[102] Bayer, in his Museum Sinicum, gives several curious instances of the Chinese mode of articulating those sounds, which they have not in their own language. For instance they change B D R X Z into P T L S S.
| Thus | for Maria they say | Ma-li-ya; |
| for crux, | cu-lu-su; | |
| for baptizo, | pa-pe-ti-so; | |
| for cardinalis, | kia-ul-fi-na-li-su; | |
| for spiritus, | su-pi-li-tu-su; | |
| for Adam, | va-tam; | |
| for Eva, | nge-va; | |
| for Christus, | ki-li-su-tu-su; | |
| Hoc, est, corpus, meum—ho-ke, nge-su-tu, co-ul-pu-su, me-vum. | ||
| Bayer, Mus. Sin. Tom. I. p. 15. | ||
[103] Pallas Reise, P. III. p. 134.
[104] The Chinese have no gold or silver coin. These metals are always paid in bullion; and for the purpose of ascertaining the weight, every Chinese merchant is constantly provided with a pair of scales. As gold is very scarce in China, silver is the great vehicle of commerce. When several authors affirm that the Russians draw large quantities of silver from China, they mistake an accidental occurrence for a general and standing fact. During the war between the Chinese and Calmucs, the former had occasion to purchase at Kiachta provision, horses, and camels, for which they paid silver. This traffic brought such a profusion of that metal into Siberia, that its price was greatly reduced below its real value. A pound of silver was at that period occasionally sold at the frontiers for 8 or 9 roubles, which at present fetches 15 or 16. But since the conclusion of these wars by the total reduction of the Calmucs under the Chinese yoke, Russia receives a very small quantity of silver from the Chinese. S.R.G. III. p. 593 & seq.
The silver imported to Kiachta is chiefly brought by the Bucharian merchants, who sell cattle to the Chinese in exchange for that metal, which they afterwards dispose of to the Russians for European manufactures. Gold-dust is also occasionally obtained from the same merchants; the quantity however of those metals procured at Kiachta is so inconsiderable, as scarcely to deserve mention. The whole sum imported to Kiachta, in 1777, amounted to only 18,215 roubles.
[105] Pallas Reise, P. III. p. 135.
[106] The list of all the furs and skins brought to Kiachta, with their several prices, is to be found in Pallas Reise, Part III. p. 136 to p. 142. See hereafter, p. 242.
[107] List of furs sent from England to Petersburg in the following years:
| Beaver-skins. | Otter-skins. | |
| 1775, | 46460 | 7143 |
| 1776, | 27700 | 12086 |
| 1777, | 27316 | 10703 |
| The finest Hudson's beavers have been sold upon an average at Petersburg from | 70 to 90 roubles per 10 skins. |
| Inferior ditto and best Canada beavers from | 50 — 75 |
| Young or cub-beavers from | 20 — 35 |
| Best otter-skins from | 90 — 100 |
| Inferior ones from | 60 — 80 |