BOOK. 
Sundries Dr. to Sundries. 
Gartered with John Jones 
Geneva, joogals. a 7s. 6d. [ 37 10 o 
Thread, 751b, a 4s. - - 15 o o 
———— 32 10 o 
To Rom, roo gals, a 5s. - - - 25 o o 
To Sugar, 5 cwt. a nos. - - - 27 10 o 
- 52 10 o 
It is only necelTary to obferve, on the above entry, that 
the fum, though call up twice, is extended but once in the 
money-column of the journal, which is the cafe with all 
fimple pods. But, as this method may appear rather con- 
fufed, it is recommended to open an account with the per- 
fon with whom the exchange is made ; or, if fuch entries 
are likely to occur frequently, to open one general ac¬ 
count of Barter, and to divide the tranfaflion into two 
fimple pods; and pafs it on each fide of the account, 
thus : 
Sundries Dr. to John Jones, or 
Sundries Dr. to Barter. And 
John Jones Dr. to Sundries, or 
Barter Dr. to Sundries. 
In the fettlement of accounts which regard the nego¬ 
tiation, &c. of foreign bills of exchange, the charges for 
commillion, &c. made by our correfpondent, being a de¬ 
duction from the produce of our remittance in the money 
of his country, is feldom palled to the Dr. of profit and 
lofs in the money of ours, but is palled to the Cr. of his 
account in the inner or foreign money column only, and 
the entry is jotwnalifed by means of an imaginary account 
for the Dr. Of this the journal poll of 25 Feb. in the 
account of Sieveking and Co, in the fucceeding fpecimen, 
is an example. The confequence is, that the profit which 
appears on the face of the account is fo much clear gain ; 
while, on the other hand, where the charges have been 
pafled to the Cr. of the account in our money column, 
as is the cafe in the account of I-Iope and Co. the profit 
which appears is a grofs profit, and is fubjeid to the charges 
which have been incurred on the tranfatlion. 
The journal fhould be written by one perfon, in a fair 
hand, and at leifure hours. The entries Ihould be written 
in half-text, for ornament and diftindtion. In the inven¬ 
tory, the defignation (or the buiinefs, fiation, and refi- 
dence) of every perfon, is mentioned; and the fame is 
■ done the firll time any name occurs, and always when there 
are dealings with two perfons of the fame name, in order 
to diftinguifh them. The narration fhould be complete, 
without referring to the wafte book, and fo clear, that 
every perfon acquainted with the fiyle of the journal may 
underlland it with eafe. When the port is written, we 
mark a dafli (4/) again!! the article in the.wade book, to 
fhew how far the writing of the journal is advanced. The 
journal is to be cal! up and carried forward from page to 
page after the entries have been carefully compared with 
the wafte book. And if the directions which follow for 
the polling, rectifying, fettling, and balancing accounts 
in tiie leger, be carefully attended to, the fide on which 
any error may have been made in transferring the articles 
to the leger, will be immediately difeovered, on making 
the trial balance. 
Of Posting and Balancing the Leger. 
The firlt thing to be done in the leger, is to allot a pro¬ 
per fpace for each account. The accounts may be either 
opened in the fame order that they occur in the journal; 
or accounts of the fame kind may be placed together, the 
perfonal accounts in one part of the leger, and the real 
accounts in another. The accounts of Stock, and Profit 
and Lofs, are generally placed at the beginning. The 
room which each will require cannot be exa£!ly known, 
but mu ft be conjectured from the number of tranfaftions 
that are likely to follow. The number of the folio is 
Vql. Il.I. No. 124. 
: E E P I N G. is 5 
marked in ftrong text at each corner of the top-line ; and 
the titles of the accounts are written through both folios, 
it nccelfary. The defignadons of the perfonal accounts 
may be written in half text, or Italian hand ; and fonie 
write the titles in German text, for ornament. The word 
Dr. is prefixed to the title on the left-hand fide ; and Con¬ 
tra Cr. annexed to it on right-hand fide. 
An Index mull be provided, for pointing out the folios 
where the accounts are opened. The titles of the accounts 
are entered alphabetically in the index, and the number 
of the folio annexed. Perfonal accounts are entered by 
the firft letter of the furname ; companies, by the firll letter 
of the furname of the firft partner ; and all other accounts, 
by the firft letter of the firft; word. The moft convenient 
kind of index is a long narrow book, of twenty-four leaves, 
one for each letter of the alphabet. A is marked on the 
top of the firft leaf, and the paper cut away below it ; B* 
is marked on the fecond leaf, under A ; and the other 
letters on the following leaves, in the fame manner; by 
which means we can turn at once to any letter required. 
In polling the leger, proceed by the following directions. 
Firft, look for the Dr. of the journal-poll in the index, 
under the proper letter, and this directs you to the folio of 
the leger where the account is, if it be already opened.: 
if not, you mud allot a fpace for it, write the title, and 
enter it in the index. Then enter the article on the left- 
hand fide of the account under the title, by writing the 
date on the margin, and the name of the creditor on the 
line, with the word To prefixed, and a Ihort narration of 
the tranfa6lion annexed, and inferting the fum in the mo¬ 
ney column, and the quantity, if it is an account of goods, 
in the inner column. Then turn to the account of the Cr. 
of the journal-poll, and enter the article in the right-hand 
fide, prefixing the-word By to the-name of the Dr. This 
being done, turn to the journal, and markon the margin 
the number of the folios to which the article is polled. 
The figures which point out the reference to the Dr. and 
Cr. folios, in the leger, Ihould be feparated by aline : for 
example, If the Dr. entry ison the third folio, and the Cr. 
entry on the fifth, the reference is marked -l Thefe fi¬ 
gures fhotv how far the polling is advanced, and are ufeful 
in comparing the books. 
There is often a reference-column ruled in the leger, 
for pointing out the other entry, correfponding to any arti¬ 
cle. In this column, the folio of the Cr. entry is marked 
againft the Dr. article, and the folio of the Dr. entry 
againft the Cr. article. 
In complex polls, turn to the feveral Drs. or Crs. in 
their order, and enter the articles according to the forego¬ 
ing direiflions; placing the films belonging to each in the 
money-column, againft the refpedtive entries. 
An article in the leger is generally comprehended in one 
line. The narration Ihould be as full as can be contained 
within that limit. If it cannot be narrated completely, the 
journal is referred to for further particulars, by writing 
per Journal, (or p. J.), either after an incomplete narra¬ 
tion, or immediately after the Dr. or Cr. when there is 
no room fora proper narration. In complex pods, there 
can feldom be any narration annexed to the (ingle Dr. or 
the fingle Cr. The entry is generally To Sundries per J. 
or By Sundries per J. If the fenfe of the whole article 
can be narrated, it Ihould be done; but it is improper to 
narrate the firft or any other part of the article, and omit 
the others. 
When the fpace allotted for an account in the leger is 
filled up, the account mull be transferred to another folio. 
For this purpofe add the columns on both (ides, and write 
againft the fum, Transferred to folio , inferting the num¬ 
ber of the folio where the new account is opened, in the 
reference-column, or on the line, if no reference-column 
is ufed. Then, after titling the new account, and enter¬ 
ing the number of the folio in the index, write on the'Dr. 
To amount, brought from folio , inferting the number of 
!he folio where the old account Hands; and on the Cr. 
By amount, brought from folio ; and place the films, and 
3 N .quantities*. 
