Page:Journal of the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks.djvu/474

416 day declare they never so much as thought of), the Chinese had two or three of their body in the Council, and had many more privileges than now. From that time to this they have by no means recovered either their former opulence or numbers. Every one now who has got anything considerable prefers to retire with it either to China or anywhere, rather than remain in the power of a people who have behaved so ill to them.

The taxes paid by these people to the Company are very considerable; among which that commonly said to be paid for the liberty of wearing their hair is not inconsiderable. It is, however, no other than a kind of head-money or poll-tax, for no Chinese can wear his hair who has ever been in China, it being a principle of their religion never to let their hair grow again when once it has been shaved off. These taxes are paid monthly, when a flag is hoisted at a house in the middle of the town appointed for that purpose.

The coins current here are ducats, worth 11s. sterling, ducatoons (6s. 8d.), Imperial rix-dollars (5s.), rupees (2s. 6d.), scellings (1s. 6d.), dubblecheys (2½d.) and doits (¼d.) Spanish dollars were when we were there at 5s. 5d., and we were told were never lower than 5s. 4d. Even at the Company's warehouse I could get no more than 19s. for English guineas, for though the Chinamen would give 20s. for some of the brightest, they would for those at all worn give no more than 17s. Strangers must, however, be cautious in receiving money, as there are several kinds, of two sorts, milled and unmilled; ducatoons, for example, when milled are worth 6s. 8d., unmilled only 6s. All accounts are kept in rix-dollars and stivers, both imaginary coins, at least here; the first worth 4s., the other 1d. It must also be remarked that this valuation of their coin is rated on the supposition of a stiver being worth a penny, while it is really more; a current rix-dollar of 48 stivers being worth 4s. 6d.