- E.]

In the months of December and January, there always come many junks and proas to Bantam laden with pepper, from Cherringin and Jauby,[144] so that there is always enough of pepper to be had at the end of January to load three large ships.

There is no money coined here, all the current coin being from China, called cashes, which are made from very impure brass, in round thin pieces, having holes on which to string them: 1000 cashes on a string is called a pecoo, which is of different values, according as cashes rise or fall in demand. Their accounts are kept in the following manner: 10 pecoos are a laxsau, 10 laxsaus a cattee, 10 cattees an uta, and 10 utas a bahar. There are two ways of stringing the cashes, one called China chuchuck, and the other Java chuchuck, of which the Java is the best, as there ought to be 200 cashes upon a tack, but in the Chinese tacks you will only find 160 to 175; and as 5 tacks make a pecoo, you may lose 200 cashes, or 150, on each pecoo; which in extensive dealings will rise to a considerable matter. By the law of the country there ought to be just 1000 cashes upon a string or pecoo, or they must give basse, which is allowance for the deficiency. On the departure of the junks, you may buy 34 or 35 pecoos for a dollar; which, before next year, you may sell at 22 or even 20 pecoos for a dollar; so that there is great profit to be made on this traffic; but the danger of loss by fire is great.

[Footnote 144: Cherringin, is probably that now called Cheribon on the south side of Java; but Jauby is not to be recognised in our modern maps. - E.]

The weight used in the purchase and sale of bezoars is called a taile which is 2-1/4 dollars, or 2 English ounces. A Mallay taile is only equal to 1-1/2 dollar, or 1-1/3 English ounces. A China taile is 1-7/20 dollars, or 1-1/5 English ounces; so that 10 China tailes are exactly equal to 6 Javan tailes.

The English commodities vendible here are as follow: English iron in long thin bars, sells for six dollars the pekul. Lead in small pigs, 5-1/2 dollars the pekul. The barrel of fine corned powder 25 dollars. Square pieces sanguined 10 dollars each. Square pieces damasked all over, 6-1/2 feet long, 15 dollars each.[145] Broad-cloth, of ten pounds the cloth, of Venice red colour, sells for 3 dollars the gasse, which is 3/4 of a yard. Opium misseree,[146] which is the best, 8 dollars the cattee. Amber, in large beads, one wang and half a taile mallay, for 6 dollars. Coral in large branches, 5 or 6 dollars the taile mallay. Dollars are the most profitable commodity that can be carried to Bantam.

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