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prepared. In Manila and Canton I used much diligence in vain to find some fit Chinese who would follow me and act as interpreter. At Macao even I had difficulty in finding a servant, amongst those there who speak a kind of English and Portuguese, which it is neces- sary to study before you can understand it, but in Snánghái he was scarcely of any use to me, knowing no other dialect than that of Canton. Another whom I took into my service, in the former city, although he understood a little more of the idioms of the country, was equally useless to me, because I understood him very imperfect- ly. I could therefore only avail myself of the little which I could speak of the Mandarin dialect of Nanking (the language called the Mandarin varies not only between different provinces and cities, but even between the interior and suburbs of the same city); but it was impossible, with such feeble aid to keep myself afloat in this sea of difficulties. Another resource was left me, and it was to make ap- plication to the custom-house, but I would have been a simpleton to expect to gain information from the chief men there. Therefore it was by artful means, and putting in operation resources which rarely fail of their effect in China, I found access indirectly to a kind of Register or cash-book, in which was set down daily the quantities entered for duties received on goods imported. But this book, not having tables or sums, it was necessary in each article to extract page by page, the particular quantities, to form a calculation of the whole sum. And as this was a tedious process, and I feared consequently that it might cause trouble, I was content to glean the notices I wished for regarding articles which were of importance to the commerce of Manila. I found the result that there are yearly imported into Shánghái 520,000 peculs of sugar, from 25 to 30,000 of sapan-wood; an equal quantity of dye stuffs; from 3 to 4,000 of canes; 1950 of bicho de mar; 1700 of shark's fins; and 1500 of birds' This last article is probably introduced in greater quantity than is entered; because the first quality pays five taels of duty at the custom-house, which must be a temptation to the dealers and those engaged in the office. A rice merchant from Fuhkien assured me that from 3 to 4,000 piculs of bicho de mar are imported, although those entered do not amount to 2000. The same amount of fraud is probably committed in shark's fins. Dye stuffs pay a duty of 4 mace per pecul, sapan-wood 1; shark's fins 1 tael 5 mace; bicho de mar 8 mace; sugar 100 cash.
nests.
All the duties received at this customhouse on Chinese vessels