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. LXVIII.

Of ARABIA and the Provinces thereof.

ARABIA is bounded on the East with the Persian gulfe, * 1.1 on the West with the red Sea, on the North with Meso∣potamia and Palestina, on the South with the Ocean; the Inhabitants are extreamly addicted to theft, this •…•…ade being found to be the best part of their maintenance, the •…•…ountry is divided into three parts, Arabia deserta, Petrosa, and Fe∣•…•…x. * 1.2 Arabia deserta is the place where the people of Israel wandred •…•…or fortie yeares under the command of Moses; the most eminent Citie of this Province is Bolsora, whereto by reason that it serveth * 1.3 •…•…or through-fare from Arabia to Aleppo, and Damascus, is found a Citie of great concourse of many Merchants, and which doth •…•…rincipally consist more upon the commodities brought hither •…•…rom other Countries, as of India, and other parts of Arabia, then of any found here to be transported into other Countries; the •…•…urther trade thereof by reason of my ignorance I omit.

This Country by reason of the theevish lives of the Inhabitants and the generall barrennesse and infertilitie thereof some Au∣thours have observed in the course of their trade and merchandi∣zing, that the sandy Deserts are the Seas of the Arabian Mer∣chants, the wild arabs their pirats, and their Camells their shippes, usually carrying 600 li. for an ordinary burthen, and so we finde them to doe in the carriage of our goods and wares from Scande∣rone to Aleppo, and so backe againe, a Camells load being accoun∣ted ten Cloths Suffolke, which by statute weigh 640 li. which with the packing may be 700 li. or els two barrels or Chests of Tynne found to be incirca 600 li. and so in other commodities.

In Arabia Petrosa I finde not any Citie of trading: Esion Gebor * 1.4 on the coasts of the red Sea, where Salomons Navie kept station before the setting out and at their returne from Ophir, was once a famous place, and of great traffique, though now it lies buried in its owne ruines.

In Arabia faelix, Merchants should be better welcome were * 1.5 the Inhabitants so beneficiall to their traffique as their commodi∣ties might be made, for it is esteemed the richest and pleasantest part of all Arabia, and indeed of all Asia, abounding with Gold, pearles, Balsam, Myrrhe, Frankinsence, and many other precious drugges.

Here is those two notably noted Townes of Medina and Me∣cha, * 1.6 the one the birth place, the other the burying place of Maho∣met

(who in his younger yeares was a Merchant, and in his elder a cunning impostor) where Christians are forbidden to enter, lea•…•… they should see (as some Authours alledge) the absurdities of the Mahumetane adoration of their great Prophets Sepulcher, whose bodie inclosed in an iron chest, is said by an Adamant to be drawne up to the roofe of the Temple where it hangeth; but herein ma∣ny of them are and have beene for a long time deceived, for 〈◊〉〈◊〉 selfe and other Merchants that have for some terme of time resi∣ded in Turkie, and specially in Constantinople, know by experience that the grand Signior doth yearly send a Carpet or rather tombe∣cloth of greene Velvet to cover the said Sepulcher, the old being then taken away and accounted the fees and vailes of their Priests and cleargie men that attend thereon, who cut the same into se∣verall small pieces, and sell it to the superstitious at extreame rates for precious reliques; the Tombe it selfe being seated in a Temple built in Mecha, of no great magnificence or beautie, save the cost daily bestowed thereupon in Lampes of silver and gold, wherein is Balsam and other such rich odours, oyntments and oyles continually burned, and is seated on the firme ground and not in the ayre, is above is said, and inclosed within an i∣ron grate, wherein some by favour are permitted to enter, from some of whom I have had this relation, and is by divers Turkes that I have knowne and that have seene it and reported it to be so, and no otherwise: this large circuit of ground hath not af∣foorded me much matter of trade worthy observation that hi∣therto hath come to my hands; the most pertinent and eminent places are Mocha, the Sea-port of the said Mecha above-named, and Adam, both on the red Sea; of the trade whereof a word, so farre forth as I have gathered, and then I will conclude.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Arabia.
• * 1.2

  Deserta.
• * 1.3

  Bolsora.
• * 1.4

  Petrosa.
• * 1.5

  Faelix.
• * 1.6

  Medina Talnabi and Mecha.