China.] ORIENTAL COMMERCE. 489 



T ungates. — Tins is reckoned in shoes 9(3 touch. 



Toozee, or Toujee, is good 92 touch, when it has a little rising at the 

 bottom, like a twig with two branches, 



Cheaujee is good 92 touch, and sometimes better. When good, it has 

 a large bump at the bottom. 



Seongpoa. — This gold is good 93{ touch. The face has little rough 

 knobs in the middle; the back or bottom is pretty smooth. 



Seong-yeukz, or Song-yeux, being a double chop, is good at 94s and 

 sometimes 95 touch. It is made at Coe-Sue, near Pekin. 



Pouzee, or Seongpo, being a double chop, is about 94 touch. 



Chuzee. — This gqjd is generally in bars, and is good 94 touch. 



Swarhzy, or Chauzee, is esteemed the best shoe, and has a bump at the 

 bottom, being 93 touch, and sometimes more. 



Ongee. — This is accounted 93, but is seldom above 90 or 91 touch. 



Too-zce. — This gold is generally something better than 92 touch. 



Cutzee is shoe gold, and called songcatt, song being the Chinese word 

 for double, or a pair, and cutzee, the name of gold, which joined are vulgarly 

 called songcatt ; never more than 90 touch. 



Cochin-China bars arc #6 touch, with a chop on the inside, and called 

 king's gold, or sowchew, and when scarce, 97 touch. 



It has been found, by numerous experiments, that the gold in China of 

 93 touch is of the same fineness as English standard gold ; if so, their sycee 

 or pure gold is not equal to English 24 carats, and some deduction should 

 be made. In the purchase of gold, if you have a friend resident at Can- 

 ton, you should consult with him, and get him to touch it for you, as, 

 however careful you may be, the Chinese will deceive you if they can. 



Human Hair is frequently brought from China to Europe, to make 

 ornamental head-dresses; and it is in general very dark coloured. The 

 longer and finer it is, the better, and care should be taken that it is per- 

 fectly dry when packed. 



Hurse Skixs are the skins of a fish, with a hard rough coat, chiefly 

 used in Europe to cover pocket-cases. They should be chosen large, well- 

 dried, and free from holes. 



Indian Ink, or China Ink, is an artificial preparation, in small 

 quadrangular cakes, generally marked with Chinese characters, and some- 

 times handsomely painted ; it is said to be prepared from lamp black, ox 

 galls, and fish glue. It should be chosen to appear glossy ; when broken, 

 of a bright black, not brown, and dull; when wetted and rubbed on the 

 nail, it should feel smooth, free from sand and other impurities, and have a 

 perfumed agreeable smell. It. should readily become diffused in water by 



