■I M>
t h e i r A 'e s s e l s g o t o F o c h i e n , r v h i c h t h e y c a l l W h e i t - y e n , a n d s o m e t i m e s
t o P e k i n . C o m m e r c e b e t w e e n J a p a n a n d L o o C h o o i s c o n d u c t e d
e n t i r e l y i n J a p a n e s e v e s s e l s , w h i c h b r i n g h e m p , i r o n , c o p p e r , p e w t e r ,
c o t t o n , c u l i n a r y u t e n s i l s , l a c q u e r e d f u r n i t u r e , e . x e e l l e n t h o n e s , a n d
o c c a s i o n a l l y r i c e ; t h o u g h t b i s a r t i c l e w h e n w a n t e d i s g e n e r a l l y s u p p l i e d
f r o m a n i s l a n d t o t h e n o r t h w a r d b e l o n g i n g t o L o o C h o o , c a l l e d O o -
s b i m a ; b u t t b i s i s o n l y r e q u i r e d i n d r y s e a s o n s . T h e e x p o r t s o f L o o
C h o o a r e s a l t , g r a i n , t o b a c c o , s a m s h e w s p i r i t , r i c e , w h e n s u f f i c i e n t l y
p l e n t i f u l , g r a s s h e m p , o f w h i c h t l i e i r c l o t h e s a r e m a d e , h e m p a n d
c o t t o n . I n r e t u r n f o r t h e s e t h e y b r i n g f r o m C h i n a d i f f e r e n t k i n d s o f
p o r c e l a i n , g l a s s , f u r n i t u r e , m e d i c i n e s , s i l v e r , i r o n , s i l k s , n a i l s , t i l e s , t o o l s ,
a n d t e a , a s t h a t g r o w n u p o n L o o C h o o i s o f a n i n f e r i o r q u a l i t y . S e v e r a l
o t h e r a r t i c l e s o f b o t h e x p o r t a n d i m p o r t a r e m e n t i o n e d b y S u p a o - K o a n g ,
s u c h a s g o l d a n d s i l v e r f r o m F o r m o s a , a n d i r o n f r o m C h i n a ; a m o n g
t h e f o r m e r , m o t h e r o f p e a r l , t o r t o i s e s h e l l , b e z o a r s t o n e a n d e x c e l l e n t
h o n e s . T h e l a s t - m e n t i o n e d a r t i c l e s , h o w e v e r , i f f o u n d i n L o o C h o o , a r e
c e r t a i n l y n o t i x r y p l e n t i f u l , a s t h e y a r e c a r r i e d t h i t h e r f r o m J a p a n ; a n d
- A n - y a h d e n i e d t h e r e b e i n g a n y m o t h e r o f p e a r l t h e r e . T h i s t r a d e i s
c o n d u c t e d i n t w o j u n k s b e l o n g i n g t o L o o C h o o , w h i c h g o a n n u a l l y t o
C h i n a ; a n d t h e y h a v e b e s i d e s t h e s e t h e i r t r i b u t e v e s s e l .
T h e tra d e with J a p a n appears formerly to have been lim ited a t
125 t h a ih (tael o f Canton), beyond which n o th in g Avas allowed to be
sold. T h e goods carried to th a t country consisted o f silks and o th e r
stuff's, Avith Chinese commodities, and th e jiroduce o f th e ir oAvn country,
such as corn, rice, pulse, fruits, spirits, m o th e r o f pearl, coA\ries, and
large flat shells, which are so tra n sp a ren t th a t th ey are used in J ap a n
for Avindows instead o f glass *.
T h e ir manufactures do n o t appear to be numerous, and are probably
only such as are necessary for tlie ir own convenience. I have
spoken o f th e ru d e hand-looms in use, th e spinning-wbocl, and th e
mills worked by c attle ; these were tb e only machines Ave saw, tliough
i t may be inferred th ey have others. A short distance to tlie so u th ward
o f N ap a-k ian g I was told th e re Avas a p a p er manufactory, and
* Kiempfer’s H isto ry o f Japan, p. 381.
jjii fs
h ad a q u a n tity of p ap er given me said to have been made th e re . I t cu^AP.
closely resembled th a t of China, b u t appeared to be more woolly.
Grass-cloth, o f a coarse texture , and coarse cottons are also wove upon
th e island; b u t I believe all th e finer ones come from China, as well
as th e broad cloth of which th e ir cloaks are made. R ed p o tte ry
moderately good, a bad porcelain, and tiles, are among th e ir manufactu
re s, an d also paper fans, o f which th e skeleton is bamboo; pipes, h a ir
pins, and wicker baskets, and tAvo sorts o f spirits distilled from g r am ;
moroofocoo already d e sc rib ed ; and a n o th e r called sackee, resembhng
th e samshew o f C h in a ; salt, from tb e n a tu ra l deposition o f th e sea, is
collected in pans,
Supao-Koang mentions among th e manufactures of th is country
silk, arms, brass instruments, gold and silver ornaments, a paper even
thicker th a n th a t o f Corea, made o f Ics cocons, and an o th e r made of
bamboo, besides th a t nianiifactured from th e bark o f th e p ap er tre e .
H e states th ey have Avoods fit for dyes, and particularly esteem one
made from a tree, th e leaves o f Avbich resemble those of tb e c itron tre e ;
an d mentions brass, pewter, saddles, bridles, an d sheaths as being manufa
c tured with considerable ta ste and neatness up o n th e island, an d as
forming p a rt of th e trib u te to China, from Avhich it m ig h t be inferred
th a t they were b e tte r ex ecu ted th a n those in Pekin.
P r e v i o u s t o o u r d e p a r t u r e I o f f e r e d A n - y a h a p a t e n t c o r n - m i l l a n d
a A v in n o A v in g m a c h i n e , a n d s h o A v e d h im t b e u s e o i t h e m . H e A ia s
e x t r e m e l y t h a n k f u l f o r t h e m a t f i r s t , b u t a f t e r a l i t t l e c o n s i d e r a t i o n
h e d e c l i n e d t h e p r e s e n t , w i t h o u t a s s i g n i n g a n y r e a s o n . H e p r o b a b l y
im a g i n e d t h e i n t r o d u c t i o n o f f o r e i g n m a c h i n e r y m i g h t b e d i s a p p r o v e d
b y b i s s u p e r i o r s .
I t has been observed th a t drums and tambourines were tb e only
musical in strum en ts among these people ; Ave saw a flute, and were
to ld th a t th e inh ab itan ts possessed violins and o th e r stringed in s tru m
en ts ; y e t they do n o t appear to be a musical people.
Among our numerous inquiries th e re Avas n o t one to winch Ave
«■ot such contradictory answers as th a t concerning tb e residence
o f tb e king o f Loo Cboo. I t was evident th a t th e re was a person
o f very h ig h au th o rity upon th e island, Avhora they styled ic a n g , Avbich
Mav,
J827.