C H I N A .
mon here, and many other parts of China ; and grows as high -
as a tall cherry tree ; the fruit opens like a cliefnut, and contains
kernels enveloped with a pulp, which has all the properties o f
tallow; excellent candles, void of.any fmell, are made of it when
melted ; it alfo fupplies the lamps with o il; Du Ha/de * gives us
the procefs. He alfo defcribes a tree, called Pe-la-Jhu, which produces
w a x ; a kind o f little worm fallens on its leaves, wherewith
being covered, in a ihort time they form combs o f wax,
much fmaller than the honey combs; this wax is very hard
and fhining, and confiderably dearer than bees-wax. When
thefe worms are accuftomed to the trees o f any diftridl, they
never quit them, but on particular occafions ; i f once they remove
from a place they never return, fo that .others muft be procured
in their Head, there being merchants who deal in them.
I cannot afcertain the Genus or fpecies o f this tree. There is
a Myrica cerifera in North America that affords a very good
wax, Catejby i. tab. 69; and another at the Cape of Good Hope,
Journal Hijlorique, 8cc. p. 88. tab. oppoiite to the page; Spar-
man i. p. 346. Myrica JEthiopica Din. Mr. Sparman fays, that
the berries are covered at a certain time o f the year with a
greenilh, wax-like and tallowy fubftance, which he fuppofes to
be the effe£t o f infedts : o f this the natives make candles. I
ihould think it the fame with the fpecies juft defcribed; but,
that Du Halde fays, the infedls in the Chinefe plants depolit their
.wax on the leaves. In the ALthiopica it is found on what Lin-
nceus calls cones.
Mr. Cunningham alfo mentions the Syringa Arabica o f Ge-
• * Vol. j. p. 319.
rard,
fard, p. 1400; or the NySlanthes fambac of Linnaus. The Flos
MamorA of Rumph. v. tab. xxx. o f general efteem among the
Orientalifts on account oftlie finedcent of the flowers.
Our fadfory at Chufan was not o f long duration ; but was removed
to Canton, which, by a decree of the emperor, was di-
redfed to be the only port allotted for the European commerce.
We once had intercourfe with the city of Ninpo, but that is alfo.
prohibited.
T he nature and extent o f our prefent trade.with China, both
as to Imports and Exports is as follow. It is delivered in the.
form it was communicated to me by Mr. Fitzhugh.
Price Current Goods at Canton, Imports and Exports, 1792;
IMP O R T S :
.. Tales. , Mace. Candarine,
Amber, fine, white large pieces '5° ! — ; -->' ty* catty;
Ditto falfe, if very fine - - - 3°
j yvip : — ^ pecul.
Arrack, Batavia - - - - 35 — -- leagur.
Affafcetida fine 8 — -- ^ pecul.
Benjamin, firft fort - - - - - ■5 a- 17 — -- ditto..
Betel nut, Batavia and Malacca 3 ’’ 6 -- . ditto.
Ditto Cochin-China 4 — ditto.
Birds nell, very fine and tranfparent 2,300 — d it to..
Ditto fecond fort, commonly called?
thè firll } ■ i ,5so- — . ditto,..
Ditto 3d fort - -■ - — ' - - 800 ' — — ditto.
Bees wax, very belt 20 a. 25. — ■ — ditto,-
•Ny c t a n t h e s
S a m b a c .
P r e s e n t
T r a d e o p .
C h in a .