Footnote 150: On a former occasion, the Banda _cattee_ was said to contain only 13-1/2 ounces English, so that this account is quite irreconcileable to the former.--E.]

The _Molucca_ islands are five in number; viz. Molucca Proper, Ternate, Tidore, Gilolo, and Makian, and are under the equinoctial line. They produce great abundance of cloves, not every year, but every third year. The _cattee_ there is 3 libs. 5 ounces English, and the _bahar_ is 200 _cattees_. Thus 19 Molucca cattees make exactly 50 Bantam cattees. The commodities most vendible in these islands are Coromandel _cheremallays_, but fine, Siam girdles or sashes, _salalos_, but fine, _ballachos_ and _chelleys_, are in most request. Likewise China taffetas, velvets, damasks, great basons, varnished counters, crimson broad-cloths, opium, benzoin, &c.

_Siam_ is in the lat. of 14° 30' N. It produces great store of fine benzoin, and many rich precious stones, which are brought from Pegu. A _taile_ is 2-1/4 dollars. There is here much silver bullion, which comes from Japan, but dollars are most in request, for 2-1/4 dollars in coin will purchase the value of 2-1/2 dollars in bullion. Stammel broad-cloth, iron, and handsome mirrors are in much request, as also all kinds of Chinese commodities are to be had there better and cheaper than at Bantam. The Guzerat vessels come to Siam in June and July, touching by the way at the Maldive islands, and then at Tanasserim, whence they go overland to Siam in twenty days. At Tanasserim there is always 5-1/2 to 6 fathoms water.

_Borneo_ is in lat. 3° S.[151] This island affords great store of gold, bezoar, wax, rattans, _cayulacca_, and dragons blood. At _Bernermassin_, [Banjarmassen] one of the towns of this island, is the chief trade for these articles; and at this place the following commodities are in principal request: Coromandel cloths of all kinds, China silks, damasks, taffetas, velvets of all colours but black, stammel broad-cloths, and Spanish dollars. Bezoars are here sold by a weight called _taile_, equal to a dollar and a half, and cost 5 or 6 dollars the _taile_, being 1-1/3 ounce English. Succadanea is another town in Borneo, in lat. 1° 30' S. and is about 160 leagues N.E. of Bantam. The entrance to its harbour has five fathoms water at the height of the flow, and three at ebb, only a falcon shot from the shore, upon ooze. There is great trade at this place, which produces great quantities of the finest diamonds in the world, which are to be had in abundance at all times of the year, but chiefly in January, April, July, and October, but the greatest quantities in January and April, when they are brought down the river _Lavee_ in proas. They are said to be procured by diving, in the same manner with pearls; and the reason why they are to be had more abundantly at one season than another is, that in July and October there falls so much rain, that the river deepens to nine fathoms at the place where they are got, and occasions so rapid a stream that the people can hardly dive in search of them; whereas in other months it is only four fathoms or four and a half; which is found to be the best depth for diving.

[Footnote 151: This is rather a vague account of so large an island, which reaches from the lat. of 4° 20' S. to 6° 40' N. and between the longitudes of 100° 12' and 119° 25' E. from Greenwich; being above 700 English miles from N. to S. and 670 from E. to W.--E.]

The commodities most vendible at Succadanea are Malacca pintados, very fine _sarapa, goobares, poulings, cherujava,_ calico lawns, light-coloured China silks, sewing gold, sleeve silk, stammel broad-cloth, all sorts of bugles, especially those blue ones which are made at Bantam, shaped like a hogshead, but about the size of a bean. These cost at Bantam a dollar for 400, and are worth at Succadanea a _masse_ the 100, a _masse_ being three quarters of a dollar. Likewise Chinese _cashes_ and dollars are in request, but more especially gold; insomuch that you may have a stone for the value of a dollar in gold, which you would hardly get for a dollar and a half, or a dollar and three quarters, in silver. On this account, therefore, when intending to sail for Succadanea, it is best to go in the first place to Banjermassen, where you may exchange your commodities for gold, which you may purchase at the rate of three _cattees_ of _cashes_ the Mallayan _taile_, which is nine dollars, as I have been credibly informed it has been worth of late years. Afterwards carrying the gold to Succadanea, and paying it away for diamonds, at four _cattees_ of _cashes_ the _taile_, each of which is the weight of 1-3/4 and 1/8 of a dollar, you gain 3/4 of a dollar on each _taile_: Yet, after all, the principal profit must be upon the diamonds.

The diamonds of Borneo are distinguished into _four waters_, which they call _varna_, viz. Varna _Ambon_, varna _Loud_, varna _Sackar_, and varna _Bessee_. These are respectively white, green, yellow, and a colour between green and yellow; but the white water, or _varna ambon_, is the best. Their weights are called _Sa-masse, Sa-copang, Sa-boosuck_, and _Sa-pead_: 4 copangs are a masse; 2 boosucks a copang; and 1-1/2 pead is a boosuck. There is a weight called _pahaw_, which is four masse, and 16 _masse_ are one _taile_. By these weights both diamonds and gold are weighed.

In regard to goods from _China_, the best raw silk is made at Nankin, and is called _howsa_, being worth there 80 dollars the pekul. The best taffeta, called _tue_, is made at a small town called _Hoechu_, and is worth 30 dollars the _corge_. The best damask, called _towa_, is made at Canton, and is worth 50 dollars the _corge_. Sewing gold, called _kimswa_, is sold by the _chippau_, or bundle, each containing ten pahees; and in each paper are ten knots or skeins, sold for three _pawes_, or two dollars, the best having 36 threads in each knot. Sewing silk, called _couswa_, is worth 100 dollars the pekul. Embroidered hangings, called _paey_, are worth for the best 10 dollars the piece. Sattins, called _lyn_, are worth for the best one dollar the piece. Great porcelain basons, Called _chopau_, are sold three for a dollar. White sugar, called _petong_, the best is sold for half a dollar the pekul. The small sorts of porcelain, called _poa_, of the best sort, sell for one dollar the _cattee_. The best pearl boxes, called _chanab_, are worth five dollars each. Sleeve silk, called _jounckes_, the best sells for 150 dollars the pekul. Musk, called _saheo_, seven dollars the cattee. Cashes, 60 _pecoos_ for one dollar.

Broad-cloth, called _toloney_, is worth seven dollars the _sasocke_, which is 3/4 of a yard. Large mirrors, called _kea_, are worth 10 dollars each. Tin, called _sea_, worth 15 dollars the pekul. Wax, called _la_, 15 dollars the pekul. Muskets, called _cauching_, each barrel worth 20 dollars. Japan sabres or _cattans_, called _samto_, are worth 8 dollars each. The best and largest elephants teeth, called _ga_, worth 200 dollars the pekul, and small ones 100 dollars. White saunders, called _toawheo_, the best large logs sell for 40 dollars the pekul.

In China, the custom of pepper inwards is one _taile_ upon a pekul, but no custom is paid outwards. Great care is taken to prevent carrying any kind of warlike ammunition out of the country. In March, the junks bound for Manilla depart from _Chuchu_, in companies of four, five, ten, or more, as they happen to be ready; their outward lading being raw and wrought silks, but of far better quality than those they carry to Bantam. The ordinary voyage from Canton to Manilla is made in ten days. They return from Manilla in the beginning of June, bringing back dollars, and there are not less than forty sail of junks yearly employed in this trade. Their force is absolutely nothing, so that the whole might be taken by a ship's boat. In China this year, 1608, pepper was worth 6-1/2 tailes the pekul, while at the same time it was selling in Bantam for 2-1/2 dollars the _timbang_.