a leak springing in one division of the hold will not be attended with any damage to articles placed in another; and, from her firmness, she is qualified to resist a more than ordinary shock. A considerable loss of stowage is, of course, sustained; but the Chinese exports generally contain a considerable value in small bulk. It is only the very largest class of junks that have so many owners; but even in the smallest class the number is very considerable. Population of China. -For some remarks on the conflicting accounts and theories that have been put forth with respect to the population of this empire, the reader is referred to the Geographical Dictionary, art. China. CANVAS (Fr. Toile à voile; Ger. Segeltuch; It. Canevazza, Lona; Rus. Parussnoë polotno, Purussina; Sp. Lona), unbleached cloth of hemp or flax, chiefly used for sails for shipping. Masters of ships used to be required to make entry of all foreign-made sails and cordage, not being standing or running rigging, in use on board their respective ships, under a penalty of 100%. But this and all other restrictions and regulations in regard to foreign canvas are now repealed. It had been the practice for a considerable period to grant bounties on the exportation of canvas or sail-cloth; these, however, finally ceased on the 1st of January, 1832. By an act passed in the reign of Geo. 2., new sails were ordered to be stamped with the maker's name and place of abode; but this regulation was repealed by the 10 Geo. 4. c. 43. § 9. CAOUTCHOUC. "This substance, which has been improperly termed elastic gum, and vulgarly, from its common application to rub out pencil marks on paper, India rubber, is obtained from the milky juice of different plants in hot countries. The chief of these are the Jatropha elastica, and Urceola elastica. The juice is applied in successive coatings on a mould of clay, and dried by the fire or in the sun; and when of a sufficient thickness the mould is crushed, and the pieces shaken out. Acids separate the caoutchouc from the thinner part of the juice at once, by coagulating it. The juice of old plants yields nearly two-thirds of its weight; that of younger plants less. Its colour, when fresh, is yellowish white, but it grows darker by exposure to the air. The elasticity of this substance is its most remarkable property; when warmed, as by immersion in hot water, slips of it may be drawn out to 7 or 8 times their original length, and will return to their former dimensions nearly. Cold renders it stiff and rigid, but warmth restores its original elasticity. Exposed to the fire, it softens, swells up, and burns with a bright flame. In Cayenne it is used to give light as a candle." — ( Ure's Dictionary.) Caoutchouc has become an article of very considerable importance. M. de la Condamine, who was one of the first to communicate authentic information with respect to it, mentions, that, owing to its being impervious to water, it was made into boots by the Indians.—(Voyage de la Rivière des Amazones, p. 76.) It is now employed in a similar way here. Means have, within these few years, been discovered of reducing it to a state of solution; and when thin filaments of it are spread over cloth or any other substance, it is rendered impervious alike to air and water. Air cushions and pillows are manufactured in this way; as are water-proof cloaks, now in very extensive demand, hats, boots, shoes, &c. It is also extensively used in the manufacture of braces and other articles which it is desirable should possess considerable elasticity; and there can be little doubt that it will be employed still more extensively, and in a still greater variety of ways. Previously to 1830, the importations of caoutchouc were comparatively inconsiderable, having in that year amounted to only 464 cwt., whereas, in 1840, 6,640 cwt. were retained for consumption. Down to 1846 caoutchouc paid a duty of 1s. a cwt., which was then repealed. And owing partly to this circumstance, but incomparably more to the increasing use of the article, the imports have since been greatly augmented. In 1857 they amounted to 22,000 cwt., of which 7,661 cwt were re-exported. We also imported, during the same year, 794,023 lbs. manufactured caoutchouc. It is mostly brought from Para in Brazil, which exported, in 1856, 148,118 arrobas, of which 61,292 were destined for England, and 75,485 for the U. States. There is a pretty good account of the caoutchouc manufacture in England in Hancock's work on the subject, London, 1857. CAPERS (Fr. Capres; Ger. Kappern; Du. Kappers; It. Cappari; Sp. Alcaparras; Rus. Kaperszü; Lat. Capparis), the pickled buds of the Capparis spinosa, a low shrub, generally growing out of the joints of old walls, and the fissures of rocks, in most of the warm parts of Europe. Capers are imported into Great Britain from different parts of the Mediterranean; the best from Toulon in France. Some small salt capers come from Majorca, and a few flat ones from about Lyons. In 1857, 139,187 lbs. capers were entered for consumption. In 1853 the duty of 6d. per