ALLOES CICOTRINA, commonly cal­led SUCCOTRINA.

IS the inspissated Juice of a Plant of that Name; the best grows in the Island of Succotre, which if dry and when broke in the Middle appears of a dark green glassey substance, and when reduced to Powder is of a fine yel­low Saffron Colour.

If any Dirt, Stones, or other Rubbish is in the Package, which very often happens to the very best, the Value is uncertain; therefore, what you buy, let it be fine and clear; and if it be not so, sort it in the Country, taking it out of the Skins, and freeing it from Stones, Dirt and Rubbish; for which, if you import it, you must pay the Duty, which is very high, and the [Page 2]Buyers will calculate the Loss in Skins, &c. at double the real Disadvantage. It will sell to much greater Advantage in Chests or Casks, from one to two hundred Weight, than in large ones, which will be above the Reach of midling Buyers.—Please to grease the Inside of the Package, to prevent its sticking to it.

ALLOES HEPACTIA, or EPATICA:

Is of the same Species with the Cicotrina: but instead of being of a dark green, and almost transparent when shivered into thin Pieces, is of the Colour of the Liver of an Animal; and it frequently happens that there is a Mixture of Cicotrina in the Epatic, as well as a Mixture of Epatic in the Cicotrina, which ought to be separated in the Country. Stones, Dirt, &c. should be equally guarded against in this Article as in the Cicotrina, and the Buyer should guard against its being wet; very good Epatic Alloes having been brought home from India almost Liquid, which the Buyers were obliged to keep till it became dry and fit to be broke into small Pieces, and capable of being reduced to Powder

GUM AMMONIACUM:

Is a concrete gummy substance in small Drops or Tears; it is of a nauseous bitter Taste, but when dissolved in any liquid but Spirits, or rubbed in a Mortar with Water, resembles Milk; it must be free from Dross, Stones, &c. and if brown will not (though it may be as good as when it is almost white) fetch half the Price.

GUM ASSAFAETIDA.

Is a concrete gummy substance, of a strong faetid smell, resembling Onions, or rather Shal­lots, in small Drops or Tears; but when packt forms a massy lump. Observe, that when first broke it appears quite white within, and changes soon after to a red or purple Colour; the brown, dingy, or dirty is of little Value: it is often mixed with Stones; some sorts are moist, with Tears, which if clean is very good.

GUM BENJAMIN, or BENZOIN.

Is a concrete rosinous Gum, of a sweet aro­matic Taste; it is generally brought here in large Masses, according to the shape of the package, therefore before you buy break well into it, and see that it is full of white marble Drops. If that Sort is not to be had, the next best is the light brown sort, which breaks smooth, and is free from dross, and almost transparent; the drossy Sort is of little Value, and the King's Duty is as high upon that as the very finest.

BEZOAR.

The true East-India sort are smooth black-shining stones, about the size of small Hazel-Nuts, found in the Stomach of certain Animals in the East-Indies, said to be something resembling the Goat Kind; when it is broke appears of a shining, dark, green or olive Colour, and com­posed of Coats or Shells one above another, so closely connected as to form a solid stone; some prefer the Sort that goes by the Name of Por­cupine Bezoar, but as it has been found of little or no efficacy in Medicine is but seldom used, the Lapis Contrayerva being used in its stead.

BORAX.

Is a white christaline Salt, made from Tincal in several Parts of India; the best generally comes from China in large transparent lumps: if brown, discoloured or mealy, reduces the Value considerably; the more it resembles white Sugar-Candy the better.

CAMBOGE, or CAMBOGIUM.

Is a solid concrete Juice; the best is of a deep yellow or Orange Colour, breaks shining and free from Dross: if dull, red or crusty, reduces the Value. Chuse that which is in small Cakes or Rolls, which sells best here.

CAMPHIRE, or CAMPHOR unrefined.

Is a solid volatile concrete Gum, extracted from a Shrub growing in several Parts of the East Indies. The best Sort that will do for this Market must be quite white, clean, and in small transparent Grains, about the size of coarse Sand, run together; for, if it is white, trans­parent, and in large lumps, and of a firm sub­stance without Grains, it may be charged with the refined Duty.—The best Package to bring it home is Iron-bound Casks, and well pressed in; and if the Casks were lined with Turenague, it would prevent its getting into the Wood and evaporating, it being of an exceeding subtile volatile Nature.

