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.
