416 DESCRIPTION OF BATAVIA CHAP, XVII 
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 (1s. 6d.), dubblecheys (2$d.) and doits (4d.) 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 1d. 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. 