CAMPHIRE refined.

Is a Sublimation of the unrefined, and formed into Loaves or Cakes; but the Difference of the Duties and Charges, and the easy Method of refining the rough Camphor here, will prevent its being brought to Advantage.

CASSIA LIGNEA.

Is the Bark of the bastard Cinnamon Tree, There are several Sorts, but the best brought home lately was from China, which was small long round Sticks, nearly of the Colour and Flavour of real Cinnamon, and is used in its stead. It cannot be too thin, for if the Bark is thick, though it be equally strong and pungent on the Palate, it will only do for distilling, and therefore not near so valuable.

The second Sort of Cassia Lignea is generally got at Batavia and Ben. oclen, and is of two Sorts, one a very small Twig, about a Foot long, of a stronger pungent Flavour than Cinnamon, and sold from £15 to £20 per Cwt. The other Sort is in thick long Sticks, and nearly as pun­gent; but the shape and colour makes it not so valuable, and only sells from £5 to £8 per Cwt.

The way to discover the true Cinnamon Sort is to chew it, when, if it is musilaginous or slimy in the mouth, it is not near so valuable, though it is often stronger than real Cinnamon, but will foul the Cinnamon Water made from it. There is also Cassia Lignea that is of a very bright Colour and good Shape, which has little or no smell or Taste; the breaking a handful of Sticks will ascertain the Quality almost as well as tast­ing, for where there is a fine Smell, there is always a strong Taste.

The third Sort got at the Coast and Bengal, having very little Taste and Shape, like unto Cinnamon, but is slat, woody and shaffy, will scarce fell for the Duty and Charges; the King's Duty is £2 6s. 8d, per Cwt. equally on the worst as the best, and the Company's and Dis­count 13 and half per Cent. on the Price it sells for.

CASSIA BUDS.

Appears to be the Fruit or Berries of the Cassia Tree, and resembles in some Degree a Clove, but is smaller, of a fine rich Cinnamon Flavour when fresh; they have been but very lately introduced into Europe, and chiefly brought from China: chuse them fresh and found, free from Stalks and Dirt.

CARDAMON SEEDS.

Those produced on the Coast of Malabar are the best, which are contained in a three-square Pod, or Husk, rather larger than a large Pea; very little Judgment is required in chusing them, provided they are fresh, sound, well filled Husks and of a palish Colour, and of a very grateful Smell, resembling Camphor. Care should be taken to pack them in strong sound Chests, for the least damp will turn the Husk, not only mouldy but musty, and greatly reduce its Value.

COCULUS INDIA.

A round blackisk Berry, generally brought from Bombay. Observe they are sound, dry and clean; they are extremely light, being quite hollow.

CUBEBS.

Is a kind of Pepper, with this Difference, that it has a Tail or Stalk to each Berry, and is much more aromatic than Pepper, resembling Jamaica Pepper, called by the common People All-spice; it is generally bought on the Malabar Coast, and should be dry, sound and clean.

DRAGONS BLOOD.

A red rosinous Gum, sometimes brought in oval lumps, about the Size of a Chesnut or a Pullet's Egg, and sometimes in a large Mass, composed of small Grains or Tears, and if good, appears of a deep shining red colour, and when reduced to Powder changes into elegant bright Crimson: if you meet with any different from the above Account, as mixed with Dross, Dirt, or worse colour, must not give much for it, there being Dragons Blood from less than £.10 to £40 per Cwt. that in Tears is the safest to buy, if it breaks as clear as Glass, and is when powdered of a fine Crimson red, which is the only Excellence, it being used much more in Japaniary than in physic.

GALBANUM.

Is a soft tenacious yellowish Gum, of a warm bitterish Taste; the best Sort is in Masses, and when broke or cut appears composed of white small dry Tears or Drops. Chuse as above, for if you meet with it mixed with Dirt, Sticks, Bits of Cane, or other Rubbish, it will reduce the Value; the more Aromatic it smells the better: that which is fine, has Tears in it, like other East India Gums.

GUM ARABIC.

