Japan and the Japanese

KAMBANQ OR PUBLIC SALE. 247
the inhjbitants of Nagasaki, upon each description of our goods, in
order to enable them to determine what price they can afford tc
ofier. The day before the Kamlany, papers are put up at all the
gates of the streets, to invite the merchants to make their appearance
the next morning at Desima, where, for their further informa-
tion, they find before every house a list of the goods laid up in it
As the direction of our trade is entirely
in the hands of the
government
of Nagasaki, so, particularly, the Kamlaijy cannot be held
but in presence of two stewards of the governors, authorized by
them to assist at it. The chief ofiicers of our island must likewise
be present. The first interpreter presides, and directs everything,
while our own triumvirs I mean the two directors, the old and
new and the deputy director, have little or nothing to say.
" All persons who must be present at the sale having met together,
our directors order samples of all our goods to be exposed to view,
and then give a signal with a gum-gum, a sort of flat bell, not
unlike a basin, for the merchants to come in. The house where
the sale is kept is a very neat building,
built at the Company's
expense, and is then, by removing '
the shutters, laid open towards
i
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the street for people to look in. There is a small gallery round it,
and it is divided within. into several partitions, very commodiously
contrived for this act.
" The sale itself is performed in the following manner. Only
one sort of goods is put up at a time. Those who have a mind
to buy them give in some tickets, each signed by feigned names,
and signifying how much they intend to give for a piece, or a
katti, of the article on sale. I took notice that every merchant
gives in several tickets. This is done in order to see how matters
are like to
go, and to keep to a less
price
in case he repents
of the greater, for which purpose they are signed only by feigned
names ; and, because of the great number and subdivision of the
small coin, it seldom happens that two tickets exactly agree.
After all the bidders have given in their tickets, our directors
proceed to open and assort them. They are then delivered to
the presiding chief interpreter, who reads them aloud, one after
another, beginning with the highest. He asks after the bidder
three times, and, if there is no answer made, he lays that ticket
aside and takes the next to it. So he goes on, taking always a