Sumatra. | 



ORIENTAL COMMERCE. 



359 



give no credit upon any account ; for if you give credit even to the Datoo, 

 you will probably be a loser. Houses are always ready for hire; but if 

 your sales are made to the King, be furnishes you with a house gratUy till 

 his payments are finished ; after which time you must hire the same, or 

 some other, from the Datoo ; for which you will pay one or two buncals of 

 gold for the season, or while you stay there. 



In all cases be particularly careful of your ship while in the roads; for 

 the Acheenese are connected with the people and pirates on the Pedir Coast; 

 and if they find you unguarded, will give them information, and you may 

 thereby lose your ship. You run no risk on shore but from fire ; though it 

 may be proper to have, besides your servants, two or three Sepoys or 

 Europeans with you ; and particularly if you have any quantity of goods 

 unsold, it will be also necessary to keep fire-arms in your house ; for the 

 shew of being always prepared to repel, may be the cause of preventing 

 an attack. 



Port CinnGEs, Ditties, Pkesfnts, &c. — Present to the King, 2 per 

 cent. King's officers, on the sale of every cargo imported, 7 buucaJs. Im- 

 port duties, 5 per cent. Export duties, (i per cent. Chokey custom, for 

 attendance at the time of chopping goods, 2 mace per bale. Chopping fees, 

 to the man who chops or marks the goods, I ditto. Dotchin dues to the 

 weighing-man, \ mace per bahar. Qualla duties, on every boat load of 

 goods imported, 2 mace. 



These taxes have been probably much reduced since Sir Thomas 

 Raffles*! mission to Acheen. 



The contents of each bale of piece-goods, upon which the above customs 

 are levied, are as follow : — Brown long cloth, 2\ corge per bale. Blue long 

 cloth, 7 ditto. Suckertoons, 6 ditto. Blue moorees, 15 ditto. 



Provisions and Refreshments. — A bazar is held daily during the 

 period any ships are in the Roads ; and the following articles are to be pro- 

 cured : — Bullocks in plenty, good, weighing when cut, 2 to 3 Cwt. each, 

 ducks, fowls, and goats. The vegetables are red and white yams, calavances, 

 pumpkins, and sweet potatoes. All sorts of tropical fruits in abundance, 

 particularly mangosteens, rambusteens, mangoes of a superior kind to most 

 in India, pine-apples, oranges, limes, &c. The water is good, and brought 

 off in the country boats at a moderate expence. 



Coins. — Spanish dollars, rupees, and other foreign coin, pass current. 

 They have a small gold coin, called a manna, \vhich serves to pay servants 

 and other small disbursements ; but it is of very base metal, and difficult to 

 pass : also a small lead cash, of which about 2500 are usually obtained for 

 a mace. 



