342 COMPARATIVE STATES OF THE TRADE. 



eeives his food and about seven pence the day. 

 These calculations are framed after the accustomed 

 mode of calculating the dollar at 5<§. 



Thus, it appears, that so far as the wants of the 

 two people, and wages of labour are concerned, 

 India possesses no small advantage over China 

 for the successful cultivation of tea. 



Before entering on the subject of the cost of tea 

 to the European in China, it may be desirable, to 

 make a rapid sketch of the comparative state of the 

 trade during the existence of the East India Com- 

 pany's Charter, and the non-restrictive system now 

 established in China. 



It is familiarly known that the trade of China 

 was long conducted at the port of Canton by twelve 

 or fourteen Chinese merchants enjoying the ex- 

 clusive privilege of trade with foreigners. This 

 monopoly, however, does not appear to have formed 

 any part of a general system of trade among the 

 Chinese, as may sometimes have been imagined, 

 but was purely accidental, and arose mainly out 

 of our ignorance of the language. Mr. Pigou 

 distinctly states that in early times there was no 

 association of merchants at Canton * ; and that 

 Europeans were at liberty to pay their own duties 

 and to deal openly with any merchants on the spot. 

 These facts are also confirmed by the East India 

 Company's records, to which I have recently been 



* Oriental Repertory. 