Prefer the large red lumps, for the pale yel­low does not sell well. Observe that it be clean and kept from Wet or Dampness; the best Packages is strong iron-bound Casks: there is sometimes a fine transparent Sort, almost white, which will sell very well.

LAC, called SHELLACK.

Is thought to be a Preparation from Sticklack, and formed into thin Flakes or Shells, appears of a clear transparent deep yellow or red colour; if specky, drossy, black, or of a Liver colour, or any ways dull and cloudy, and not transpa­rent, it will be of little Value at this Market.

LACK, called STICKLACK.

Is supposed to be a kind of rosinous Wax collected by Insects, and deposited by them on round small Sticks, in such form as is commonly imported; the best for Sale here is composed of a very deep red Gum, intermixed with Cells, (formed by the Insects) in which the colour is contained, and when put into Water gives a red Tincture, which is the Sort most in Esteem for dying red Morocco Leather.—Chuse the deep Red, which is here called Black, and the fewer Sticks the better; if when chewed it does not make your Spittle of a fine red or crimson colour it is not the right Sort, and not half so valuable.

SEEDLACK.

Appears to be the little Lumps or Seeds that fall from the Sticklack, or some other artifici­al Preparation.

The Consumption is very trifling in Europe; chuse as large red clean Seeds as possible: there is a Sort of a very bright yellow, and very trans­parent, resembling Amber, which is used in Varnish or Lacquer, and will, if clean, bear an high Price.

LACK, called CAKE, or LUMPLACK.

Is the fine deep aqueous Gum separated from Sticks, and formed into Masses; the more it resembles Sticklack the better, and ought to be free from Sticks, Dirt, &c.

MOTHER OF PEARL SHELLS, ROUGH.

Ought to be at least eight or nine Inches broad, and have a shining silver Colour on the Inside and the Outside free from Blotches or Scabs, otherwise they are of little Value.

LONG PEPPER.

Is the Fruit of a certain Plant of the Pepper kind, growing in the East Indies; it differs very little from the other, except in Shape, from whence it takes its Name, being of a long round Form, of about an Inch, about the Size of a Goose Quill, and composed of a great Number of Seeds, set close together, about the Size of a small Pin's Head. It must be sound, clean and dry, and of a dark Ash-colour; there some­times comes a shorter and smaller, which is not near so valuable, and the Duties are alike on both Kinds. If any Salt-water gets to it, there is no such thing as drying it, and will soon be­come wormy and rotten.

MUSK.

Appears to be a Substance like greasy clotted Blood, contained in a hairy small Bag or Pod, resembling the Cod of an Animal, weighing about an Ounce, and supposed to be found on a certain Animal in China. Chuse thin-skinned Pods that have not been cut open, for the Smell of the Musk is so powerful, that Pieces of Liver or any thing else may be mixed with it, and sometimes Lead Shot to make it heavy. It can­not be too dry, and if the Cods have been cut open, the Palp or Grain ought to be of a dark reddish brown Colour.

MYRRH.

Is a concrete gummy rosinous Juice, of vari­ous Colours and Sizes, the Produce of Persia, of a fine aromatic Smell, and bitter aromatic Taste; the best that has been brought home for ten Years past was in solid lumps, from the Size of a Nutmeg to that of a Pigeon's Egg, of a palish yellow Colour, and when broke appeared in the Inside of a whitish mealy Substance; though where it breaks of a deep Orange-colour, and of a firmer Texture, and shining, it is much more preferable.

There is also a brown sort, which appears of the same mealy Substance, and sells near as well

The second Sort has the same Colour, Taste, and Smell; but the Inside appears more glassy and solid, and generally in less Lumps.

The third Sort is in brown, red, dirty, small, and frequently mixed with ordinary inferior Gum, which, by being mixed with it, will contract the Smell and Flavour of the true Gum. The very best is sometimes mixed with Pieces that are very drossy and light, and often with very small Gum and Dust; which, though ever so genuine, will not sell for near the Price that the large will.

OLIBANUM.

