414 



ORIENTAL COMMERCE. [Eastern Islands, 



remain in the offing. After passing the bar, the water deepens to 6 or 

 7 fathoms. The branch on which Tattas stands, is called China River. 

 The town consists of about 300 houses, most of them built upon floats in 

 the river. 



Dikections. — The Dutch Chief occasionally trades with ships visiting 

 the place, but it is in rather a clandestine manner. Should circumstances 

 admit of touching here, you must send a boat well manned and armed 

 up the river to the Dutch factory, and say you want wood, water, and 

 provisions: if possible, lure a small proa, and a man to go with you as 

 linguist ; but you must be very much upon your guard how you trust 

 him. You will get a man of this description to go with you for a few 

 dollars, provided he behaves well. Invite the Dutch Chief on board ; 

 in all probability he will send down a boat, and request your company 

 on shore, in which case take nothing of value with you except your side- 

 arms. Enquire if the Commandant of the troops and the Chief are on 

 good terms; if they are not, you must be cautious how you talk about 

 trade. Should there be any vessels from the E., you should visit them ; 

 they may probably have spices, which they will dispose of for opium and 

 Spanish dollars. A number of Chinese reside at Tattas, who carry on a 

 considerable trade with China and other places, and have a number of 

 shops, which are well supplied with the various productions of the East. 



Trade. — From China the junks bring various articles, such as are 

 enumerated at Borneo Town. The proas from Celebes, New Guinea, and 

 the islands to the E., bring birds^nests, beech de mer, birds of Paradise, 

 cloves, mace, nutmegs, sago, tortoise-shell, wax. Rice, sugar, salt, opium, 

 piece-goods, and China-ware meet a ready sale. 



Of European and Indian commodities the following are commonly 

 imported : — Brass wire, coarse cutlery, gunpowder, guns (1 to ii Cwt), 

 grapnels, gold lace, iron in bars, looking-glasses, lead in sheets, nails of 

 all sorts, small arms, steel, scarlet cloth, and watches. 



Pepper is the staple export, of which there are three qualities : — the 

 first and best is denominated Lout pepper, the next Caytongee, and the 

 third and worst Negaree pepper ; of this last sort they have the largest 

 quantity. It is small, hollow, light, and the most dusty ; therefore, you 

 must agree to buy by weight, and not by measure, otherwise they will give 

 you the worst and lightest sort, reserving the heavy sorts for the China 

 junks. 



Large quantities of gold are likewise to be procured here, which is of 

 a finer touch than that of Sambass ; this, like many other eastern commo- 

 dities is divided into head, belly, and foot. The head, or best, is called 



