Page:History of the Indian Archipelago Vol 3.djvu/340

 3!34 INTERCOLONIAL COMMERCE. which Imhoff assures us was purchased in Japan at two Spanish dollars the picul, and exported to Bata- via, where it was sold at an advance of I'll 5 per cent, is represented by Ksempfer, whose testimony is more to be relied on, as being fully dearer than copper. He affords unquestionable proof of this, indeed, when he lets us into the knowledge of this decisive fact, that by the Japanese copper is constantly used in many such domestic utensils as are made of iron in other countries, and for bolts, nails, and other pur- poses in naval architecture. Their culinary utensils are, however, made of iron. Saris also states the price of iron at a very high rate, and as above that of copper. It is probable from this statement, that were a free trade again established with that em- pire, iron, instead of being exported, would be- come one of the greatest and most valuable com- modities for importation from Europe. The iron of Japan, we may believe, is of the finest quality, since, with their imperfect skill, the Japanese are capable of fabricating from it cimeters equal in temper to the renowned blades of Damascus. Camphor seems not to have become a great ar- ticle of exportation, until that of copper was limit- ed. Europe and China are at present principally supplied with the camphor of Japan. The Ja- panese, whose country produces such abundance of this commodity, have the same taste and pay the same exorbitant prices for that of the Indian islands