They Have An Excellent
Kind Of Earth, Of Which They Make A Species Of Ware Equal In Fineness To
Glass, And Almost Equally Transparent.
When merchants arrive at Canfu, the
Chinese seize their cargoes, which they convey to warehouses, where the
goods are
Detained six months, until the last merchant ship of the season
has arrived; they then detain three parts in ten of every species of
commodity, or thirty per cent as duty, and return the rest to the
merchants. Besides which, if the emperor has a mind for any particular
article, his officers have a right of taking it in preference to any other
person, paying for it, however, to the utmost value; and they dispatch this
business with great expedition, and without the least injustice. They
commonly take the whole importation of camphor, on the account of the
emperor, and pay for it at the rate of fifty fakuges per man, each
fakuge being worth a thousand falus, or pieces of copper coin. When it
happens that the emperor does not take the camphor, it sells for half as
much again.
The Chinese do not bury their dead till the day twelve months after their
decease; but keep them all this time in coffins in some part of their
houses, having previously dried them by means of quicklime. The bodies of
their kings are embalmed with aloes and camphor. They mourn during three
whole years, and whoever transgresses this law is punished with the bamboo,
a chastisement to which both men and women are subjected, and are at the
same time reproached for not shewing concern for the death of their
parents. They bury their dead in deep pits, much like those in use among
the Arabs. During all the time that the dead body is preserved in the
house, meat and drink are regularly set before it every evening; and if
they find these gone in the morning, they imagine that the dead have
consumed all; and all this time they cease not from bewailing their loss,
insomuch, that their expences upon these occasions, in paying the last
duties to their deceased relations, are exorbitant, and often consume their
wealth and estates, to the utter ruin of the living. In former times, they
buried very rich apparel, and those expensive girdles already mentioned,
with the bodies of their kings, and others of the blood royal; but this
custom is now discontinued, because it has happened that the bodies have
been dug up from their graves by thieves, for the sake of what was buried
with them. The whole nation, great and small, rich and poor, are taught to
read and write. The titles of their viceroys or governors, are varied
according to the dignity and rank of the cities under their government.
Those of the smaller cities are called Tusing, which signifies the
governor of a town. Those of the greater cities, such as Canfu, are stiled
Difu, and the eunuch or lieutenant is stiled Tukam.
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