RUSSIAANDCHINA. 233 



receive it, even lliould that prohibition be taken oft'; 

 for no fpecie is current aniongft them except bullion *. 

 And the Ruffians find it more advantageous to take 

 merchandize in exchange, than to receive bullion at 

 the Chinefe flandard. The common method of tranf- 

 a6ting bufinefs is as follows. The Chinefe merchant 

 comes firft to Kiachta, and examines the merchandize he 

 has occafion for in the warehoufe of the Ruflian trader ; 



* The Chinefe have no gold or filver coin. Thefe metals are always 

 paid in bullion ; and for the purpofe of afcertaining the weight, every 

 Chinefe merchant is conftantly provided with a pair of fcales. As 

 gold is very fcarce in China, filver is the great vehicle of commerce. 

 When feveral authors affirm that the Ruffians draw large quantities of 

 filver from China, they miftake an accidental occurrence for a general 

 and (landing fadt. During the war between the Chinefe and Calmucs, 

 the former had occafion to purchafe at Kiachta provifion, horfes, 

 and camels, for which they paid filver. This traffic brought 

 fuch a profufion of that metal into Siberia, that its price was 

 greatly reduced below its real value. A pound of filver was at 

 that period occafionally fold at the frontiers for 8 or 9 roubles, which 

 at prefcnt fetches 15 or 16. But fince the conclufion of thefe wars by 

 the total redudtion of the Calmucs under the Chinefe yoke, Ruffia re- 

 ceives a very fmall quantity of filver from the Chinefe. S. R. G. III. 

 p. 593 & feq. 



The filver imported to Kiachta is chiefly brought by the Bucha- 

 rian merchants, who fell cattle to the Chinefe in exchange for that 

 metal, which they afterwards difpofe of to the Ruffians for European 

 manufactures. Gold-duft is alfo occafionally obtained from the fame 

 merchants ; the quantity however of thofe metals procured at 

 Kiachta is fo inconfiderable, as fcarcely to deferve mention. The 

 whole fum imported to Kiachta, in 1777, amounted to only 18,215 

 xoubles. 



Hh he 



