The Company have, for many years, allowed a Chinefe junk to come here, directfrom China , every year, to bring thither the goods which are exported from tfyatcountry, and which otherwife would be clandeltinely introduced into the ifland bythat intriguing nation, whom it would be impoflible to exclude; and the Company’scuftoms are now benefited by it, as, if I am rightly informed, every junk pays threethoufand Spanilh dollars in duties. The pafles for thofe veflfels aret granted by thegovernment at Batavia, where they are obtained by the chief of the Chinefe nation,' v ho fends them over to the merchants in China , and for which it is faid that he receivesfull eighteen thoufand rix-dollars
As foon as thefe goods are landed, every merchant, for there are feveral of themvrho come in fuch a junk, expofes his commodities for fale in a large houfe, which ispeculiarly adapted for that purpofe. This houfe is the daily refort of a great numberpf people, particularly Macaffers, Bouginefe, and Wadjorefe, fo that the merchandizeimported is fpeedily difpofed of.
Thefe merchants take in return tripangs, and Spanilh dollars, both which renderthem good profit in China ; and they are generally able to obtain forty thoufanddollars, as the governor here Mr. Van der Voort allured mef.
On my former voyage, when I was at Batavia, I wanted very much to have feen theinfide of a Chinefe junk. Thefe are called here wankon, and as there was one lyingalongfide of my Ihip in the road, I took the opportunity of gratifying my curiofity.
* About 3900I. fterling. Tr.
t Some judgment may be formed of the trade carried on by the Chinefe to the eaftern iflands, fromthe following curious and fnterefting ftatement of the outward and return cargoes of a Chinefe junk, fromphina to Sooloo, an ifland, or rather an archipelago of iflands, north of the Moluccas , as given us by themtelligent Captain Forreft.
“ Lift of articles that generally compofe the cargo of a Chinefe junk, of which two come annually fromAmoy to Sooloo:
“ 2000 Galangs (falvars of brafs), feven to a picol .
100 Picols iron, in fmall pieces like Bengal iron .
Sugarcandy, a quantity, per picol . .
50 Raw filk, ditto
3000 Pieces black kowfongs, a kind of nankeen, per piece5C00 Pieces kompow, white ftrong linenJOO Kangans, tv enty-five in a bundle, called gandangs, pergandang
200 Quallis, an iron thin pan, three feet diameter each500 Nefts of quallis, three in a neft . .
*>000,000 Pieces chinaware, per hundred . .
heftd,
200 Pieces of flowered iilkscs tea > cutlery, and other hardware, brafs wire, gongs, beads of all colours, fireworks, &c. &c.
“ The returns are in the following articles :
Black fwallow, per picolWhite dittoWax
Teepye, or pearl oj fter-lhells
«t Air ^ lr ds’ nefts, per cattimio * -- ■ '■ - --
Coft la
Selling Price
China.
at SoolcOe
dollars 40
70
+
8
7
• 10
. 400
. 600
oi
. 1
7
. 10
. 1
* 2
1
• z
. 1
• 2
6
. 10
>urs, fireworks, See. Sc c.
Coil in
Selling Price
Sooino.
dollars 15
3°
10
. 20
15
. 2 5 .
il
6
5
9
ca roo 10 a g a ' a g a b a fea-weed ufed as gum, or glue, and many other articles ; luch as
phor dove-bark, black wood, ratans, fago, various barks for dyeing,, caffia, pepper, native cam*
» a ndal-wood, curious fliells for grottos, pearls, feedpearl, and fpicts.”
Forrest’s Voyage to New Guinea, and the Moluccas , p. 325. Tr.
As
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