402 
HISTORY OF MAURITIUS. 
“ The ships arrive in China in August and September, and depart from thence, 
at the latest, in the early part of February. 
“ This monsoon is not exclusively possessed by the Chinese Seas, but extends 
beyond the Island of Formosa to the Seas of Japan. 
“ The Dutch at Batavia, the only Europeans who send a ship to Japan, and 
consent to be insulted once a year by the Japanese, to be the exclusive possessors 
of its commerce,* are very attentive in the middle of the west monsoon, in order to 
double the Cape Bajador in the Phillipine Islands, and to pass through the strait 
which is formed by them and the coast of China. This vessel returns to Batavia 
with the north-east monsoon. 
<s The Chinese junks, so ill calculated to resist strong gales, and which, of all the 
vessels in the Eastern seas, have the greatest occasion for regular winds, are very 
careful not to undertake a voyage against the monsoon. Several of these vessels 
go from Emouy to Manilla, where they arrive at the latest in April, and return 
from thence the latter end of August or the beginning of September. Without this 
precaution they would not be able to reach Emouy, whose position at the entrance 
of the channel is such, as to be inaccessible to all vessels coming from the Chinese 
Seas or Manilla, during the season of the north-east winds. 
“ According to these certain and invariable rules, which no one acquainted with 
the subject will hesitate to admit, I will suppose that a ship has opened the north 
passage by the middle of August, it cannot, nevertheless, enter the Chinese seas by 
Cape Bajador before the month of September, when the west monsoon has not 
quite ceased, and the east monsoon has not begun to blow. When this ship is ar¬ 
rived at Canton, it will be obliged to remain there till the middle of May in the 
following year, at a great expence and charges; as it cannot leave that port to get 
* The Dutch cannot come to an anchor on the coasts of Japan : their ship remains at a small 
island appropriated for that purpose, at the distance of some leagues from the continent. No 
sooner is the ship come to anchor than the Japanese go on board, take possession of the sails and 
helm, and carry them on shore. The Dutch then present the invoice of the cargo to certain com¬ 
missioners, who set their own price on the articles it contains, as well as on those which are to be 
given in barter. The Dutch are entirely passive in this commerce: the Japanese unload their 
ship, and furnish it with a new cargo, according to their pleasure, without any observation being 
made as to the articles it contains, or the quality of them. The sails and helm are then returned, 
with an order for the ship to get under way as soon as it can be refitted for that purpose. 
