The Ships From Bengal, San Thome, And
Masulipatam, Come To The Bar Of Negrais And To Cosmin.
To Martaban,
another sea-port in the kingdom of Pegu, many ships come from Malacca,
with sandal-wood, porcelains, and other wares of China, camphor of
Borneo, and pepper from Acheen in the island of Sumatra.
To Siriam,
likewise a port of Pegu, ships come from Mecca with woollen cloth,
scarlet, velvets, opium, and other goods.
In Pegu there are eight brokers called _tareghe_, which are bound to
sell your goods at the prices they are worth, receiving as their fee two
in the hundred, for which they are bound to make good the price, because
you sell your goods on their word. If the broker do not pay you on the
day appointed, you may take him home to your house and keep him there,
which is a great shame for him. And, if he do not now pay you
immediately, you may take his wife, children, and slaves, and bind them
at your door in the sun; for such is the law of the country. Their
current money is of brass, which they call _ganza_, with which you may
buy gold, silver, rubies, musk, and all other things. Gold and silver is
reckoned merchandise, and is worth sometimes more and sometimes less,
like all other wares, according to the supply and demand. The ganza or
brass money goes by weight, which they call a _biza_; and commonly this
biza is worth, in our way of reckoning, about half a crown or somewhat
less.
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