Bantam, a town of Java Major, stands in latitude 6° S. and the variation here is 3° W.[142] It is a place of great resort by various nations, and where many different commodities are to be bought and sold, though of itself it produce few things, besides provisions, cotton-wool, and pepper. The quantity of this last at the yearly harvest, which is in October, may be about 32,000 sacks, each containing 49-1/2 Chinese cattees, and each cattee 21-1/2 rials English.[143] A sack is called a timbang, two of which are one pekul, three pekuls a small bahar, and 4-1/4 pekuls a great bahar, or 445-1/2 cattees. As the Javanese are not very expert in using the beam, they mostly deal by means of a weight called coolack, containing 7-1/4 cattees. Seven coolacks are one timbang, water-measure, being 1-1/4 cattees more than the beam weight, although there ought to be no difference; but the weigher, who is always a Chinese, gives advantages to his countrymen, whom he favours, as he can fit them with greater or smaller weights at his pleasure.
[Footnote 141: This subdivision is likewise a continuation of the Observations of Saris, while factor at Bantam, and is to be found in the Pilgrims, vol. I. p. 390.]
[Footnote 142: The latitude of Bantam is 6° S. as in the text, and its longitude is 106° 10' W. from Greenwich.--E.]
[Footnote 143: This seems a mistake for English ounces. If so, the sack weighs 1065-1/2 ounces, or 66 libs. 6-1/2 ounces.--E.]
In the months of December and January, there always come many junks and proas to Bantam laden with pepper, from Cherringin and Jauby,[144] so that there is always enough of pepper to be had at the end of January to load three large ships. There is no money coined here, all the current coin being from China, called cashes, which are made from very impure brass, in round thin pieces, having holes on which to string them: 1000 cashes on a string is called a pecoo, which is of different values, according as cashes rise or fall in demand. Their accounts are kept in the following manner: 10 pecoos are a laxsau, 10 laxsaus a cattee, 10 cattees an uta, and 10 utas a bahar. There are two ways of stringing the cashes, one called China chuchuck, and the other Java chuchuck, of which the Java is the best, as there ought to be 200 cashes upon a tack, but in the Chinese tacks you will only find 160 to 175; and as 5 tacks make a pecoo, you may lose 200 cashes, or 150, on each pecoo; which in extensive dealings will rise to a considerable matter. By the law of the country there ought to be just 1000 cashes upon a string or pecoo, or they must give basse, which is allowance for the deficiency. On the departure of the junks, you may buy 34 or 35 pecoos for a dollar; which, before next year, you may sell at 22 or even 20 pecoos for a dollar; so that there is great profit to be made on this traffic; but the danger of loss by fire is great.
[Footnote 144: Cherringin, is probably that now called Cheribon on the south side of Java; but Jauby is not to be recognised in our modern maps.--E.]
The weight used in the purchase and sale of bezoars is called a taile which is 2-1/4 dollars, or 2 English ounces. A Mallay taile is only equal to 1-1/2 dollar, or 1-1/3 English ounces. A China taile is 1-7/20 dollars, or 1-1/5 English ounces; so that 10 China tailes are exactly equal to 6 Javan tailes.
The English commodities vendible here are as follow: English iron in long thin bars, sells for six dollars the pekul. Lead in small pigs, 5-1/2 dollars the pekul. The barrel of fine corned powder 25 dollars. Square pieces sanguined 10 dollars each. Square pieces damasked all over, 6-1/2 feet long, 15 dollars each.[145] Broad-cloth, of ten pounds the cloth, of Venice red colour, sells for 3 dollars the gasse, which is 3/4 of a yard. Opium misseree,[146] which is the best, 8 dollars the cattee. Amber, in large beads, one wang and half a taile mallay, for 6 dollars. Coral in large branches, 5 or 6 dollars the taile mallay. Dollars are the most profitable commodity that can be carried to Bantam.
[Footnote 145: These pieces were probably matchlocks.--E.]
[Footnote 146: Misseree here certainly means from Egypt.--E.]