ORIENTAL COMMERCE. 



{Japan. 



about two days" journey from Seng Tyan-hu. The revenue arises from 

 the customs and a land-tax; both are very moderate. A Fekin Ga~ 

 zette of 1819 declares the office of Governor of Formosa to be extremely 

 difficult, because it produces sulphur, an ingredient of gunpowder, and 

 because the people are quarrelsome. 



Trade. — The commerce of the island is confined to China. The rice 

 and sugar of Ty-o-van are exchanged for teas, silks, &c. ; and the number 

 of junks employed is about 100 monthly. The Ty-o-vanese wishing to 

 engage in the trade with Siam, Cochin-China, the islands, and Japan, must 

 carry it on from the opposite harbour of Amoy. 



PATCHOW, or EIGHT ISLANDS. — These are the westernmost 

 of the two groups, being nearest to Formosa. The southernmost is in 

 latitude 24° 6' N,, and longitude 123° 52! E. The E. extremity is formed 

 by Ty-pin-san, a large Island, having on its N. side an extensive reef, in 

 latitude 25 6 N., and longitude 125° W E. These islands are tributary 

 to the Great Lieu-chew. 



LIEU-CHEW ISLANDS. — This group extends in a N. N. E. and 

 S. S. VV. direction. The S. end of the largest island is in latitude 26° 3 N., 

 and longitude 128° 18' E» It is of considerable size, and well-inhabited ; 

 and there are a number of junks which carry on a trade with Amoy and 

 with Japan. 



TUe Lieu-chew Islands are subject to Japan, to which they pay an 

 annual tribute. The inhabitants, however, are treated in their trade like 

 the Chinese frequenting Japan, and are compelled to trade only at Satzuma, 

 and not to frequent any other port. The import and sale of their goods 

 are also limited to a yearly sum of 125,000 tales, beyond which nothing 

 should be sold ; they, however, dispose of goods to a much larger extent, 

 through the connivance of the Japonese directors of their trade. The goods 

 imported by them into Japan, are silk and other stuffs, and various Chinese 

 commodities brought in their own junks from China, some rice and other 

 grain, pearl shells, and cowries. 



The visit of the British vessels, which carried out Lord Amherst and 

 his suite to China in the year 1817, to these Islands, made us better ac- 

 quainted with the manners of the inhabitants, but imparted few particulars 

 of commercial intelligence. 



JAPAN. — The empire of Japan consists of three large, and many 

 small islands. The names of the former are Niphon, Ximo, and Xicoco. 

 There are five chief maritime or trading towns in the empire — Meaco, 

 JeddH Osacca, Sakai, and Nangaaacki : the four first are upon the great 

 island Niphon, and the other on the S. W. extremity of the island Ximo. 



