[Footnote 150: On a former occasion, the Banda cattee was said to contain only 13-1/2 ounces English, so that this account is quite irreconcileable to the former.--E.]
The Molucca islands are five in number; viz. Molucca Proper, Ternate, Tidore, Gilolo, and Makian, and are under the equinoctial line. They produce great abundance of cloves, not every year, but every third year. The cattee there is 3 libs. 5 ounces English, and the bahar is 200 cattees. Thus 19 Molucca cattees make exactly 50 Bantam cattees. The commodities most vendible in these islands are Coromandel cheremallays, but fine, Siam girdles or sashes, salalos, but fine, ballachos and chelleys, are in most request. Likewise China taffetas, velvets, damasks, great basons, varnished counters, crimson broad-cloths, opium, benzoin, &c.
Siam is in the lat. of 14° 30' N. It produces great store of fine benzoin, and many rich precious stones, which are brought from Pegu. A taile is 2-1/4 dollars. There is here much silver bullion, which comes from Japan, but dollars are most in request, for 2-1/4 dollars in coin will purchase the value of 2-1/2 dollars in bullion. Stammel broad-cloth, iron, and handsome mirrors are in much request, as also all kinds of Chinese commodities are to be had there better and cheaper than at Bantam. The Guzerat vessels come to Siam in June and July, touching by the way at the Maldive islands, and then at Tanasserim, whence they go overland to Siam in twenty days. At Tanasserim there is always 5-1/2 to 6 fathoms water.
Borneo is in lat. 3° S.[151] This island affords great store of gold, bezoar, wax, rattans, cayulacca, and dragons blood. At Bernermassin, [Banjarmassen] one of the towns of this island, is the chief trade for these articles; and at this place the following commodities are in principal request: Coromandel cloths of all kinds, China silks, damasks, taffetas, velvets of all colours but black, stammel broad-cloths, and Spanish dollars. Bezoars are here sold by a weight called taile, equal to a dollar and a half, and cost 5 or 6 dollars the taile, being 1-1/3 ounce English. Succadanea is another town in Borneo, in lat. 1° 30' S. and is about 160 leagues N.E. of Bantam. The entrance to its harbour has five fathoms water at the height of the flow, and three at ebb, only a falcon shot from the shore, upon ooze. There is great trade at this place, which produces great quantities of the finest diamonds in the world, which are to be had in abundance at all times of the year, but chiefly in January, April, July, and October, but the greatest quantities in January and April, when they are brought down the river Lavee in proas. They are said to be procured by diving, in the same manner with pearls; and the reason why they are to be had more abundantly at one season than another is, that in July and October there falls so much rain, that the river deepens to nine fathoms at the place where they are got, and occasions so rapid a stream that the people can hardly dive in search of them; whereas in other months it is only four fathoms or four and a half; which is found to be the best depth for diving.
[Footnote 151: This is rather a vague account of so large an island, which reaches from the lat. of 4° 20' S. to 6° 40' N. and between the longitudes of 100° 12' and 119° 25' E. from Greenwich; being above 700 English miles from N. to S. and 670 from E. to W.--E.]
The commodities most vendible at Succadanea are Malacca pintados, very fine sarapa, goobares, poulings, cherujava, calico lawns, light-coloured China silks, sewing gold, sleeve silk, stammel broad-cloth, all sorts of bugles, especially those blue ones which are made at Bantam, shaped like a hogshead, but about the size of a bean. These cost at Bantam a dollar for 400, and are worth at Succadanea a masse the 100, a masse being three quarters of a dollar. Likewise Chinese cashes and dollars are in request, but more especially gold; insomuch that you may have a stone for the value of a dollar in gold, which you would hardly get for a dollar and a half, or a dollar and three quarters, in silver. On this account, therefore, when intending to sail for Succadanea, it is best to go in the first place to Banjermassen, where you may exchange your commodities for gold, which you may purchase at the rate of three cattees of cashes the Mallayan taile, which is nine dollars, as I have been credibly informed it has been worth of late years. Afterwards carrying the gold to Succadanea, and paying it away for diamonds, at four cattees of cashes the taile, each of which is the weight of 1-3/4 and 1/8 of a dollar, you gain 3/4 of a dollar on each taile: Yet, after all, the principal profit must be upon the diamonds.
The diamonds of Borneo are distinguished into four waters, which they call varna, viz. Varna Ambon, varna Loud, varna Sackar, and varna Bessee. These are respectively white, green, yellow, and a colour between green and yellow; but the white water, or varna ambon, is the best. Their weights are called Sa-masse, Sa-copang, Sa-boosuck, and Sa-pead: 4 copangs are a masse; 2 boosucks a copang; and 1-1/2 pead is a boosuck. There is a weight called pahaw, which is four masse, and 16 masse are one taile. By these weights both diamonds and gold are weighed.
In regard to goods from China, the best raw silk is made at Nankin, and is called howsa, being worth there 80 dollars the pekul. The best taffeta, called tue, is made at a small town called Hoechu, and is worth 30 dollars the corge. The best damask, called towa, is made at Canton, and is worth 50 dollars the corge. Sewing gold, called kimswa, is sold by the chippau, or bundle, each containing ten pahees; and in each paper are ten knots or skeins, sold for three pawes, or two dollars, the best having 36 threads in each knot. Sewing silk, called couswa, is worth 100 dollars the pekul. Embroidered hangings, called paey, are worth for the best 10 dollars the piece. Sattins, called lyn, are worth for the best one dollar the piece. Great porcelain basons, Called chopau, are sold three for a dollar. White sugar, called petong, the best is sold for half a dollar the pekul. The small sorts of porcelain, called poa, of the best sort, sell for one dollar the cattee. The best pearl boxes, called chanab, are worth five dollars each. Sleeve silk, called jounckes, the best sells for 150 dollars the pekul. Musk, called saheo, seven dollars the cattee. Cashes, 60 pecoos for one dollar.
Broad-cloth, called toloney, is worth seven dollars the sasocke, which is 3/4 of a yard. Large mirrors, called kea, are worth 10 dollars each. Tin, called sea, worth 15 dollars the pekul. Wax, called la, 15 dollars the pekul. Muskets, called cauching, each barrel worth 20 dollars. Japan sabres or cattans, called samto, are worth 8 dollars each. The best and largest elephants teeth, called ga, worth 200 dollars the pekul, and small ones 100 dollars. White saunders, called toawheo, the best large logs sell for 40 dollars the pekul.
In China, the custom of pepper inwards is one taile upon a pekul, but no custom is paid outwards. Great care is taken to prevent carrying any kind of warlike ammunition out of the country. In March, the junks bound for Manilla depart from Chuchu, in companies of four, five, ten, or more, as they happen to be ready; their outward lading being raw and wrought silks, but of far better quality than those they carry to Bantam. The ordinary voyage from Canton to Manilla is made in ten days. They return from Manilla in the beginning of June, bringing back dollars, and there are not less than forty sail of junks yearly employed in this trade. Their force is absolutely nothing, so that the whole might be taken by a ship's boat. In China this year, 1608, pepper was worth 6-1/2 tailes the pekul, while at the same time it was selling in Bantam for 2-1/2 dollars the timbang.