lb. on their importation was reduced to 1d. per ditto. CAPE-TOWN, the capital of the British territory in South Africa, at the bottom of Table Bay, about 32 miles north from the Cape of Good Hope, and on the western side of the territory to which it gives its name; lat. 30° 55′ 56′′ S., long. 18° 21' E. The town was founded by the Dutch in 1650; and remained, with the territory subject to it, in their possession, till it was taken by the British in 1795. It was restored to the Dutch by the treaty of Amiens; but being again captured by the British in 1806, J it was finally ceded to us in 1815. The streets are laid out in straight lines, crossing The subjoined plan of Table Bay is taken from the survey of the Cape of Good Hope, executed by Lieut. Vidal and others, under the direction of Captain Owen. References to the Plan.-A, lighthouse, furnished with double lights. They may be seen clearly off deck at 16 miles' dis tance; but they do not appear double till within 6 or 7 miles to the westward; from the northward only one light is scen. B, Lion's Rump. C, Table Mountain. D, Devi's Peak, in lat. 330 57 2. E, Robbin Island. F, Salt River. The figures denote the soundings in fathoms. Port Instructions.-Art. 1. On the arrival of merchant vessels in Table Bay, a proper berth will be pointed out to the masters thereof by the port captain, when he boards them; and no ina-ter of a merchant vessel shall shift his berth without permission from the port captain, unless in case of extreme emergency, when he must report his having done so as early as possible at the Port-office. 2. Should it be the intention of a master of a vessel to discharge or receive on board any considerable quantity of merchandise, a berth will be pointed out to him as close to the jetty, or other landing-place, as the safety of the vessel and other circumstances will admit. And the master wil then moor with two bower anchors, with an open hawse to the N.N.E., taking especial care, in so mooring, not to overlay the anchors of any other ship, or in any way to give the vesse near him a foul berth. Ships and vessels touching in Table Bay for water and refreshments alone, may ride at single anchor in the outer anchorage; but in this case it is particularly recommended to veer out 80 or 90 fathoms, if they ride by a chain cable, as the liability of starting or fouling the anchor, or breaking the chain, will thereby be greatly le sened; and if riding by a rope or coir cable, to run out a stream or good kdge, to steady the ship; and in both cases the other bower anchor should be kept in perfect readiness to let go. When the vessel is properly moored with bower anchors, or well secured with a bower and stream anchor, and with good cables, buoys, and buoy ropes, the master will then take the exact place of the ship by the bearings of 2 land marks, and the depth of the water; and should accident occur, by which the vessel may drift from this situation, or lose her anchors, a good bearing and depth of water must be taken at the time, and the same must be notified in writing to the port captain. It is parti cularly recommended that vessels be kept as snug as possible, to counteract the effects of the periodical winds, which at times blow with considerable violence. Cape Colony, extending as it does from Cape-Town on the west to the Keiskam na River on the east, is of very great extent, and contains every variety of soil, from the richest level land to the wildest mountain, and tracts destitute of even the appearance of vegetation. The climate fluctuates between the tau ex remes of rain and drought. On the whole, its advantages and disadvantages seem to be pretty equally balanced; and the prospects which it holds out to the industrious emi grant, if not very alluring, are certainly not discouraging. Population.-According to the official returns, the population of the Cape Colony in 1855 amounted to 241,224. Produce.-Large quantities of corn of a very good descrip tion are produced in the immediate neighbourhood of CapeTown, and in other parts of the colony; but agriculture is crippled by the Dutch law of succession, which, by dividing a man's property equally among his children, hinders the accumulation of capital in masses, and the formation of proper farming establishments. (Thomson's Travels in Southern Africa, p. 321) The Mauritius and Rio Janeiro are the principal markets for the corn of the Cape. The exports of wool have increased with astonishing rapidity, having risen from 113,077 lbs. in 1833, to 1,754,757 lbs. In 1843, and to above 16,000,000 lbs. in 1858. It is now by far the most important article sent from the colony. The native breed of sheep is very inferior: its fleece is worth nothing, and it is remarkable only for the size of the tail, which sometimes weighs 20 it! But fine woolled Spanish merinos, Saxon and English sheep succeed remarkably well, and their wool fetches a high price. The eastern district of Albany is especially suitable for sheep. Large quantities of wine, and of what is called brandy, are produced at the