COMMERCIAL TRANSACTIONS. 389 



which object he had brought dollars, opium, 

 iron, lead, and steel. Most of the bearded gen- 

 tlemen were traders in the Areka-nut ; but a 

 tall, thin, elderly, and shrewd old man, was the 

 principal agent in the transactions between Mr. 

 Fearon and the rajah, for the latter, like most 

 rajahs, had but little to say on the affair, and 

 from being young, had merely to approve of 

 whatever was done. This agent, whom we de- 

 signated " Minister of the Board of Trade,'' 

 proved to be uncle to the present rajah ; this 

 circumstance accounted for his having so much 

 to do with the government affairs. After some 

 common-place conversation, the commercial 

 business was introduced ; samples, or musters, 

 of the quality of the nuts were shown ; arid an 

 arrangement was entered into between the par- 

 ties for the delivery of three thousand peculs in 

 ten days, at the rate of one and a-half dollars the 

 pecul, iron, steel, lead, and dollars, being given 



many writers considering it the fruit of the " Piper Betel," 

 or Betel vine, the leaves of which are used with the Areka- 

 nut as a masticatory ; but as the whole mixed together, and 

 eaten by the natives, constitutes what is called " chewing 

 the betel" by Europeans, the nut probably derived its 

 commercial appellation from that source. The confusion 

 existing between the Areka palm, producing the nuts, and 

 the Betel vine, by most writers, has caused me to insert this 

 explanatory note. 



