220 New and intere/ting Faéts relative ta Japan, by M. Titfingh. [ Aprit I; 
peror’s expence in the public magazines. 
‘The accounts being fettled, and an eftima- 
tion made of the value of the goods, the 
Dutch fhips are immediately freighted with 
2 cargo of the produce of the country, 
and fet fail homewards. On this occafion 
the Dutch every year fend, and that only 
for that year, an envoy to the im- 
perial court, who is there entertained 
at the emperor’s expence, and en- 
joys ajl the honors and diftinction of a 
man who has an annual income of r0,000 
kopans. And other Dutchmen alfo refide 
whole years in Japan; fome even fettle 
there for life, form good acquaintances, 
and are well received at court. ‘The Dutch 
are the only European nation which can 
boaft of thefe privileges ; the intercourfe 
with them is become habitual, and even 
almoft indifpenfable, to the Japanefe. Of 
the languages of Europe, the Dutch is 
likewife the only one which the natives ot 
Japan underftand, and partly even Speak. 
For thefe reafons, it will not be ealy for 
any other commercial nation to gain a 
footing there; as the Dutch would not 
fail to employ fome of the numerous 
means, which are at their command, to 
vid themfelves of intruders and competi- 
tors: Tirsine# indeed affured our av- 
thor, that the Dutch derived but little 
advantage from their trade with Japan; 
but it is probable, that he here fpcke as a 
Dutchman, who, by his office and duty, 
was bound to watch over, and pro- 
“mote the interefts of his country. Ac- 
cording to his affertion, the only articles 
on which his countrymen gain, are copper 
and camphor: the firftof thefe is furnifhed 
folely by the emperor, who, as it would 
feem, lofes by it. The tael of camphor 
cofts. him about 25-kopans*, and yet he 
fells it to the Dutch Eaft-India Company 
at the low price of 4 kopans. But then, 
to indemnify and reimburfe him for fo 
difadvantageous a traffic, he receives the 
European articles. of merchandife much 
below their real value. irsincGH once 
tried to prove to the emperor, how in- 
equitable this manner of dealing was ; 
he endeavoured to demonftrate, that it 
would conduce to the advantage of both, 
if each of the contracting parties paid the 
ufual market-price. But he preached to 
deaf ears, and received this anfwer: ‘* So 
for a long time has it been; and fo fhall 
it remain.’” In the year 1772, however, 
he had the good fortune by his prudent 

* The collective name of a japanefe coin 
eftimated to be equivalent to 30 francs, 
management to procure a confiderable ad— 
vantage for his employers, and to raife 
the price of the goods imported from 
fifty to a hundred, at which rate they are 
purchafed to this hour. He conjeétured 
(or perhaps knew) that, on account of the 
war, the government of Batavia would 
not fend that year any fhips to Japan with 
the cuttomary cargo. This circumftance 
TirstncH had the addrefs to turn to 
the advantage of the Eaft-India Company. 
He declared to the emperor, that his couns 
trymen had determined entirely to relin- 
quifh a trafic fo unproduétive, and at the 
fame time fo expenfive. 
voured him, and feemed-to confirm the 
declaration he had hazarded; for no Dutch 
fhip that year entsred the port of Nanga- 
fakt. This induced the emperor of his 
own accord to raife in the manner above- 
mentioned the price of the goods imported 
by the Dutch. “As the emperor reimburfes 
himfelf by raifing the price in a like pro- 
portion ‘on the confumpn, and ftill gains 
from 5 to 600 per cent. on foreign com- 
modities, he is no great Jofer on the 
whole: but this has occafioned a great in- 
creale of fmugeling, by which the Dutch 
officers and failors acquire confiderable 
fums. One of the moft produStive articles 
for the Japanefe market was difcovered: 
by accident. 
fhip brought with him to Nangafaki the 
horn* of a fea-unicorn, with no other 
view than merely as an objeét of curiofity. 
As foon as the Japanele faw it, they of- 
fered a very high price for it. The cun- 
ning, fon of ten tlapius fecretly inquired 
to what ufe they applied this fo highly: 
prized commedity ; then fawed his hora 
into feveral equal parts weighing one 
pound, and fold each of them at the rate: 
of 100 kopans. This having excited in 
others a wifh to enrich themfelves in the 
fame manner, they prgcured fimilar horns 
from Europe; and by their competition 
greatly lowered the price, which is how- 
ever itil] very confiderable; as the Japa- 
nefe confume: great quantities of this ar- ~ 
ticle, from which they prepare the above- 
mentioned antidotal powder againtt ebriety, 
* Properly the taoth of the monedsn mono- 
ceros, an animal of the clafs mammalia and 
the order Cere. 
Ocean, and bears a clofe relation to the 
whale; from its upper jaw arife two long, 
ftraight, fpirally-twifted teeth, of which it 
commonly lofes one as it advances in age, fo 
that it is 
Whence the name fea-unicorn er unicorn- 
fila, 
Chance here fa-~ 
The furgeon of a Dutch 
It lives In the Northern” 
feldom found with two teeth. 
of 
y 
a aS See ee 
