THE ESCULENT SWALLOW. 103 



to their qualities, distinguished into first or best, sec- 

 ond, and third qualities. Caverns that are regular- 

 ly managed will afford, in 100 parts, 53 3-10th parts 

 of those of the first quality, 35 parts of those of the 

 second, 11 7- 10th parts of those of the third. The 

 common prices for birds' nests at Canton are, for the 

 first sort, 3500 Spanish dollars the picul, or twenty- 

 nine dollars per pound ; for the second, 2800 Span- 

 ish dollars per picul ; and for the third, no more than 

 1600 Spanish dollars. In the Chinese markets a still 

 nicer classification of the edible nests is often made 

 than in the island. The whole are frequently di- 

 vided into three great classes, under the commercial 

 appellation of Paskat, Chi-kat, and Tung-tung, each 

 of which, according to quality, is subdivided into 

 three inferior orders, and we have, consequently, 

 prices varying from 1200 Spanish dollars per picul 

 to 4200. These last, therefore, are more valuable 

 than their weight in silver. Of the quantity of birds' 

 nests exported from the Indian islands, although we 

 cannot state the exact amount, we have data for 

 hazarding some probable conjectures respecting it. 

 From Java there are exported about 200 piculs, or 

 27,000 Ibs., the greater part of which is of the first 

 quality. The greatest part is from the Suluk Archi- 

 pelagos, and consists of 530 piculs. From Macas- 

 sar there are sent about 30 piculs of the fine kind. 

 These data will enable us to offer some conjectures 

 respecting the whole quantity ; for the edible swal- 

 lows' nests being universally and almost equally dif- 

 fused from Junk, Ceylon, to New Guinea, and the 

 whole produce going to one market and only by one 

 conveyance, the junks, it is probable that the average 

 quantity taken by each vessel is not less than the 

 sum taken from the ports just mentioned. Taking 

 the quantity sent from Batavia as the estimate, we 

 know that this is conveyed by 5300 tuns of shipping, 

 and, therefore, the whole quantity will be 1818 piculs, 

 or 242,400 Ibs., as the whole quantity of Chinese 



