Page:Journal of the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks.djvu/461

1770 latter brings the master of the ship's receipt for the goods to his employer, who does nothing but receive money from the stranger, and, reserving his profit, pay the Chinaman his demands. With imports, however, they must have a little more trouble; for they must examine, receive, and preserve them in their own warehouses, as other merchants do.

To give a character of them in their dealings, I need only say that the jewel known to English merchants by the name of fair dealing is totally unknown here: they have joined all the art of trade that a Dutchman is famous for to the deceit of an Indian. Cheating by false weights and measures, false samples, etc. etc., are looked upon only as arts of trade: if you do not find them out, 'tis well; if you do, "well," they say, "then we must give what is wanting," and refund without a blush or the least wrangle, as I myself have seen in matters relating to the ship. But their great forte is asking one price for their commodities and charging another; so that a man who has laid in 100 peculs of sugar, at five dollars a pecul as he thinks, will, after it has been a week or ten days on board, have a bill brought him in at seven; nor will the merchant go from his charge unless a written agreement or witnesses be brought to prove the bargain. For my own part I was fortunate enough to have heard this character of them before I came here; and wanting nothing but daily provision, agreed immediately in writing for every article at a certain price, which my landlord could consequently never depart from. I also, as long as I was well, constantly once a week, looked over my bill, and took it into my possession, never, however, without scratching out the charges of things which I had never had to a considerable amount, which was always done without a moment's hesitation.

Next to the Dutch are the Portuguese, who are called by the natives Oran Serane, that is Nazarenes, to distinguish them from the Europeans, notwithstanding which, they are included in the general name of Capir or Cajir, an opprobrious term given by the Mahometans to all those who have not entered into their faith, of whatsoever religion they may be. These, though formerly they were Portuguese, have no