4^4 COCHINCHtNA, 



melt them into cakes, containing each fifteen 

 piaflres, which were long worth twenty* 

 two or twenty- three quans : at prefent 

 they are worth only from feventeen to 

 twenty. By carrying thefc piafires to Co* 

 chinchina, the Chincfc acqiiire a profit 

 which they would not get by feUiitg them 

 at home, livhere a piaftre is worth no more 

 than feven hundred caches: but m Cochin- 

 china it is reckoned to be equivalent to at 

 leaft eight hundred. They choofe, there- 

 fore, to carry fil ver thither fometimes rather 

 • than ether merchandize, which they might 

 find it difficult to fell, and on which they 

 could gain nothing j for their profit depends 

 not fo much on the good^ w*hich they im- 

 port into Cochinchina, as thofe which they 

 export from that country. The v^lue of 

 gold nfes and falls in the fame manner, ac- 

 cording to the number of buyers. At the 

 time when the Ciiinefe fomma arrive., it can- 

 not 



