198 VOYAGE TO THE 



upon a newly made grave, which he said contained his 

 son, and watching several sticks of incense as they 

 burned slowly down to the earth in which they were 

 fixed. 



The trade of this island is almost entirely confined 

 to Japan, China, and Formosa ; Manilla is known as a 

 commercial country, and it is recorded that a vessel 

 has made the voyage to Malacca. In China their 

 vessels go to Fochien, which they call Wheit-yen, 

 and sometimes to Pekin. Commerce between Japan 

 and Loo Choo is conducted entirely in Japanese ves- 

 sels, which bring hemp, iron, copper, pewter, cotton, 

 culinary utensils, lacquered furniture, excellent hones, 

 and occasionally rice ; though this article when wanted 

 is generally supplied from an island to the northward 

 belonging to Loo Choo, called Ooshima ; but this is 

 only required in dry seasons. The exports of Loo 

 Choo are salt, grain, tobacco, samshew spirit, rice, 

 when sufficiently plentiful, grass hemp, of which their 

 clothes are made, hemp, and cotton. In return for 

 these they bring from China different kinds of porce- 

 lain, glass, furniture, medicines, silver, iron, silks, 

 nails, tiles, tools, and tea, as that grown upon Loo 

 Choo is of an inferior quahty. Several other articles 

 of both export and import are mentioned, by Supao- 

 Koang, such as gold and silver from Formosa, and 

 iron from China ; among the former, mother of pearl, 

 tortoise shell, bezoar stone and excellent hones. The 

 last-mentioned articles, however, if found in Loo Choo, 

 are certainly not very plentiful, as they are carried 

 thither from Japan ; and An-yah denied there being 

 any mother of pearl there. This trade is conducted 

 in two junks belonging to Loo Choo, which go an- 

 nually to China : and they have besides these their 

 tribute vessel. 