Is a rosinous Gum, mostly brought from Turkey, and sometimes from the East Indies, in small round Drops or Tears, of a pale yellowish Colour, and very rarely transparent, being in general hardly pellucid, as it is a Species of Frankincense; it has an aromatic Smell, but rather a disagreeable acrid astringent Taste, and when chewed will be of a milky Colour. If it is run into a Mass with but few Tears in it, and mixed with Dirt or Rubbish, it will not do for this Market.

OPOPONAX.

A concrete gummy rosinous Juice, the Pro­duce of Persia; the best brought home, by the way of the East Indies, is in reddish or Orange-coloured Drops or Tears, and when broke the Inside appears of a pale yellow, intermixed with white Specks; it has a very fragrant Smell, something like Sellery Roots, and a pleasant bit­ter acrid Taste. It is sometimes very light and kecksey, mixed with small Bits of Canes and Sticks, but that always sells low, in Proportion to the Quantity of Gum.

RHUBARB.

The Root of a Plant growing in China, of our English Dock kind, but considerably larger. The Natives cut the Root into round Pieces, about three or four Inches long, and dry it for Sale, which is well known in Europe by the Name of round Rhubarb; and sometimes they cut it down the middle of the Root, and after­wards into four or five Inch long Pieces, which drys the better, and when fit for Sale appears flat. For these four or five Years past the flat Kind has sold £25 per Cent. better than the round of the same goodness.

Observe what you buy has the rough dis­coloured outside Coat pared off, which it at­tracts in drying, and that it is quite dry and not the least Dampness or Greeness left in it; the Outside to be of a pale yellow, and the Inside of a pale red Nutmeg Colour: and it can­not smell too fresh, and must be free from Worm Holes. To avoid being cheated, break several Pieces through the Middle, it being frequently of a very good Colour on the Outside, but quite green, and often black, and almost rotten in the middle.

SAGO.

Is generally thought to be the Pith of a Tree and manufactured into small round Grains, and brought from China or other Parts of India, though the Mallaca is the principal Market, and the best Sago; what is most preferable here is of a red Bloom Colour, and dissolves very easily in warm or hot Water, and makes a very fine Jelly; that which boils red is always pre­ferred: that which is brown is not near so good, and it ought also to be free from Dust. Care should be taken of the Package, which is best in Oak Casks; the least damp will render it Musty, and good for nothing.

SAL ARMONIAC.

Is a manufactured Salt, said to be prepared from Camel's or other Animal's Urine, or Dung, in the hot Climates, about Persia and Arabia. The Sort generally brought here is in large round convex Cakes, or conical Loaves, in some Degree resembling a Sugar Loaf, about six or eight Pounds Weight each. Very little Judgment is required in chusing it: the Taste ought to be sharp and penetrating, its Colour white and clear; sometimes Soot or Sticks is in it, but the less the better.

TINCAL, or unrefined BORAX.

In the Manner we have it brought home appears to be a natural Salt, produced in the Province of Bengal, being mixed with Sand and Earth; the best is in large Pieces, of the Size of a Hasel-Nut, and sometimes, though very seldom, larger, and of a clear and almost transparent Colour, when broke resembling Allum, though seldom so clear, but generally mixed with Dirt, Sand, &c.

Another Sort has been imported, about the Size of a Grain of Wheat, of a yellowish Co­lour, resembling brown Sugar Candy, when broke into small Pieces, which was very good; but the worst is what is mixed with Sand, Dirt, and other Rubbish. They have a wrong Notion in Madrass and Bengal to mix it with Oil and Butter-Milk, when tight Casks would bring it home better, and save the Expence of paying Duty on Water, &c. which in the refining must be all evaporated, as refined Borax must be dry enough to be reduced to a fine Powder.

TURMERICK.

A Root growing in China and Bengal, brought home in Pieces, about an Inch long, of a warm aromatick Taste, much resembling Ginger. The China Sort sells the best, being about the Thick­ness of a Man's little Finger; smooth yellow Surface, and fine pale red, or rather Orange-colour, and the more rosinous the better, when broke. The Bengal Sort is not yellow on the Outside as the China Sort is, but when broke is almost of as good a colour, but very often breaks black, which renders it of less Value: Turme­rick is also very subject to be Worm-eaten, which will greatly reduce its Value; and the least wet or damp will spoil it for Use, on which account tight Casks is far preferable to Bags, in which it is too often imported.