292 DUTCH PAY-BILLS book iii
they
return to Holland. But as there are many of them who, after their term
of service is completed, remain at Batavia and become citizens there,
or in other places where the Company has settlements, as Malacca, the
island of Ceylon, the coast of Coromandel, and other places, each has
his account closed with the balance that the Company owes him. In order
to obtain this money, since they are domiciled there, and do not think
of ever returning to Europe, they sell these statements of account to
those who have money and are returning home, and the Company pays them
in Holland. Those who buy these vouchers get them as cheaply as they
can—thus, for 100 piastres they generally give but 60 or 70, or at the
most 80, and they are allowed by the notary to sign a declaration that
the seller is content, and had received his payment. Whenever these
poor people sold their vouchers in this way to reasonable persons, it
was a convenience to them ; but most frequently they sold them to hotel
keepers and publicans, from whom they did not obtain more than 40 or 50
per cent, at the most. When the latter had thus purchased up to 2,000
or 3,000 ecus, they placed the ' statements ' in the hands of a notary
to resell them to the commanders who were returning to Holland, and
who generally gave for them 85 or 90 per cent., contenting themselves
with being thus able to conceal what they had taken from the Company,
while they were chiefs of the factories.
The
Company freely borrows money from those who are willing to lend it, and
gives them 25 per cent, interest, but the commanders and other officers
take care not to lend the full amount which they have amassed, because
they may be asked by what means they have gained so much money, and be
obliged to render an account; for some of them, as I have said, on
their return to Holland take with them from 400,000 up to 500,000
livres.1 I dealt then with one of these notaries of Batavia who had about 11,000 guilders'2 worth
1 £30,000 to £37,500. (Vol. i. 327).
2 Guides in the original. The florin or guilder of Batavia is given by Kelly as being of the intrinsic value of 1s. 7.77 d., and the Dutch coin of the same denomination at Is. 8.49 d. The currency value was about Is. 8d. and Is. 9d.. respectively in round numbers. Perhaps the true
