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.
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