Thanks to the fact that Google books digitized old and rare books which are not or hardly available for further research this problem is slowly solved. Accounts of travellers through Asia gives us very valuable information although ‘coloured’ by their own opinions.
P. 306: “M. Hedde mentions a notable improvement in the native navy; but his account of the state of trade is very discouraging. It appears to be far worse than at the time of Mr. Crawfurd’s visit. Instead of the three ports promised to that gentleman, only one - the port of Turon - was open to foreign trade in 1844. “The king has taken to himself the entire monopoly of trade. He buys goods from his subjects at the price he himself appoints, and he sends his ships to sell the goods, on his own account, at foreign ports. He employs in trade five new square-rigged ships and one or two steamers, which have been constructed in the country under the direction of Europeans. [We believe that all the machinery for the steamers was sent out ready-made from England]. He sends them to Canton, to Singapore, to Batavia, and sometimes to Calcutta. His exports to Singapore consist of silks, coarse but cheap teas, nankeens, cinnamon, rhinoceros’ horns, cardamums, rice, sugar, salt, ivory, buffaloes' skins, precious woods, and some of the precious metals. He receives in return camlets, long-cloth, red, blue, and yellow, for the use of his soldiers, tin, fire-arms, some Indian goods, and a
P.: 307: quantity of opium. [The narcotic drug is strictly prohibited here as in China, but the people are as much addicted to the use of it as are their neighbours, and no efforts made by the Government can prevent its importation. That government does not give the people the benefit of a good example ; as the king himself imports opium, there can be little doubt that he and his mandarins either smoke it or sell it at a high price. Very probably they do both]. From Batavia the king receives cloves, nutmegs, glass ware, manufactured silks, which must always be of a black or blue colour, and velvets, which must always be green. To give an idea of the manner in which trade is carried on we may mention, that in 1843 the king sent to Canton two of his ships and twelve officers, to sell his goods and to buy others in that market. On their return, not being satisfied with their success, he degraded the officers, put them in prison and in fetters, and confiscated all their property. They are still bewailing their miserable condition, the reward of their bad luck as merchants. The junks which trade from Cochin-China are under private authorisation, or managed by fraud.”
Source
Miss (Julia) Corner. China. Pictorial, descriptive, and historical with some account of Ava and the Burmese, Siam and Anam. London, 1853.
P. 306: “M. Hedde mentions a notable improvement in the native navy; but his account of the state of trade is very discouraging. It appears to be far worse than at the time of Mr. Crawfurd’s visit. Instead of the three ports promised to that gentleman, only one - the port of Turon - was open to foreign trade in 1844. “The king has taken to himself the entire monopoly of trade. He buys goods from his subjects at the price he himself appoints, and he sends his ships to sell the goods, on his own account, at foreign ports. He employs in trade five new square-rigged ships and one or two steamers, which have been constructed in the country under the direction of Europeans. [We believe that all the machinery for the steamers was sent out ready-made from England]. He sends them to Canton, to Singapore, to Batavia, and sometimes to Calcutta. His exports to Singapore consist of silks, coarse but cheap teas, nankeens, cinnamon, rhinoceros’ horns, cardamums, rice, sugar, salt, ivory, buffaloes' skins, precious woods, and some of the precious metals. He receives in return camlets, long-cloth, red, blue, and yellow, for the use of his soldiers, tin, fire-arms, some Indian goods, and a
P.: 307: quantity of opium. [The narcotic drug is strictly prohibited here as in China, but the people are as much addicted to the use of it as are their neighbours, and no efforts made by the Government can prevent its importation. That government does not give the people the benefit of a good example ; as the king himself imports opium, there can be little doubt that he and his mandarins either smoke it or sell it at a high price. Very probably they do both]. From Batavia the king receives cloves, nutmegs, glass ware, manufactured silks, which must always be of a black or blue colour, and velvets, which must always be green. To give an idea of the manner in which trade is carried on we may mention, that in 1843 the king sent to Canton two of his ships and twelve officers, to sell his goods and to buy others in that market. On their return, not being satisfied with their success, he degraded the officers, put them in prison and in fetters, and confiscated all their property. They are still bewailing their miserable condition, the reward of their bad luck as merchants. The junks which trade from Cochin-China are under private authorisation, or managed by fraud.”
Source
Miss (Julia) Corner. China. Pictorial, descriptive, and historical with some account of Ava and the Burmese, Siam and Anam. London, 1853.
