ASIATIC NATIONS. 181 colonists of that nation in the Archipelago, and these, on the other hand, contribute greatly to col- lect or to create the return cargoes. The articles of importation from China may be enumerated in the order of their importance, as follow : Black tea, coarse porcelain, wrought iron, principally in the form of culinary vessels, (kwali^J cotton cloths, raw silk, wrought silk, brass-ware, paper, books paint, shoes, fans, umbrellas, and toys. The ar tides of the return cargo are far more numerous and may be said indeed to embrace, without excep tion, every article of the produce of the Archipe lago. The most prominent are the following Black pepper, cloves, mace, and nutmegs, long pepper, clove bark, ebony, sandal, sapan, and Agila wood, benzoin, camphor, ivory, tin, rattans, Kaxvuly or tinder of the Gomiiie palm, betel-nut, bees-wax, Gambir^ and cotton wool, agar-a-ga7 or sea weed, i?-ipa?ig, or sea-slug, edible birds'-nests, jerk-beef, or denckiig, sharks' fins, fish maws, rhinoceros horns and hides, ox and buffalo hides and horns, tor- toise-shell, gold-dust, silver coins, European wool- lens and cottons, &c. All these articles will be described at such length in a succeeding chapter, that it will be unnecessary, at present, to make any remarks upon them. The principal seats of this commerce in the Indian islands are Manilla and Batavia. The following statement contains the best account I have been able to collect of the
