APPENDIX
S B. S
I
undeniable, that first in the year lfi§5. p.up trade was limited to three hundred
“ thousand tahils,, of which two-thirds were to consist of piece goods and weighable
“ articles, and the other third of silks. This was confirmed in 1689, and we were
“ allowed to export only twenty-five - thousand ipikuls of copper;:-whereas, our 'exports
“ of that article formerly-had been regulated- accoxcling to our .requisition •• In the
“ J«ffl 1700, the number of our - ships vy as limited-to. four-or five, in lieu of-six or
“ seven as were formerly sent, according to circumstances:” m
The profits of the- trade; at this period, would yet have deserv.ed attention, had not
a change in the current coin rendered the y ear -1700 -still more ‘disadvantageous. ■ In
1692 and 1693 and 'afterwards, rich cargoes were sent to Japan which returned
considerable profits, and the funds were-again laid out-in coppery as far as; thirty
thousand chests or pikttls. The -new stipulation of. twenty-five-thousand chests• was
of little importance - with the Dutch,1 who- -knew- how, as - theyrcoKfeSsj to obtain by
bribes from-the Governors and their servants-ä still-further quantity:' :Jn the year 1683
the - system of recoiling the -Dutch: mercha-ndizerhy -valuation was 'discontinued';.and
although it was introduced again -in ‘ the - year -1698; it was once nroiio'abolished in
the following year.
Various causes are assigned- for the Change - in ■ the current'coin which took place
about this period ; but whether as was supppsedi by:the Dutch the knowledge, of the
Du.lcfi profits upon the kobang; opened the eyes of. the Japanese, on that their long
intercourse with Europeans rendered them more: -attentive; to -their own. interest or
that. the. Chinese,' who are known to be very expert imthe a rt of coining, proposed
that measure to them, or that, the Oasy compliance of the Dutch in all former instances,
and while they issued the most injurious orders against their commerce,. made them
believe that they might purchase their friendship at a--cheaper sate-than hitherto, or'
as seems most probable, it was principally occasioned.-by-other and more Weighty
causes not yet discovered, it is certain that, inhhetyear. Ifithbappeaxed for the first-time
a new kind of kobang, of one-third less -i»~-Value than the1 old; 'although..-tendered.to
ajlfi received by the Dutch at the same rate. -Here then was- said.to' commence the
iron age.
The new kobang: Whs assayed at thirteen- carats - six1 or seven-grains; while the old
kobang was twenty-carats: eight and a-half,-nine, or -even ten grains; yet the Dutch’
were obliged to receive-the -former at the-rate: of/sixty-eight mas', like the old which
weighed thirty-one stivers, and making -a difference-upon one thousand ofi§^ypnty-two
marks- The old kobang rendered a- profit -of -tWenty-five"per cent., but the new
produced a loss of fifteen or sixteen, per- cent, on the' coast of Coromandel, where it
waa re-coined. Some of the old kobdngS being! however estimated at the sarfie-rate
witfi the new, the Dutch still rfcontinuedr to -tlerivcaome profits from"! the gold, until
the .introduction of a third kind of kobang, denominated the small Itohcmgs, took place.
■ In 1710 the Japanese resorted-to this; further- change.-in' the -coin,- by reducing
the weight of the- lipbang .nearly one half, the value being- twenty-five ihmdenn] while
that of the former was no less than forty-seferi kmiderins. This caused ajoss'offrqn).'
" thirty-four
thirty-four to thirty-six -per -cëht.q .the Dutch being obliged tb .fécèive the Same at the APPEND13É
ratebfi.feSstyieight mas ; the formelkóbafigs,; o f inferior àllôy only, werein consequence
stilLprefetable. -From~1710ito 1720','both sorts were in circulation ; but the repeated Japan Trade,
complaints of the.Dutch Were at last, imdflgO, so far attended to, that the old kobahgs,
of-ithe same..alloy-and -weight, -were again introduce!!.1 ' The latter, however, were
culled döublè kobàngs^- and they were charged in the Dutch accounts at thirteen tahils
six .mksfy which -Wàs twice' as -Mtfej'iteih former that they became still less
profitable -than tbè.'sïnàll Jcobangs, o f which two thousand^weighed seventy-six marks,
while ope thousandjjf-thiè- olcPcbm only weighed seVerifySwi? marks, nnJWould consequently,.
when received‘in 1 i ch- o f two small khbàngs, have produced a loss o f thirty-
Seven lseven-.eigtots pcrcènt. ••
When, 'an attempt Was grade, in 1714, to ’oblige the Duteli fo‘ receive the small
kobang at the same rate as the old, the exportation of copper Was limited to fifteen'
thousand chesty, afg was tho'-numb’e? of ships to two or three, according to the quantity
of: copper mi, store. --
’. A. fourth kind. of. l&jj'ang waè'in’teSOTfc'êd-ffl-1730;' 'âbquf'five per cent. Fetter than
the .third or small kobang, bhf the tfa’de continued rapidly to decline until itfie year
}7M.
jdBheilqss-of many-valuable .ships arid cargoes,* a reduction in the selling price of
the.artides.of merchandize- which they imported, and an i netbase of charges attending
the"visits to the Imperial''Court and the maintenance of their establishment" in" Japan,
contributed torender this period particular!^ disadvantageous to the' Dutch trade. Their
-Submissive conduct at the EmpefdfVCourf was'ofno avail,' rioiMid ‘their presents'of
horses,, dogs, arid other curiosities}' produce any better effect. IThere was no longer
any possibility- of -exporting ïèóBak^s, as . in fórmèr tïifiekj' for uié balance of their
accSunts. ,The quantity' (^copper which they were allowed to export'annually had
been -fixed.in 1781 at ten thousand chests,- ÿet even that quantity they were unable to
obt-ahum J743, .so that, together with the' High .exchange of the tahils, thei,r establishment
in Japan now actually subjected them to a loss, and it was accordingly proposed^
at this peirod that it shcfuld-be abandoned, "unless some favohrable change fcouldbe*
.effected.
The charges had- considerably increased duringfhe last!year.''' The cargoes were* of
Jess!value: and of an inferior quality,4&)' that their profitfwere reducçdfo.îëss thanr
one. quarter of'what-they had been: their expellees on account of the Japan trade
were at the same time two hundred thousand florins;annually. Daring the last thirty
yèârsi. thoir profite amounted to five hundred "thousand, and for some years to six
hundred.thousand,-but latterly not^totwo hundred’ tfibUSahd florïns'per anriùm."
• T,hus,A.tb sum up thfe disasters’ of this trade,’after Saving Seen allowed to remain
free and Unrestrained for a period of sixty years, the cargoes in the year 1672 were
1 b 'é 'W'-' ' . subjected
ilt.iis remarkable, tlititi when the Dutch were formerly in the habit of seeding seven and eight ships tö Japan,
but few losses' took - place, whereas afterwards, wlicn only two .or three were sent and thei navigation better,
known, many were-lost. The cause assigned Is their being latterly overladen w ith private trade.