Dollars at once for the freedom of a ship's loading, to clear
them of this troublesome billa-billian. By the custom of the country,
this duty upon 6000 sacks of pepper is fixed at 666 dollars, if you
purchase and load the pepper from the merchants; or otherwise to
purchase so many thousand sacks of pepper from the king, paying him half
or three quarters of a dollar more than the current price at the time.
Even if you have provided a loading beforehand, you must pay this
exaction before you can be permitted to load. Rooba-rooba is the duty
of anchorage, and is 500 dollars upon 6000 sacks. The sabander's duty is
250 dollars on 6000 sacks. The weighers have one dollar on every 100
sacks; and the jerotoolies, or weighers belonging to the customhouse,
have a similar duty of one dollar the 100 sacks.
Jortan is a place to the eastwards of Jackatra, called likewise
Sourabaya, which produces plenty of provisions, together with cotton
wool, and yarn ready spun. There come to this place many junks from
Jauby, laden with pepper, and several small proas belonging to this
place trade with Banda; so that some mace and nutmegs are to be had
here.
Macasser is an island not far from Celebes, having abundance of bezoar
stones, which are there to be had at reasonable rates. It has plenty of
rice and other provisions; and as it has some junks which trade with
Banda, nutmegs and mace are likewise to be procured there, but in no
great quantity.
Balee, or Bally, is an island to the eastward of Macasser, standing in
8 deg. 30' S. latitude.[148] It produces great abundance of rice,
cotton-yarn, slaves, and coarse white cloth, which is in great request
at Bantam. The commodities for sale there, are the smallest sort of blue
and white beads, iron, and coarse porcelain.
[Footnote 148: Instead of the eastwards, Bally is W.S.W. of Macasser, in
long. 115 deg. E. and lat. 8 deg. 30' S. while Macasser is in about the lat. of
5 deg. 15' S. and in 120 deg. E. long. - E.]
Timor is an island to the eastwards of Bally, in the latitude of 10 deg.
40'. This island produces great quantities of Chindanna, called by us
white saunders, of which the largest logs are accounted the best, and
which sells at Bantam for 20 dollars the pekul, at the season when the
junks are here. Wax likewise is brought from thence in large cakes,
worth at Bantam 18, 19, 20, and even 30 dollars the pekul, according to
quantity and demand. Great frauds are practised with this article, so
that it requires great attention in the purchaser, and the cakes ought
to be broken, to see that nothing be mixed with it.