Cape; but, with the exception of Constantia, they are very inferior. The effect of allowing the importation of Cape wines into the United Kingdom at a comparatively low duty is, not to occasion their direct consumption, but to cause them to be employed as a convenient means of adulterating others; so that, besides being injurious to the revenue, such reduction of duty promotes fraudulent practices, and detracts from the comforts of the public. Considerable quantities of hides, skins, and horns are exported. They are principally brought from Algoa Bay, on the eastern side of the colony; and the trade has increased very fast during the last 6 or 7 years. Aloes are an important pro duct; and horses, butter, beef, ivory, argol, and various other articles, are among the exports. The latter also include dried fish, whale and seal oil, &c., the Cape fisheries being of con. siderable varue. Copper ore is also become an important article of export. The imports at the Cape consist of woollens, cottons, hardware, earthenware, furniture, haberdashery, soap, paper, books, and portions of most articles used in this country. Piece goods and teak timber are imported from India, tea from China, sugar from India, the Mauritius, &c. Trade. The trade between the colonists and the independent natives is subjected to various restraints, of which it is not always very easy to discover the policy. The sale of gunpowder and firearms to the natives has been prohibited; a regulation which might have been a judicious one, had they not been able to obtain them from any one else. The Ameri cans have however traded with the eastern coast, and have liberally supplied the natives with these and various other articles; so that by keeping up the regulation in question, we merely exclude ourselves from participating in what might be an advantageous trade. But since we have taken possession of Natal, this intercourse may perhaps have been stopped. Account of the Quantities and Values of the Principal Articles, the Produce of the Colony, exported in each of the 3 Years ending with 1856. But we should fall into the greatest error if we supposed that either the whole or even the greater portion of this produce was shipped from Cape-Town. On the contrary Port Elizabeth, on the W. side of Algoa Bay, with an excellent harbour, being situated in the most fertile district of the colony, and the most suitable for the growth of wool, is become in a commercial point of view of considerably more importance than the Cape. Port Beaufort and Simon's Town have, also, a considerable trade. The fol lowing table shows the comparative commercial importance of the places referred to. Statement showing the total Value of the Exports from each of the undermentioned Ports of Cape Colony in 1854, 1×55, and 1856. Account of the Quantities and Values of Domestic Products and Manufactures exported from the U. K. to the Cape Colony in each of the 4 Years ending with 1857. The imports during the same year into the U. Kingdom from the Cape, amounted to 1,793,717, whereof 14.287,828 lbs. wool made no less than 1,111,6051, wine, 178,5594, hides, 149,075l., and copper ore, 98,0784. CUSTOM-HOUSE REGULATIONS, DUTIES, FEFS, &c. On Admission of a Ship to Entry, observe 1. The ship's register must be lodged in the Custom house, until the vessel clear again for sea. 2. The manifest of the cargo on board for this place must be deposited there. 3. The cockets of cargoes shipped from any place in Great Britain or Ireland for this place must also be deposited there. From the endorsement of such cockets, an extract is to be made, which will show the contents of the different packages on board, and facilitate the making out of the entries. 4. In making out the declarations, the value by invoice of the different commodities must be given by the importer, in order to enable the Custom-house to estimate the duties pay. able, and to send into government, annually, the required statement of the total duties received upon the several articles imported. In the clearing of a Ship outwards, observe— 1. The master must produce a certificate from the harbourmaster, that the tonnage duties of the port have been paid. 2. The export manifest must be examined with the permits granted, in order to ascertain whether packages have been shipped without a permit. 3. Export declarations must be sent in by the several shippers, of the quality and value of goods or produce shipped by them, in order to ascertain the amount of the exports of the colony. 4. When Cape wine is shipped for exportation to England, affidavit of the particular description of such wine must be delivered, and a certificate granted, by the collector or comp troller of customs, to the master, of his having received such affidavit. 5. Manifests, in triplicate, of such goods as are shipped from the Cape for Great Britain, must be delivered, signed and sworn to by the master, before the collector or comptroller. The original of which is to be returned to the master to accompany the cargo. The duplicate to be forwarded, by the first conveyance sailing subsequently to the vessel containing the original, to the commissioners of customs in England or Scotland respectively, as the case may happen. And the triplicate, written on or covered with a stamp, to remain as an office copy. N.B.