The merchants mappe of commerce wherein, the universall manner and matter of trade, is compendiously handled. The standerd and currant coines of sundry princes, observed. The reall and imaginary coines of accompts and exchanges, expressed. The naturall and artificiall commodities of all countries for transportation declared. The weights and measures of all eminent cities and tovvnes of traffique, collected and reduced one into another; and all to the meridian of commerce practised in the famous citie of London. By Lewes Roberts, merchant. Necessary for all such as shall be imployed in the publique affaires of princes in forreigne parts; for all gentlemen and others that travell abroad for delight or pleasure, and for all merchants or their factors that exercise the art of merchandizing in any part of the habitable world.

CHAP. XXIII.

Of the Citie MOROCCO and the Trade thereof.

MOROCCO is the chiefe City of this Kingdome, and in times past was accounted the Metropolis of all * 1.1 Barbary, as once containing one hundred thousand housholds, but now inferiour to Fesse in beauty, spa∣ciousnesse and populousnesse: it is strongly walled about, and within adorned with many private and publike edifices, the chiefe being the Castle or Arsenall, and the Churches, or Mosces; one whereof is bigger, though not so beautifull as that of Fesse, seated in the midst of the Citie and built by Hali their King, aug∣mented

by 50. fadome in spaciousnesse by Abdull mumen and Man∣•…•…or his sonne with many exquisite Pillers brought from Spaine, he •…•…lso covered the same with lead, and made a cesterne of the same greatnesse as this Temple was to receive the raine water that •…•…ame therefrom; besides which he made therein a Tower of Ma∣sonry in forme of the Romane Colossus, equall in height to the fa∣mous Towre in Bolonia, which being ascended the Hills of Asaffi, being 130. miles distant, may be easily discerned. The Castle is also very large and strong, of the bignesse of a reasonable Towne, in the midst whereof is a Temple, which hath a Towre, whereon is fixed a spindle of Iron passing through three great round Globes made of pure gold, and weighing 130. thousand Barbary duckets, which is 58500. li. starlin, which divers Kings have gone about to take downe and convert into money; but have all desisted, by rea∣son of some strange misfortune that have been inflicted on them, so that the common people imagine they are kept by a guard of spirits.

They have here also a Burse for Merchants, which is now taken •…•…p by artisens, the late civill warres having eclipsed the glory of the famous trade that was seated in this Countrie, which in its former splendour was found to have severall streets for severall artsmen, and no one artsman permitted to make his abiding but amongst those of his owne profession.

The commodities of this kingdome are the same as in the king∣dome * 1.2 of Fesse, spoken of before, save that the same abounds more in sugars, especially in Taradant, where divers Merchants are found to reside purposely for that commoditie, from whence it is exported into other Regions.

The coines currant is also the Sherif common with Fesse, and all * 1.3 these parts of Barbarie, and by some called the duccat of gold, ha∣ving eight divisions or parts, esteemed to be about nine shillings and foure pence sterling, each 〈◊〉〈◊〉 worth fourteene pence sterling. They are found here to have two severall quintalls, one that doth * 1.4 accord with the quintall of Fesse, specified formerly, and the other which doth agree with the quintall of Sivill, which may be seene there more at large in this ensuing Tract, and there it may be ob∣served, how the same doth agree with the waight of London, and other places; besides which it is observable, that sundry com∣modities are waighed by this quintall, yet comprehending more or lesse Rotolos, according to the custome in sale of that commo∣ditie which the Merchants must learne to know.

The measure of length here is also covado, agreeing with that of * 1.5 Fesse, as you shall finde in the Chapter before touched.

The customes of Morocco is the same as specified in the king∣dome * 1.6 of Fesse, at thentrado 2 per cent. by the subject and 10 per cent. by the Merchant stranger: But the civill warres hath given a period to that famous traffique here maintained by the Barbary Mer∣chants

of London, which from this kingdome had its originall, and which flourished in the dayes of Queene Elizabeth; the facti∣on, dissention, and banding for this kingdome and Fesse, overthrew that company, from whose ashes and dissolution, arose the socie∣tie * 1.7 of merchants trading into the levant Seas, known by the name of the Turkie Company, which now wee finde to be growne to that height, that (without comparison) it is the most flourishing and most beneficiall Company to the Common-wealth of any in Eng∣land * 1.8 of all other whatsoever; into whose Patent was at first inser∣ted the Easterne Indies, as onely proper to their navigation, which within few yeares after being by the way of Turkie better disco∣vered, and gathering thereby new strength, it was in the begin∣ning of King Iames Raigne incorporated a societie by it selfe, and for incouragement to adventurers in consideration of the length of the voyage, and of the great charges and dangers incident thereto, it was permitted that all men of what qualitie and pro∣fession soever, might be adventurers therein, and be admitted thereunto, contrary to the custome and priviledge of the Turkie, and said Barbary Company, and of all other Societies of Merchants, who admit not any to be a member thereof, but such as are meere Merchants, and none others.

The trade of these Countries by reason of their discontent is al∣most come now to nothing, every Towne and Province for the * 1.9 most part acknowledging a severall soveraigne; and where peace and unitie is wanting, trade must decay. Some good ports these two Kingdomes are found to injoy for traffique, as Tituan within the Straights, Tanger and Seuta at the Straights mouth, Larache, Maxi∣nara, Sali the old and new, a second Argier, and sure receptacle for Pirats, lately reduced to better conformitie with the English subjects by the valour of some English, under the fortunate and happie conduct of Captaine William Rainsborough, to whose worth I owe this particular remembrance; Assaffe, Mogador, and Santa Crux, with some others; and lastly, Taradant the onely Mart of all these Countries, seated * 1.10 upon the River of Sues, in a spacious plaine betweene the Moun∣taine Atlas and the Sea, abounding with sugar, and all other kind of provision, the good regard and continuall abode that Ma∣humet Xeriffe, one of their late Soveraignes made in this place, hath greatly augmented and ennobled this Towne; the observations upon the pre∣sent trade thereof, I am constrai∣ned by reason of my igno∣rance, to referre to another hand.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Citie of Mo∣rocco and the trade thereof.
• * 1.2

  Commodities of Morocco.
• * 1.3

  Coines of Morocco.
• * 1.4

  Waights of Morocco.
• * 1.5

  Measure of Morocco.
• * 1.6

  Customes of Morocco.
• * 1.7

  Barbarie Mer∣chants.
• * 1.8

  The originall of the Turkie and East India Companie.
• * 1.9

  The trade ge∣nerall of Bar∣barie.
• * 1.10

  Taradant.