416 DESCRIPTION OF BATAVIA CHAP, xvn 



day declare they never so much as thought of), the Chinese 

 had two or three of their body in the Council, and had many 

 more privileges than now. From that time to this they have 

 by no means recovered either their former opulence or 

 numbers. Every one now who has got anything considerable 

 prefers to retire with it either to China or anywhere, rather 

 than remain in the power of a people who have behaved so 

 ill to them. 



The taxes paid by these people to the Company are very 

 considerable ; among which that commonly said to be paid 

 for the liberty of wearing their hair is not inconsiderable. 

 It is, however, no other than a kind of head-money or poll- 

 tax, for no Chinese can wear his hair who has ever been in 

 China, it being a principle of their religion never to let their 

 hair grow again when once it has been shaved off. These 

 taxes are paid monthly, when a flag is hoisted at a house in 

 the middle of the town appointed for that purpose. 



The coins current here are ducats, worth 11s. sterling, 

 ducatoons (6s. 8d.), Imperial rix-dollars (5s.), rupees (2s. 6d.), 

 scellings (Is. 6d.), dubblecheys (2|-d.) and doits (^d.) Spanish 

 dollars were when we were there at 5s. 5d., and we were 

 told were never lower than 5s. 4d. Even at the Company's 

 warehouse I could get no more than 19s. for English guineas, 

 for though the Chinamen would give 20s. for some of the 

 brightest, they would for those at all worn give no more than 

 17s. Strangers must, however, be cautious in receiving 

 money, as there are several kinds, of two sorts, milled and 

 unmilled ; ducatoons, for example, when milled are worth 

 6s. 8d., unmilled only 6s. All accounts are kept in rix- 

 dollars and stivers, both imaginary coins, at least here ; the 

 first worth 4s., the other Id. It must also be remarked that 

 this valuation of their coin is rated on the supposition of a 

 stiver being worth a penny, while it is really more ; a 

 current rix-dollar of 48 stivers being worth 4s. 6d. 



