1770 TRADING AND CHEATING 403 



latter brings the master of the ship's receipt for the goods 

 to his employer, who does nothing but receive money from 

 the stranger, and, reserving his profit, pay the Chinaman his 

 demands. With imports, however, they must have a little 

 more trouble ; for they must examine, receive, and preserve 

 them in their own warehouses, as other merchants do. 



To give a character of them in their dealings, I need only 

 say that the jewel known to English merchants by the name 

 of fair dealing is totally unknown here : they have joined all 

 the art of trade that a Dutchman is famous for to the deceit 

 of an Indian. Cheating by false weights and measures, false 

 samples, etc. etc., are looked upon only as arts of trade : if you 

 do not find them out, 'tis well ; if you do, " well," they say, 

 " then we must give what is wanting," and refund without 

 a blush or the least wrangle, as I myself have seen in 

 matters relating to the ship. But their great forte is asking 

 one price for their commodities and charging another ; 

 so that a man who has laid in 100 peculs of sugar, at five 

 dollars a pecul as he thinks, will, after it has been a week 

 or ten days on board, have a bill brought him in at seven ; nor 

 will the merchant go from his charge unless a written agree- 

 ment or witnesses be brought to prove the bargain. For 

 my own part I was fortunate enough to have heard this 

 character of them before I came here ; and wanting nothing 

 but daily provision, agreed immediately in writing for every 

 article at a certain price, which my landlord could con- 

 sequently never depart from. I also, as long as I was well, 

 constantly once a week, looked over my bill, and took it into my 

 possession, never, however, without scratching out the charges 

 of things which I had never had to a considerable amount, 

 which was always done without a moment's hesitation. 



Next to the Dutch are the Portuguese, who are called by 

 the natives Oran Serane, that is Nazarenes, to distinguish 

 them from the Europeans, notwithstanding which, they are 

 included in the general name of Capir or Cqfir, an oppro- 

 brious term given by the Mahometans to all those who have 

 not entered into their faith, of whatsoever religion they may 

 be. These, though formerly they were Portuguese, have no 



