156 



OMENTAL COMMERCE. 



[Bombay. 



affords not less than 60,000 peculs, 40,000 of which go at once to the 

 capital of Siam as tribute, and the whole finds its way to China in junks. 



The whole produce of Borneo is reckoned at about 20,000 peculs, of 

 which about 7000 are now annually brought* in the native craft, to 

 Singapore, and most of the remainder is carried to China. 



The W. coast of the Peninsula of India is estimated at 30,000 peculs ; 

 adding this to the aforegoing estimates, we find the aggregate production of 

 pepper throughout the East to be 338,000 peculs, or 45,066,6*66 lbs. The 

 average price of pepper has lately been about 9 Spanish dollars the pecui, 

 which gives the value of this commodity, 3,042,000 dollars. 



The pepper of Malabar is esteemed the best ; next, that of the E. coast 

 of the Gulph of Siam ; then follow those of Calantan, Borneo, the W. coast 

 of Sumatra; and last of all, the pepper of Ilhio ; which, through the avidity 

 of the cultivators and dealers, is plucked before it is ripe, and hence turns 

 out light, hollow, and ill-coloured. 



There are two denominations of pepper in commerce ; black and white. 



Black Pepper is of two sorts, light and heavy; the former in its 

 original state having a number of bad grains, sticks, and dirt in it : this is 

 carried to China, but should be rejected for the European markets. That 

 which is well garbled and clean, having the stalks, bad grains, and other 

 impurities taken out, is denominated heavy pepper, and is the sort usually 

 brought to Europe. It should be chosen of a pungent smell, extremely hot 

 and acrid to the taste, in large grains, firm, sound, and with few wrinkles, 

 of which it will always have some. Reject that which is much shrivelled 

 and small grained, or which, on being rubbed, will break to pieces. 



White Pepper is also of two sorts, common and genuine: the 

 former is made by blanching the grains of the common black pepper. For 

 this process the best and soundest grains are selected, and steeped in 

 water. In about a week the skin bursts, which is afterwards carcfully 

 separated by drying in the sun, rubbing between the hands, and winnowing. 

 But little of this sort is prepared, the price in England fluctuating much, 

 being frequently as low as the black pepper ; but the white has tins obvious 

 recommendation, that it can be made of no other than the best and 

 soundest grains, taken at the most perfect state of maturity. The genuine 

 white pepper, as it is called, is composed of the blighted or imperfect 

 grains picked in small quantities from the heaps of black pepper, and 

 retains more of the qualities of the black than the manufactured sort 

 does. The tonnage of pepper is computed at 16 Cwt to the ton. 



Piece Goods are manufactured of various dimensions and qualities at 

 Baroach, Jumbasecr, Ahmedabad, and other places in Guzerat, and to the 