-Ships taking in cargoes for other parts of the world, are required to deliver only original and duplicate manifests. 6. When whale oil or whale bone is shipped from the Cape for England, the proprietor of the whale fishery is to inake oath before the collector or comptroller, that the same were bona fide the produce of fish, or creatures living in the sex, actually taken and caught wholly by his Majesty's subjects usually residing in this colony; and the collector or comptrolier is to grant a certificate under his hand and seal to the master, testifying that such oath hath been made before him. 7. When salted seal skins are shipped from the Cape for England, the shipper is to make oath before the collector or comptroller, that the same are really and bona fide the skins of seals taken and caught on the coast appertaining to the Cope of Good Hope, wholly by his Majesty's subjects usually residing in this colony; and that all the salt used in the curing or preserving of the same was not made in, or exported from, Gicat Britain or Ireland; and the collector or comptroller is to grant a certificate to the master accordingly. 8. The original manifest, and a copy thereof, of ships touching at the Cape of Good Hope, with cargoes from the eastward for England, to be delivered and sworn to by the master before the collector or comptroller. The original to be returned to the master, and the copy forwarded from the Custom-house to the commissioner of customs. 9. If any part of such cargo shall be discharged at the Cape of Good Hope, the collector or comptroller is to endorse upon the manifest the part of the cargo so discharged, and verify the same. Seeds, bulbs, or plants. Specimens illustrative of natural history. All articles of naval or military uniform or appointments im Money.-Accounts are either kept in pounds, shillings, pence, and farthings, or in rix-dollars, schillings, and stivers. 1 Stiver 6 Stivers 8 Schillings 1=3 of a penny. = 2 Pence, or 1 schilling. = The Commissariat department grant bills on the Treasury at a premium of 14 per cent. Revenue and Expenditure.-In 1856 the revenue of Cape Colony amounted to 348,3621., of which 173,080l. was derived from Customs duties. During the same year the expenditure amounted to 335,151. Banks, &c.-Five joint-stock banking companies have been established in Cape Town, viz., the Cape of Good Hope Bank, established in 1837, with a paid-up capital of 70,000.; the South African Bank, established in the following year, with a paid-up capital of 60,000.; the Colonial Bank, established in 1844; the Union Bank in 1817; and the Commercial Bank in 1851. These banks transact ordinary banking busi ness, and allow interest on deposits, but the first only issues notes. Joint stock companies have also been formed for conducting the business of insurance and for other purposes. Weights and Measures.-The weights made use of in the Cape are derived from the standard pound of Amsterdam; and those assized are from 50 lbs. down to i loot, or the 32d part of a pound, which is regarded as unity. Liquid Measure. 16 Flasks =3 4 Ankers 4 Aams Corn Measure. 1 Anker. 107 schepels = 82 Winch. bushels, or 4 schepels 3 Imp. bushels, very nearly. The muid of wheat weighs, at an average, about 110 lbs. Dutch, being somewhat over 196 lbs. English. Cloth and Long Measure. 12 Rhynland inches = 1 Rhynland foot. ditto 27 144 Square feet Besides the Cape Almanac for 1856, one of the best of that class of publications, and the other authorities referred to, we have derived part of the above details from the Geographical Dictionary, the papers of the Board of Trade, &c. CAPITAL, in political economy, is that portion of the produce of industry existing in a country, which may be made directly available, either for the support of human existence, or the facilitating of production.—( Principles of Political Economy, 3d ed. P 96.) But in commerce, and as applied to individuals, capital is understood to mean the sum of money which a merchant, banker, or trader adventures in any undertaking, or which he contributes to the common stock of a partnership. It signifies likewise the fund of a trading company, or corporation; in which sense the word stock is generally added to it. Thus we say the capital stock of the Bank, &c. The profit derived from any undertaking is estimated by the rate which it bears to the capital that was employed. CAPSICUM. See PEPPER, CARAVAN, an organised company of merchants, or pilgrims, or both, who associate together in many parts of Asia and Africa, that they may travel with greater security through deserts and other places infested with robbers; or where the road is naturally dangerous. The word is derived from the Persian kervan, or cârvûn, a trader or dealer. -(Shaw's Travels in the Levant, p. 9. 4to ed.) |