470 



ORIENTAL COMMEHCK. 



[China. 



arc now increased to upwards of 40 dollars per ship. What the Merchants 

 pay besides, cannot he known, hut it is reckoned to be considerable. 



By a recent Edict of the Imperial Court, foreign ships arc allowed to 

 bring rice (without clandestinely importing other goods) free of measurage 

 duties. The cargoes are lo be stored by the Hong merchants, and sold at 

 the market prices. The vessels, after waiting til! the rice is sold, may carry 

 away return cargoes, subject to the same duties as in other cases. To 

 entitle a vessel to this remission of the port charges, she must bring 4050 

 peculs net of rice, or 4500 peculs gross. 



Pj lot age. — The following are the usual rates of pilotage paid by the 

 Company's ships frequenting the port : — 



FpOjn the I^-ma Islands to Macao... Span. D. 30 10 boats lying on the second bur 10 



From Macau to Wrmmpoa 40 Pilot coming on board 20 



L'umshuw*, or present to pilot 5 4 boats lying on bar below 4 



10 bouts lying on the second bar. 10 Balance of pilotage to Macao 4 



Pilot going on board at Vvliatnpoa lfi Cunuhaw & 



forming a total of 85 dollars inwards, and 59 dollars outwards. 



% # Mr. Crawford states that the amount of duties, under the deno- 

 mination of Tort-charges, Cumshaw or present, &c is at present onJv about 

 27s. per ton on a vessel of 1200 tons ; and about 50s. (3d, on a vessel of 

 400 tons. 



Duties. — The duties on all goods imported and exported are paid by 

 the Chinese ; it is therefore very difficult to ascertain the real duties of any 

 commodity, as they are frequently altered by the Mandarins. The following 

 is an account of the Emperor's customs on Bohea tea, and of sundry charges 

 at Canton in 1756: — 



Gross weight, 1 pecul 11 catties; deduct for package 10 per cent. 11 

 catties ; leaves net 1 pecul, 



m c c 



Emperor's duty, per pectd — ^^^^^^w^^^^Tales 0 2 0 0 

 11 per cent, on the 2 mace for charges of sending the 



money to Pekin, and for Secretaries and Accountants 0 0 2ft 

 S per cent, on 2 mace, 2 candareens, 2 cash, to make it 



sycee « * — ««™.««««^.* W v W — « 0 0 1 S 



5 mace 4 candareens per cent, (part of the 6 per cent. 



duty ) on the valuation, being 8 tales per pecul 0 4 3 2 



A duty of 1 mace per pecul, called peculage duty 0 10 0 



The Linguist's charge for victualling the Hoppo's people 



at shipping off, and for boat-hire to the ship 0 0 3 0 



Tales 0 8 0 8 



