CHAP. XXVII. ASIA. 



in the United States of America by the emission 

 of paper dollars in France by the circulation of 

 assignats in Russia by the excess of paper roubles 

 in Austria by her issuing a superabundance of 

 paper florins or as was felt in England by first 

 deviating from, and then returning to, a currency 

 in the precious metals. We are then justified in 

 concluding that the supply of the precious metals 

 to India, China, and the rest of Asia, has been 

 nearly that which was required to maintain an 

 equable proportion between them and the mass of 

 other commodities. 



Whilst the mines of Asia have not increased 

 their products, the importations of treasure have 

 lessened, and yet no sensible decline in general 

 prices has been experienced. The dispersion of 

 the hoards which had been heaped up during the 

 times of the insecurity of property has probably 

 been found sufficient to render prices steady. 



As the population of Asia may be taken at about 

 double that of Europe and America, and as we have 

 seen that the quantity of the precious metals con- 

 sumed in the two latter divisions of the globe is to 

 that obtained by Asia in the proportion of five 

 to two, we may conclude that the use of them 

 is ten times as great among the Europeans and 

 Americans taken by the individual as among the 

 Asiatics ; but as the prevailing metal in Asia is 

 silver, and a great part in Europe is gold, and as silver 

 wears much faster than gold, we must conclude 



