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. XXVIII.

Of Mosambique and the Trade thereof.

THe Sea coast affording the prime places of traffique * 1.1 known to our Countrymen in this large tract of land before mentioned, and especially from cape bona espe∣ranze, to the entrance of the red Sea, which now com∣meth to bee handled, it will not bee fitting I should wholly omit the Trade thereof, before I have better surveighed •…•…he same, together with those Townes of Traffique as are found to •…•…e there most eminent, and therewith relate the manner how and •…•…he matter whereof this trade is heere maintained and preserved; 〈◊〉〈◊〉 will then include the trade of this whole Coast under the title of Mosambique, as being the principall towne of negotiation found •…•…longst this shoare, having Soffalla on the one side thereof, and •…•…uiloa on the other side: all which being fortified by the Portu∣•…•…als the first Christian discoverers thereof give yet that libertie •…•…nd freedome to the Countrey inhabitants and others to exercise •…•…he same that would, and considering their manner of traffique, •…•…t is seene plentifully stored both with the native commodities of the coast it selfe, and of the inland Countries; there are here found the Townes of Cuama, Sena, Macava, Brava, Melinda, and others along this shore, seated some on the coast of Abex, and some on the coast of Melinde, but Quiloa for the commodiousnesse of the River, and the passage into the maine Continent, having but a short cut into the Lake of Zaflan, in which there ariseth a great River, that runneth into Nilus, and so to Cairo, and there∣fore the same is accounted the principall Citie for eminency and concourse of people, though for traffique this and the rest give

place (if the Spanish Relations be true) to Mosambique, wherein is found the first Fortresse that was built by the Portugalls on this coast and Seas.

Mosambique then is not onely the name of an Iland, but also of a Kingdome, seated betweene Monomotapa and Quiloa; the Iland is found to have a pretie Towne seated upon it, and toge∣ther with the Ilands of Saint George, and Saint Iacob, makes a large, faire, and secure haven for shippes of the greatest burthen, fit to receive and harbour all vessels, that come and goe, both to and from India to Christendome; and although this Iland nor Kingdome are not very great, yet they are very rich, and most abounding of all the Countries of this coast of Mosambique; the Iland whereon the Towne is scituated, is inhabited now by two manner of people, Christians and Mahometans; the Christians account themselves Portugalls, or of the Portugall race, who are the keepers of a strong Castle seated therein, from whence also all other their Castles and Forts seated in this Tract are supplyed with their necessaries; especially Soffala, where the richest mine of * 1.2 gold of all this coast lieth, and there the Portugall ships doe use to harbour in winter time, when they are not able to saile either backward or forward otherwise to accomplish their desired voy∣age; and there likewise the Indian shippes are accustomed to take in victualls and fresh water, and by the onely discovery of this place, the Portugalls first found out the way to India; for here they met with Pilots that were able to instruct them in the man∣ner of the navigation of these Seas, and were expert in the ma∣ritime coasts thereof; they have no sweet water in the Towne, nor in the Castle, though it be imagined to be the strongest in In∣dia, but have many cesternes round about it, wherein a yeares provision of water is ever found, which they fetch from the con∣tinent from a place called Cabasar. The Captaine of this Castle is * 1.3 still found to be the greatest Merchant here, for he keepes a Factor in Soffala, and another in Quiloa, and yearly sendeth barkes for trade alongst the coast, who commonly for some good service performed, ha•…•…h this place and command assignd him for three yeares, which is conceived to be worth to him 400 thousand duc∣cats, and afterward he is to goe into India, and upon his owne charge to serve there at the command of the Viceroy for the King of Portugall other three yeares, and then may depart for Spaine if he please, besides whom none may hence trade for India, but the Inhabitants Portugalls, and who are also injoyned to be mar∣ried men, for such as are unmarried may not stay here by a speci∣all priviled•…•…e from the King, granted to those that inhabit here, to the end •…•…at the Iland should be peopled, and thereby kept safegua•…•…ed and maintained, and for this immunitie they are one∣ly bo•…•… in •…•…me of need to defend the Castle, and are accounted as th•…•… Garrison thereof, though it is found that the Governour and

his family onely lieth therein, and the Townesmen by turnes, having the warding and watching thereof committed to their charge and trust.

Their navigation is hence into India but once a yeare, which * 1.4 is in the moneth of Aprill, and continueth till the midst of Sep∣tember, because that throughout the whole Countrey of India, they must sayle with Monsons, which are certaine current con∣stant winds, which have a setled course of blowing throughout the yeare, whereby they make their account to goe and come from the one place to the other, and in thirtie dayes they may sayle from Mosambique to India, and they are then forced to stay in India till the moneth of August, when as then the wind or Monson commeth againe, to serve them for Mosambique and this coast, in every which yeare the Captaine abovesaid hath ever a Shippe for his owne account going and comming into India.

As for the commodities which this Countrie and coast is found * 1.5 principally to affoord to the Merchant for transportation, it is chiefly gold, for neere Soffalla is a very rich Mine, and within the land, the famous Mine of Angola, the richest in the world, is said to be seated, besides the rich mines of Monomotapa, where∣in a River running thereby is found sands of gold in great plen∣tie, which is accounted the finest and best, and called by the Por∣tugalls, Botongorn Oroempo. The King of Portugall having ever a speciall Factor resident in Mosambique, trading for his account, keeping correspondence with other his Factors, and sending mer∣chandise from one place to another; for by this meanes the Kings * 1.6 of Portugall, the first Navigators into these parts, so farre honou∣red merchandizing, that they held it no disparagement to raise thus some estate the better to performe and accomplish these long and chargeable Navigations, and hence it grew that they bringing these Indian commodities into Europe, for their owne ac∣count did by commissioners contract with private Merchants for the same in Lixborne, and other places; which hence from this authoritie were termed Regall Contracts. The other commodi∣ties * 1.7 of this Country, besides Gold in sand, and Ingotts, are, Amber∣grise, Ebonwood, Ivorie, Elephants teeth, and many slaves both men and women, which hence are carried principally to India, as be∣ing reputed the strongest Moores 〈◊〉〈◊〉 all the East Countries, and are put throughout India to the hardest labour and loathsomest drudgerie.

In order here according to my intended methode, for the ex∣planation * 1.8 of the trade of this place and Countrie, I should lay downe the Coines currant here, and their valuation, their mea∣sures of length, and their waights used in merchandizing; but be∣cause that by the collection I have made, and the observation that I have noted, the Portugalls at their first conquest here, brought

with them their owne species and coines, as also their owne waights and measures, as a testimony of their Regalitie and Soveraigntie, and that the particulars thereof shall be more at large shewed in its due place, when I come to handle the trade of Lixborne, from whence the same had its originall, I shall to avoide needlesse repe∣tition, desire the Reader to be referred thereunto, and so leaving this large coast with this slender Survey, I shall proceed to what doth rest behinde of Africa, which is better knowne unto us, and wherewith our Nation is more familiarly acquainted.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Mosambique and the trade thereof.
• * 1.2

  Soffa•…•…▪
• * 1.3

  The Capt•…•…ine of Mos•…•…mbique the greatest Merchant.
• * 1.4

  Navigation of India.
• * 1.5

  Commodities of the coast of Mosambique.
• * 1.6

  The Kings of Portugall great Merchants.
• * 1.7

  Regall Con∣tracts.
• * 1.8

  Coines, mea∣sures, and vvaights in Mosambique and the coast.