60 



ORIENTAL COMMERCE. 



[Red Sot. 



The 6rst offer is invariably the best ; and if you can agree with one 

 person for your whole cargo, you will reap a double advantage, for you will 

 get a larger price, and less trouble. The time from your arrival, until the 

 time of the Hodjee, will be very short; and after its arrival, your goods will 

 not sell, at least not to such a good account. 



You are to be guided by the character of the merchants to whom you 

 give credit. They say of each other — " If be has been at Mecca once, take 

 " care of him; if he has been there twice, do not trust bun ; but if he has 

 " been there three times, have no kind of dealing with him, for he will cheat 

 " you." 



In the event of your selling the w hole of your cargo to one person, or 

 only one particular species of goods, you ought to observe (as they buy them 

 at an average price) that the proprietors of fine goods of that species should 

 have a proportionate advance upon their goods ; and consequently the pro- 

 prietors of coarse goods should have such an advance taken from the amount 

 sale of their goods, being of a worse quality, and only sold (probably) by the 

 demand of the other (fine) goods. 



As soon as the merchants return from Mecca, which will be about a 

 month, begin to collect your money, and send it off to your ship immediately 

 you receive it; and never, if you can possibly help it, keep any in your 

 house ; and at the same time call upon all the merchants and pilgrims, and 

 fix upon a day for sailing. The merchants will by this means prepare their 

 treasure, freight, and themselves, as passengers; from whom, and the pilgrim 

 passengers, the Captain's principal emolument arises, as he has so much a 

 head for each, as well as so much more for his water and provisions ; both 

 of which, by custom, are allowed to him by the owners of the ship. 



A further emolument of the Captain arises from insuring the freight 

 treasure which he takes on board, and which the native merchant never 

 objects to, although he may be a passenger on board ; and will take the Cap- 

 tain's guarantee, though not worth a sous, for lacs of dollars, if he has so 

 much on board. 



The freight of treasure from Judda to Surat, Bombay, or Madras is 

 generally 3 per cent. ; the premium of insurance, as the Captain can agree, 

 from one to two and a half per cent. The freight of grullgoods is arbitrary, 

 as it must be agreed upon by both parties. 



Should the season be so far advanced as to make it doubtful whether 

 your ship will be able to go to Surat, deliver her freight, and leave it before 

 the full moon in March, it would be better to decline taking any 

 Surat freight, unless the merchants will allow you to send the treasure by 

 some other conveyance from Bombay, immediately upon your arrival there; 

 if they agree to this the additional expencc must be paid by their constituent 



