ORIENTAL COMMERCE. 



[China. 



a small quantity, in which case musk adulterated in this manner leaves a 

 large and heavy remainder ; the genuine, or even that mixed with blood, 

 either evaporates, or leaves only a few white ashes. The best musk, when 

 chewed, and rubbed with a knife on paper, looks bright, yellowish, smooth, 

 and free from grittiness. That which appears to have been opened, or which 

 feels very heavy and hard, should be rejected. 20 Cwt. are allowed to 

 a ton. 



Musk Seed are flat, kidney-shaped, striated seeds, alxnit the size of a 

 large pin's head, of a greyish or brownish colour on the outside, and white 

 within, produced by a shrubby plant, a native of India and China. These 

 seeds have a fragrant smell, approaching to that of musk, and a slight aro- 

 matic bitterish taste. Chuse such as appear new, plump, dry, and well- 

 scented, rejecting those which are black and musty. 16 Cwt. of musk-seed 

 are allowed to a ton. 



Nankeens. — There are two kinds of nankeen cloth brought from 

 China, the broad and the narrow ; the former is what is commonly called 

 the Company's nankeen, and is the sort best suited to the home consump- 

 tion ; the finer they are, the more they are esteemed : the narrow are com- 

 paratively of small value. 



Onyx. — The onyx is so called from its likeness to the colour of the 

 nail of a man's hand. It is seldom transparent, and generally consists of 

 a mixture of black and white colours, which are quite distinct from each 

 other. The horny colour is often marked with whitish veins or zones, 

 somewhat resembling an eye. The kinds of onyx are distinguished either 

 from the places where they are found, or from their different colours. 

 The Arabian onyx is black with white zones, and a variety of other co- 

 lours. When the white zone is carving, any figure is placed at the top, 

 and the black serves for a ground ; it is then called a cameo by the 

 jewellers, as if it was a distinct gem ; when it is white, it is called a 

 chalcedony. Some are quite black, others are tinged with yellow, whitish, 

 blueish, and horn colours, mixed in an agreeable manner. They have all 

 zones or streaks, which distinguish one colour from another. The onyx 

 is sometimes found of considerable size, and is much esteemed in some 

 of the eastern countries, more particularly in China. 



Opal. — This gem is commonly found in detached pieces, in an en- 

 velope of a different kind of stone, from the size of a pin's head to that 

 of a walnut. Beautiful opals of this last size are extremely rare, so that 

 it is difficult to find an opal sufficiently large and perfect to be completely 

 possessed of all its beauties. This renders it difficult to determine its 

 value : it is, however, considered that a beautiful oriental opal is worth 



