Besides dollars,
little bars of pure unstamped silver are used as a circulating
medium; small portions, varying in size, being cut off them,
according to the sum required. The counting-house is situated on
the ground floor, in the comprador's room. The Europeans have
nothing to do with the money, and, in fact, never even carry any for
their private use.
The comprador has no fixed salary, but receives a stated per-centage
upon all business transactions: his per-centage upon the household
expenses is not fixed, but is not on that account less certain. On
the whole, these compradors are very trustworthy. They pay down a
certain sum, as caution-money, to some mandarin, and the latter
answers for them.
The following is a tolerably correct account of the mode of life
pursued by the Europeans settled here. As soon as they are up, and
have drunk a cup of tea in their bed-room, they take a cold bath. A
little after 9 o'clock, they breakfast upon fried fish or cutlets,
cold roast meat, boiled eggs, tea, and bread and butter. Every one
then proceeds to his business until dinner-time, which is generally
4 o'clock.
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