Page:Brinkley - Japan - Volume 6.djvu/198

RV 172 Tonquin, Cambodia, Siam, Batavia, Malacca, and elsewhere, and their list of exports was large,—sugar, rare woods, lead, quicksilver, porcelain, musk, drugs, cotton and silk fabrics, writing brushes and ink, pictures and other works of art, tin, copper and brass, gems, glass, dyed leather, furs, and various edibles. It should be added that in the case of the Chinese the trade was not confined to purchases with coin. A system of barter also was practised in an exchange building, and received encouragement from the authorities, who saw in it a device for preventing the outflow of specie. The chief article of barter on Japan's side was marine products, for which there was always a great market in China,—beche de mer, dried cuttle-fish, various kinds of shell-fish, and sundry sea-weeds. At first the Government entrusted to an association of merchants the duty of collecting these products, and bringing them together in the exchange building at Nagasaki, financial assistance being given by the Treasury.

But it was ultimately found necessary to take the whole business into official hands, and by skilful organisation thoroughly successful operations were conducted. The chief interest of this page of commercial history is that it shows the Japanese samurai acting in a tradal capacity, and acting with much ability. Purchasing offices were established in Osaka, Hakodate, Akamagaseki, and Yedo, that in Yedo having twelve stores