1827. 



202 VOYAGE TO THE 



M. J. Klaproth, quoting one of these authors, says, in 

 1654 Loo Choo sent Chang-Chy, the king's son, with 

 mly, an ambassador to Pekin, when it was arranged that 

 every second year an ambassador should be sent to 

 that court with tribute, which should consist of 

 3,000 lbs. of copper, 12,600 lbs. of sulphur, and 

 3,000 lbs. of a strong silk ; and that the number of his 

 suite should not exceed a hundred and fifty persons. 



Lord Macartney, wdien on his embassy to the court 

 of China, met the mandarins from Loo Choo, who 

 were going with this tribute to Pekin, and who in- 

 formed him their chief sent delegates every two years 

 to offer tribute.* And when we were at Loo Choo, 

 both Ching-oong-choo and An-yah informed me to 

 the same effect, viz. that it was sent every second year. 

 We may therefore conclude, that this is the period 

 agreed upon between the two countries. 



M. Klaproth, p. 164, informs us, that notwithstand- 

 ing tribute is paid to the court of China, Loo Choo is 

 also compelled to acknowledge the sovereignty of Ja- 

 pan, to send ambassadors there from time to time, and 

 to pay tribute in swords, horses, a species of perfume, 

 ambergris, vases for perfumes, and a sort of stuff, a 

 texture manufactured from the bark of trees, lacquered 

 tables inlaid with shells or mother of pearl, and mad- 

 der, &c. I shall merely observe upon this passage, 

 that some of the articles which are said to be carried 

 as tribute to Japan are actually taken from thence, 

 and from China to Loo Choo, such as the vases and 

 lacquered tables ; and that mother of pearl is said by 

 the natives not to be found upon the shores of their 

 island. 



* Embassy to China, by Sir George Staunton, vol. ii. p, 459. 



