Page 187 - Merchants and Mandarins China Trade Era

173.

present time or not we cannot learn." Cushing had very pre­

cise sailing orders for Capt, Magee: "Obtain a possible list

of the articles generally taken to Soloo & other considerable

places of trade, quantities saleable, & prices obtained, & the
11 39
prices of the articles which are taken in return.

Apparently Capt. Magee returned with optimistic re­

ports on commercial conditions at Manila. By the early months

of 1823, Perkins & Co. was advising its captains of the advan­

tages of the Manila market over Canton. The government had
recently put into effect new Entrepot Regulations which included

extremely low duties on foreign imports and exports. Cushing

concluded that shipping to Manila rather than Canton could be

more profitable, because the foreign vessels would escape the
40
high customs duties levied on foreign trade in China. He

further speculated that Chinese junks from "the Eastern part

of the Empire" would also resort to Manila to trade "as soon

as the Chinese are aware of the great facilities which the

late Regulations adopted by the Manila Govt. will afford them."

These junks could transport back to the eastern provinces of

China foreign merchandise brought to Manila for Chinese con-

39
t'
k'
t
Ins t rue ions, Per ins & Co. to Cap . C.F. Magee,
Oct. 2, 1821, Perkins & Co. MSS.
4 " . f d
t
t.
oI ns-ruc ions, PerKins & Co. to CiJ.pt. F.W. Commer or ,
Feb. 25, 1823, Perkins & Co. MSS. Cushing stated the difference
on duties on camblets, which at Canton were eighteen dollars per
piece whereas at Manila thirty to forty cents per piece. Duties
on ginseng at Canton were sixty dollars per picul and one dollar
per picul at Manila. The Manila trade would never replace the
Canton trade though, since not enough junks from China sailed
there to transport the goods. In 1820 Consular-agent Stuart
wrote of the government's encouragement of foreign trade at
Manila. Consular Despatches: Manila, Apr,, 20, 1820.