xed with ash-coloured
veins, and other white veins. When put into water it ought to swim; and
though some that is sophisticated will likewise float, it is certain
that none which is pure will sink. The greatest quantity of this
commodity comes from Mozambique and Sofala.

[Footnote 140: Ambergris is assuredly meant in the text.--E.]

Sec. 9. _Of the principal Places of Trade in India, and the Commodities
they afford._[141]

Bantam, a town of Java Major, stands in latitude 6 deg. S. and the variation
here is 3 deg. 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 deg. S. as in the text, and its
longitude is 106 deg. 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 i