COMMERCE. 483 



the spices of the East and West Indies, are distributed among all the 

 civilized nations. The greatest produce of tobacco, is from Virginia, 

 and the other Southern States of our Union. 



Of manufactures, besides cloths, already referred to ; iron, is 

 chiefly made in Great Britain, Sweden, Germany, and the United 

 States ; and in Great Britain it is most extensively wrought into 

 hardware and cutlery. Copper, is chiefly produced in Sweden, 

 Germany, and Great Britain ; tin, comes from Cornwall in Great 

 Britain, and Banca in the East Indies, as also from Germany ; and 

 lead, is produced in England, and Germany ; but abounds in the 

 western United States. Gold, and silver, are obtained from South 

 America, Mexico, and Russia: silver also from Germany; and gold 

 from the coasts of Africa and the East Indies, and from the southern 

 United States. Salt, is mined in Poland, and manufactured in the 

 West Indies ; as also, both from sea water, and salt springs, in our 

 own country. Coal, is mined most abundantly, in Great Britain, 

 and the states of Pennsylvania, and Virginia. 



3. Under the head of Cambistry, we include the subjects of ex- 

 change, coins, and-currency, to which the term is strictly applicable ; 

 and the kindred subjects of commercial weights and measures. 

 Money, like other commodities, has its fluctuations of value, depend- 

 ing on its relative abundance or scarcity. A silver dollar, at the 

 present day, is worth far less than it was one or two centuries ago ; 

 that is, it will purchase a smaller amount of commodities, except 

 such as have also become cheaper, owing to new supplies, or new 

 inventions. The currency of Great Britain, is reckoned in pounds 

 sterling, (marked , ;) which are subdivided into shillings, pence, 

 and farthings. A pound sterling is at present worth about $4*87 ; 

 but a person would be obliged to pay about $5-00 in New York for 

 a drauft, or bill of exchange, on London, which would entitle him 

 to receive one pound sterling from the London banker on whom it 

 was drawn ; the difference, or rate of exchange, varying with cir- 

 cumstances. 



The English sovereign, is a gold coin worth just one pound, or 

 $4-87 : the guinea is worth $5-11 ; the crown, a silver coin, is worth 

 about $1-10; and the shilling, about 22 cents. The Russian or 

 German ducat, is worth $2-30; the gold ducat of Venice $1-45; 

 and the silver ducat of Venice or Naples, about 78 cents. The 

 French crown, (ecu,) is worth $1-07; the Austrian, 96 cents; and 

 the Sardinian, 87 cents. The French Jive fran c piece, is worth 93 

 cents ; and the old Louis d'or, or gold Louis, $4-58. The German 

 florin, of gold, is worth $2-02 ; that of silver, 30 cents ; and the 

 Dutch florin, 40 cents. The Italian zecchin, is worth about $2-30 ; 

 and the Venetian pistole, $3-88. The old Spanish doubloon, of 

 8 crowns, is worth $15-57; that of 4 crowns, $7-78 ; and that of 

 2 crowns, $3-88. The Spanish real of 2, or peseta, is worth 20 cents ; 

 and the piastre, $1-00. The Turkish piastre, of 40 paras, is worth 

 37 cents; the zecchin, $1-35; and the rouble, 9 cents; but the 

 Russian rouble, is worth 85 cents. The gold rupee, of Hindoostan 

 and Persia, is worth, $7-10; the silver rupee, about 45 cents ; and 

 the Madras gold pagoda, $1-84. 



