86 EMBASSY TO .-CHINA.
Tong-choo- fpo.
jtii
Thus,
^ « x a ia p la jv iii quai •a(s®'«ni
oiinea o f | ilv e ry -is; subdivided!! info Men. lehe^: th e «hen
ih to ten j&®, 1 and the' ’fen in to rite» lee. v Th«oid®ak&mb-
divisians,SM roone^ ’d e ^ o n d ‘ much lower," b lit allways,
as well as in increasing quantities, * in ' theisame deciinal
proportions. A lee, or thousandth p a r tu f a.leang, is: ah
actual cqin sfi eoppen/'.far & ofer hejngj-piire. v I t i s ofila
circular form * -with I a squ^ro Ahfer&n- themuddfes for the
convenience of being stru n g 'to g eth e r upon) a, sc®te©f
packsthread; and; fcehs and m n lti^n s Jafe tensqaass tftius
current;: ofieir a smaller‘jramberiWly is-traasfefeted uh-
stru n g it A co im o fsb ch litd&'vkkie isaonvmaiient tol-tlfe
lower' p a rt ©f-Ah© rjifeopl©; who ithusucah buyrasismali a
quantity of ineiichahdise a s lh e y pleasqrojKasisuit^d^A
their situation; and in hem.of which, fenf;iaft. arttWe
wanted, a higher price might sioinetimes betiemandhdv&if
payment ,ofta Smaller could no t K%e|®f©ted for WMititf
change.’ Tea, lik e b e e r in: England, Ife sofd inrfqjuhfic
houses in ,every town, and talong: public roads, arid the
banks of rivers and canals. In th e ie h slngfeieup |sssold
for a s i n g l e d ; n o r is i t Unusual domth© burdened: and
wearied traveller to lay’down his load-, refresh bknsglf
with »one cup of warm teq, and then ptfEsrae,his ijourhey.
These lees, collectively called ckeiP,) l<xsta., in fact,
theunly standaitd’xoin in 'Chihaii government ihay
have considered, that one material only can, in ..strictEMBAS
SY I f CHINA.
ness,- form.a stahdard;;l^%iiFbr the raJative^valnes, <rf
two or Uxore‘ metals^forsexampfe, takeri. se^rlfaifeely, ^re
liable to ‘vary from- the ’different proportion? which may
occasio^ll-ylMkejplace/betwoeh tte 'ddmafrd for them in
theiMarket.Hfoi'otMr^ftles thanfesWmedium ©f exchange,
anditherquanttf isfof itbem> respectively? exposed to sale;
so-.that a/pi-ecei b£jmoneyi, of \ ope (metal,?ntay>ih factbe-
cofo&worth mdre'otlessftfean thatdf another mletuliwhieh
fflSfeptkni&Bd; had rariade nfMaquaiawahte^d it, according fo
theiprice^TT tketmetalsjata the time:!®fcthe. adjustment,
asSilvmdsrOoreproperly.];aihongthrefMiiine£e,a;meEohan-.
disey jlNionfi-ofi i t is coined,: bqtfarge payments laps made*
Wi#*dumps,o f i t i d thelform/Mitheic-runibLgsrihs which
i t wis reSiede^diWhHftlife['Stamp «of a sjpgfemharaloter
uponitjl tda^eeriam iterwelght, mQStlyr.of'ten ouncfes^ili
The> va’ldenafifsilvdr, -indheixurrent» coin;> varies§a«11,
coa-^ingtoothd^elativefj'sdarcily' ox plenty‘df. thatenu’etal
issued’from'.the»Imperial -treasury. > Spanishjdo'llar^i^e
eemmbii ’throughout >all~ .Akta^; ' and impneqnaHyAjwelf
knownfto^th#!jpi]jokfDf faonhdnialiiila^ ashmen tioried'sin
thee former vohihiejj ahdYto the- jshop'kteepers:. of Tong-,
ehoosfoo. H;Gold’-is! seldom: seism; inmtke \tDaksadtions sdff
commerce', thovititbe', ©ceasibq ally^^mpdoyed^ in the
luxiiries ®f jdifes®|nd fUtahum Tmgeneril, Ihe-value .of
silver has bdiafe'a' rmuch sgflater : proportion "tbi3that oF
gold' in ’ ©hinar :Jhan:,aih^EutQpe,iji(bxcept' where! ah leaw
tebrdiharyidemandfoD th©ifet|eij h y forergri merchants',