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. LXXXV.

Of Astracan and the Trade thereof.

ASTRACAN is in Tartaria Asiatica, as I shall shew hereafter, seated in the Emboshure of the River Uolga, having 70 mouthes and receives the trade of all the Caspian Sea, into which the said River en∣treth; it hath a very great confluence of Merchants, who by the benefit of that Sea have here a very great trade, Uolga bringing it all the commodities of Moscovia, Russia and Tartaria and this Sea; the commodities of Persia, Arabia and other Provinces abutting thereupon; it is situate in an Iland of 12 leagues compasse, defended by a woodden Castle and earthen walls, taken by the Moscovites in Anno 1552 from the Tartari∣ans: it is all winter shut up by the immeasurable cold, and all traf∣fique over and upon this great streame is performed on dry foot. The coines here currant by reason of my ignorance I must referre to the better experienced.

Their weights are here two, a grosse for grosse commodities, and a sotile for fine commodities; the grosse cantar hath been observed to have in England yeelded 268 li. the small cantar hath made English 103 li. now in both these cantars there is accounted 20 Rotolos to a libb, and 5 libbs to a cantar, and 12 tochats to a Rotolo; which by the ingenious may easily be reduced to the sotile English pound, therfore I passe it over and come in the next place to the measures.

Their common measure is a pico, and the 100 thereof hath made by observation in Venetia 126 braces of cloth measure, which is in England about (—) inches.

Corne and all other graine is sold by a measure called the Chi∣stetto, which in Venetia comes to make 8 〈◊〉〈◊〉 staios.

Wine and liquid commodities is sold by the but, which is 46 mi∣staties, and which also renders in Venetia 3¼ Bigonso.

In Tartaria Asiatica there are few Cities; for the inhabitants by hords or tribes travaile with their substance from one place to another; yet in this Tract is found Casan, and Astracan afore∣named, which is a very great Towne of commerce, considering these Regions, commodiously seated, (as I said before) on the mouth of the River Volga, by which there is passage found from the Caspian Sea in some seasons of the yeare up to Mosco, and by which way (as I noted in the trade of Persia) some Merchants of

Christendome more then once intended to transport the silkes, and other the riches of Persia to Moscovia, and so to Europe; but the designe proved dangerous and chargeable, by reason of such po∣tent Princes that border upon that River; and by reason that the same must passe against the currant streame, which in winter is not found passable by reason of the frost, by which and other dis∣couragements the designe was given over and fell to nothing.

In Tartary antiqua, I find not any thing worthy of note, nor yet Citie of import, the inhabitants living like vagabonds; onely it affordeth Rubarbe, which is so excellent in Physicke by its proper nature, that the whole world is beholding to these Barbarians for the same as a cure for many diseases.

Notes

• Astracan and the Trade thereof.
• The Weights of Astracan.
• Measures of Astracan.
• Corne and
• Wine.
• Tartaria Asiatica
• Tartaria anti∣qua.
• Rubarbe.