Page:History of the Indian Archipelago Vol 3.djvu/167

 COMMERCE OF THE ARCHIPELAGO. 151 the markets of China, as birds'-nests, ornamental feathers, tortoise-shell, and Tripang, or sea slug. The most singular and interesting of these voyages is the adventure made to the southern coast of New Holland, for the fishery of the last mentioned ar* tide. Upwards of forty vessels, of from twenty to fifty tons, quit Macassar annually for the coast of New Holland, besides numbers that go elsewhere in search of the same object. A vessel of twenty tonsj manned by twenty-five hands, is considered to be successful, if she have obtained seven thousand pounds weight of Tripang. It is the capital of the Chinese resident merchants, which sets these adven- tures on foot, as they advance to the undertakers from two to four hundred Spanish dollars, accord- ing to the extent of their equipment, securing to themselves the rtfusal of the cargo. These sketches will suffice to convey some notion of the character and extent of this department of native commerce. Having considered the nature of the traffic con- ducted by the Indian islanders, both domestic and international, I shall take a view of the regulations under which the commerce with strangers is con- ducted, and the provision made for its arrangement. By all the nations from Japan to Bengal, foreign trade is rather tolerated than encouraged. If a stranger is permitted to trade, it is considered eminently as a favour conferred upon him, rather than as a benefit to the society with whom he main-