Ill 



ORIENTAL COMMERCE. 



[Bombay* 



Rule for reducing the real to the nominal weight : — Multiply the 

 square of the number of tanks by 330, and divide by the number of pearls; 

 the quotient is the number of Bombay chow. 



By the Cutcha weight are sold jaggery, sugar, tamarinds, turmeric, 

 ginger, mustard, capsicum, betel-nut, assafcetida, garlic, spices, pepper, 

 cardamums, sandal-wood, wool, silk, cotton, thread, ropes, honey, wax, 

 lac, oil, ghee, &c. The two latter are frequently sold by measure. 



ARTICLES PROCURABLE AT BOMBAY, WITH DIRECTIONS. 



Alkali,— -The Alkali brought to Europe, is chiefly of two sorts ; one 

 of which, Barilla, is brought^ ballast instead of stones, generally loose, but 

 sometimes in mat bags. Care should be taken that it is properly dunuaged, 

 as it will diminish considerably if the water gets to it It should be chosen 

 dry and dean, of a greyish blue or slate colour, both within and without, and 

 full of small holes, like sponge ; if good, it will bubble much on being put 

 into vinegar. Reject that which is of a blackish green colour, and of a 

 disagreeable fetid smell. The other is an impure Carbonate of Soda, 

 (Sejji-mittiy Hind. Sorjfca, San.), resembling a sandy earth, sometimes in 

 lumps, sometimes crumbled into powder. It is mostly brought, like the for- 

 mer, as ballast, or dead weight. The freight, when charged, is at the rate 

 of 20 Cwt. to the ton. 



Anacardium is the fruit of the Malacca bean-tree, ( Aimcardium 

 Orientate), growing in various parts of the East Indies ; it is a kind of 

 nut with a double shell, containing in the space between the outer and inner 

 shell a fungous substance, filled with a dark-coloured viscous fluid, whicli is 

 easily forced out upon cutting the nut, and squeezing it between the fingers. 

 This juice rubbed on linen or cotton gives a reddish brown stain, and when 

 rubbed with wet chunam, deepens to a full black, which is permanent : it 

 is used in India for marking linen, and hence the nuts are called marking- 

 nuts. They should be chosen large, plump, and fresh. 



Anime is a resinous substance, which flows by incision from the trunk 

 of a large tree, ( Hymencea growing in several parts of the East Indies, 

 and in South America. It has a light pleasant smell, little or no taste ; 

 colour a fine pale yellow ; in the best specimens it is quite clear and trans- 

 parent ; it readily breaks between the teeth, but on long chewing, softens 

 and sticks together. Gum Anime should be chosen in large pieces, clear 

 and transparent ; it is much enhanced in value by having the dirty outside 

 scraped off, which can be done at a small expence in India, compared with 

 London : when laid on a red hot iron, it quickly melts, catches flame, and 



