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 in demand.  Their accounts are kept in the following manner:  10 pecoos are a laxsau, 10 laxsaus a cattee, 10 cattees an uta, and 10 utas a bahar.  There are two ways of stringing the cashes, one called China_ chuchuck_, and the other Java_ chuchuck_, of which the Java is the best, as there ought to be 200 cashes upon a tack, but in the Chinese tacks you will only find 160 to 175; and as 5 tacks make a pecoo, you may lose 200 cashes, or 150, on each pecoo; which in extensive dealings will rise to a considerable matter.  By the law of the country there ought to be just 1000 cashes upon a string or pecoo, or they must give basse, which is allowance for the deficiency.  On the departure of the junks, you may buy 34 or 35 pecoos for a dollar; which, before next year, you may sell at 22 or even 20 pecoos for a dollar; so that there is great profit to be made on this traffic; but the danger of loss by fire is great.