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 Cafir, 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 
