It Should Not Be Too Moist, Which Adds To Its Weight, But Of A
Medium Moisture, Having A Few Hairs Like Bristles, But Not Many, And
Quite Free From Stones, Lead, Or Other Mixed Trash, And Having A Very
Strong Fragrant Smell, Which To Many Is Very Offensive.
When chewed it
pierces the very brain with its scent; and should not dissolve too soon
in the mouth, neither yet to remain very long undissolved.
Musk must not
be kept near any sweet spices, lest it lose its scent.
Bezoar, of which there are two kinds, one of which comes from the West
Indies, called occidental, and the other from the East Indies, called
oriental; which latter is worth double the price of the other. Both
are of divers forms; some round, others oblong like the stones of dates,
some like pigeons eggs; and others like the kidneys of a kid, and others
again like chesnuts; but most are blunt at both ends, and not sharp.
There is no less variety in the colours; some being light-red, others
like the colour of honey, many of a dark ash-colour, but most of a
waterish green. The East India or oriental bezoar consists of many
coats, artificially compacted together like the coats of an onion, each
inclosing the other, and all bright and shining, as if polished by art;
when one coat is broken off that immediately below being still brighter
than the former. These several coats are of different thicknesses, in
proportion to the size of the bezoars; and the larger is the stone so
much the more is it in request. There is one sure way to make trial of
bezoars: Take the exact weight of the stone, and then put it in water
for four hours; then see that it is not cracked, and wipe it quite dry;
and if it now weigh in the smallest degree heavier than before, you may
be assured that it is not good. I have ascertained this many times at
Bantam, having found many of them to turn out mere chalk, with a bit of
stick in the middle, that weighed a Javan taile, or two English
ounces. Most of the counterfeit bezoars come from Succadanea in Borneo.
The true oriental bezoars come from Patane, Banjarmassen, Succadanea,
Macasser, and the Isola das Vaccas at the entrance to Cambodia.[139]
[Footnote 139: In old times, oriental bezoar was prized at a high rate
in medicine, having many fancied valuable qualities, now found by
experience to be altogether imaginary; so that it is now confined to
cabinets of curiosities. It is merely an accidental concretion, which
takes place in the stomachs of various animals, somewhat similar to a
gall-stone. - E.]
Of Amber,[140] in regard to colour, there are many different kinds, as
black, white, brown, and grey; of all which the black is usually the
worst, and the grey the best. That which is freest from filth or dross
of any kind, and purest in itself, ought to be chosen; of a colour
inclining to white, or ash-coloured, or intermixed with ash-coloured
veins, and other white veins. When put into water it ought to swim; and
though some that is sophisticated will likewise float, it is certain
that none which is pure will sink. The greatest quantity of this
commodity comes from Mozambique and Sofala.
[Footnote 140: Ambergris is assuredly meant in the text. - E.]
Sec. 9. Of the principal Places of Trade in India, and the Commodities
they afford.[141]
Bantam, a town of Java Major, stands in latitude 6 deg. S. and the variation
here is 3 deg. W.[142] It is a place of great resort by various nations, and
where many different commodities are to be bought and sold, though of
itself it produce few things, besides provisions, cotton-wool, and
pepper. The quantity of this last at the yearly harvest, which is in
October, may be about 32,000 sacks, each containing 49-1/2 Chinese
cattees, and each cattee 21-1/2 rials English.[143] A sack is called a
timbang, two of which are one pekul, three pekuls a small bahar,
and 4-1/4 pekuls a great bahar, or 445-1/2 cattees. As the Javanese
are not very expert in using the beam, they mostly deal by means of a
weight called coolack, containing 7-1/4 cattees. Seven coolacks are
one timbang, water-measure, being 1-1/4 cattees more than the beam
weight, although there ought to be no difference; but the weigher, who
is always a Chinese, gives advantages to his countrymen, whom he
favours, as he can fit them with greater or smaller weights at his
pleasure.
[Footnote 141: This subdivision is likewise a continuation of the
Observations of Saris, while factor at Bantam, and is to be found in the
Pilgrims, vol. I. p. 390.]
[Footnote 142: The latitude of Bantam is 6 deg. S. as in the text, and its
longitude is 106 deg. 10' W. from Greenwich. - E.]
[Footnote 143: This seems a mistake for English ounces. If so, the sack
weighs 1065-1/2 ounces, or 66 libs. 6-1/2 ounces. - 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.
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