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ORIENTAL COMMERCE. 



515 



necessity of sending an ambassador to the Emperor, nor is any director put 

 over their commerce, but interpreters, a guard, and supervisors are ap- 

 pointed to them, the same as the Dutch; yet, on account of the greater 

 value per cent, deducted from their merchandise, their profits are less than 

 those of the Dutch : and us they are no longer allowed to carry away any 

 sjx'cie, they are obliged to purchase Japanese commodities for exportation, 

 such as copper, lackered ware, &c. many of which are produced in their 

 own country. 



When their vessels are loaded, and ready for sailing, they are con- 

 ducted by a number of Japanese guard-ships, not ouly out of the harbour, 

 but likewise a great way out to sea, in order to prevent their disposing to 

 the smugglers of any of the unsold wares they may have been obliged 

 to carry back. 



A considerable part of the Chinese commerce is carried on with Siam, 

 Cambodia, and Cochin-China. 



Dr. Ainslie, who visited the port of Nangasacki in 1814, on a mission 

 from the English Government of Java, states, that the Chinese trade is 

 limited to 10 junks annually, which are fitted out from the province of 

 Nankin, bringing principally sugar, with other trifling articles, and a large 

 quantity of English woollens. In return 1000 peculs of bar copper are 

 allotted to each junk ; the remainder of the cargo consists of lackered ware, 

 dried fish, whale oil, he He adds, that the Chinese are treated in Japan 

 with great indignity ; and that their intercourse is tolerated chiefly on account 

 of certain drugs which are produced in China, and to which the Japanese 

 are attached. 



Dutch Commerce. — The imports from Batavia consist of borax, cam- 

 phire Baroos, cinnamon, cloves, coffee, elephants' teeth, glass-ware, iron 

 bars, lead, looking-glasses, mace, musk, nutmegs, pepper, quicksilver, 

 rattans, raw silk, saffron, sapan wood, soil sugar, sugar candy, tin, tor- 

 toiseshell, unicorns" horns, and various kinds of Indian piece-goods, both 

 of cotton and silk manufacture. 



The exports are chiefly copper, camphire, silks, lackered ware, and a 

 few trifling articles; but Dr. Ainslie states that they might be extended to 

 a long list of teas, bees 1 wax, pitch, gamboge, assafcetida, cinnabar, iron, 

 linseed oil, &c. He further states, that the Dutch have greatly misrepre- 

 sented the character of the people, and the difficulties encountered in trading 

 with Japan. He considers the Japanese to be entirely free from any pre- 

 judices which would interfere with a free and unrestricted intercourse witli 

 Europeans ; they are remarkable for frankness of manner and intelligent 

 enquiry. 



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