472 



ORIENTAL COMMERCE. 



[China. 



Hongist for all other goods. Bohea Lea is only taken here for the example. 



10 per cent, only being deducted for packages, all dealers lose 4,08 per 

 cent, on Bohea tea chests, and 0,GG per cent, per pecul on Singlo chests, and 

 more on smaller chests ; but as this 10 per cent, is always deducted on ull 

 goods imported, whether in packages or not, as lead and tin, as it is on 

 tutcnague exported, the merchants are of opinion they lose nothing by 

 that charge. 



There is not any duty of G candareens, or 5 4 per cent on goods 

 imported. 



The Emperor's dotchin and the merchants' 1 are the same; the latter 

 have a standard dotchin at their joss house, which agrees with the Emperor's. 



The weighers are often bribed by the merchants to make goods imported 

 weigh less than they really do, and those exported, to weigh heavier. 



TheEmperors pecul is 132 lbs. 2 oz. «M>4 dec. avoirdupois. One hundred 

 tales in sycee money, weighed by a merchant or a refiner, when carried to 

 the receiver of the customs, is found deficient in weight 1 tale 3 mace, or 

 thereabouts; formerly it was only 3 or 4 mace less : this plunder the IIoppo 

 and his people have. 



The Linguist gets 2 cand. 2 cash of the peculage duty on every pecul 

 of goods imported or exported; but he abates from it 20 per cent., that he 

 may be paid in dollar money, instead of money of 75 or less touch : this 

 reduces the 2 cand. 2 cash to 1 cand. 7 cash 0 dec. ; so that if a ship import 

 5000 peculs, and export as many, those 10,000 are only accounted him as 

 0,000, because 10 per cent, is taken off for package; his gain, therefore, 

 on that ship is 158,4 tales; he has moreover a present of about 70 tales, 

 forming a total of 228 tales 4 mace. What he gets by impositions, cannot 

 be known. 



Fine China-ware pays™7 4 per pecul; is valued at 4 0, andthedutyisO 3 

 Coarse ditto 2 0 



China-ware in chests, of whatever sort, is reckoned fine. 



Ditto in bundles of blue and white, is reckoned coarse ; if coloured, fine. 



Regulations. — By the indentures entered into between the East India 

 Company and the owners or commanders of vessels trailing to Canton from 

 the different ports in British India, it is covenanted that no person or per- 

 sons, whether supra-eargo, passenger, crew, or otherwise, shall be left in 

 China after the ship has departed. 



An order of the Marine Board of Calcutta, dated January 31, 1821, 

 after stating that the practice of leaving English seamen on shore at Macao 

 is calculated to create embarrassment and expence to the Company, prohibits 

 the masters of vessels from leaving any seamen on shore, on pain of the 

 responsibility they will incur thereby. 



