A Woman's Journey Round The World, From Vienna To Brazil, Chili, Tahiti, China, Hindostan, Persia, And Asia Minor By Ida Pfeiffer
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He Makes All The
Purchases, And Settles All The Bills, Giving In The Sum Total At The
End Of The Month, Without Descending Into The Items.
Besides these domestic duties, the comprador is also entrusted with
the money belonging to his master's firm; hundreds of thousands of
dollars pass through his hands, and he is responsible for the
genuineness of every one.
He has persons in his own employment who
pay and receive all monies, and who examine and test every separate
coin with the most marvellous rapidity. They take a whole handful
of dollars at a time, and toss them up separately with the finger
and thumb: this enables them to determine whether each "rings"
properly, and on the coin falling into their hand again, reversed,
they examine the second side with a glance. A few hours are
sufficient to pass several thousand dollars in review; and this
minute inspection is very necessary, on account of the number of
false dollars made by the Chinese. Each piece of money is then
stamped with the peculiar mark of the firm, as a guarantee of its
genuineness, so that it at last becomes exceedingly thin and broad,
and frequently falls to bits; no loss is, however, occasioned by
this, as the amount is always reckoned by weight. Besides dollars,
little bars of pure unstamped silver are used as a circulating
medium; small portions, varying in size, being cut off them,
according to the sum required. The counting-house is situated on
the ground floor, in the comprador's room.
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