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. CVIII.

Of CIPRUS Iland, and the trade thereof.

THe Iland of Ciprus is accounted also belonging to A∣sia, * 1.1 and scituated in the Syrian Sea; in length 200 miles, in bredth 65; and is 60 miles distant from the shoare of Cilicia, and 100 from the maine land of Syria.

This Iland is said to afford materialls to build a Ship from the keele to the topsaile, and fitted for the Sea, either •…•…s a Merchants vessell for transportation of goods, or as a Princes •…•…or warfare.

It affordeth also these commodities, as wine, oyle, corne, sugars, cot∣•…•…ns, * 1.2 honey, wool, turpentine, allum, verdigrace, salt, grograms, and o∣•…•…her commodities.

The chiefe Cities of this Iland are Paphos, Famagusta, Nicosia, Lescara, Salines, and some others; in which Iland the English have a factorie, for the onely trade of cottons here in use; and the English * 1.3 consull resident in Aleppo carryeth the title of consull of Syria and of Ciprus, in which place hee hath a vice consull to supply his occa∣sions for the preservation and maintenance of the English tra∣ding hither; which are onely the Company of Merchants cal∣led the levant or Turkey Company, as included within their pri∣viledges.

The moneys of this Iland currant I need not mention, nor * 1.4 yet their accounts, as being the coines of the Grand Signiors, and their accounts kept after the same denomination as in Con∣stantinople.

The weight in use through this Iland is the dram, 750 whereof is * 1.5 the Rotolo, and 100 whereof makes a cantar, which is accounted 4 per cent. greater than the common cantar of Aleppo; and is by cal∣culation of such as have resided there 80 ounces haberdepois, or 5 li. the Aleppo rotolo yeelding by this computation 4 li. 13 ounces, or 77 ounces: and the quintall or Cantar of Ciprus by this account should be 500 li. sotile; but I find some observations made, that upon some commodities that the 100 Rotolos of Ciprus have made in London 510 and 512 li. The Rotolo of Ciprus containes 750 drams: and the Rotolo of Aleppo is accounted 720 drams, and 62½ drams makes 1 ounce, & 6½ ounces make here an Oake: but note that the can∣tar

of Famagusta, is 4 per cent. greater then this generall cantar of the Iland, which is above 1½ ounces per Rotolo. * 1.6

This common cantar of Cyprus, I find thus to respond with the Citie of Venice and other places.

Rotolos 100 of Cyprus, makes sotile U•…•… 780 li. and of gross 480 li. which by this computation should bee about 522 li. English: but I imagine this is accompted the c•…•…tar of Famagusta, which is 8 per cent. greater then that of Aleppo, which deducted, being 42 li. there resteth 480 li. haberdepois, the weight rendred of Aleppo; so that Rotolo 21 in circa, makes 100 li. gross, and Rotolo 13½ doe make 100 li. sotile; and Rotolo 1 is 7½ sotile or 4 li. 8 ounces gross of Uenice weight.

Againe, I find these observations made on the weights of Cyprus, * 1.7 for cottons, viz. 100 Rotolos of Cyprus cottons, hath made in Venice 750 li. which is 30 li. lesse then the aforesaid notes which are meant of Famagusta, and hath made in

Naples	671 li.
Bollonia	627 li.
Montpelier	678 li.
Barcelona	564 li.
Sivill	589 li.
Paris	448 li.
Marselia	567 li.
Genoa	710 li.
Florence	656 li.
Milan	678 li.
Avignon	570 li.
Bridges	555 li.
Rome	631 li.
London	506 li.

The truth whereof, I referre to the triall of the experienced.

Measures of length are heere two sorts: first, the pico, by which is sold all woolen cloth, and silke accounted 26½ ynches, and the * 1.8 brace, by which is sold linnen, being 〈◊〉〈◊〉 longer then the pico a∣bovesaid.

The 100 picos rendring in Venice 125 woolen braces and 116 of silke braces.

Wine is sold here by the Cusse, 7 cusses makes 6 fetches of Venetia, which is a candie barrell, so that a cusse and a halfe, and a Zant jarre, * 1.9 are of one and the same bignesse.

Oyle is sold by the Rotolo, which weighs 2½ oakes which is ac∣compted for 1000 drams. * 1.10

Graine is sold by a measure called the moose, which weigheth 40 oakes, and 2½ mooses, or 100 oakes makes one staio in Venetia. * 1.11

Salt is sold by the Moose; 1000 mooses heere of salt, makes 14 Mooses in the accompt of Uenetia. * 1.12

Also some graine is sold by the coffino, 100 whereof making 24 in 25 steras of Venetia, which is () bushels English.

In this part of Asia (following the opinion of Authors) is * 1.13 the Iland of RHODES seated, formerly the habitation of the Knights of S•…•…. IOHN, now a Beylque of the Turkes, and where for the commodiousnesse of the Port, there is maintained a squadron of his Galleys yearely imployed, to cleare and protect those Seas: matter of trade presenting heere, I have heere wil∣lingly omitted, and placed the same amongst the Ilands of the Archipelago; to which place I referre the Reader, and who de∣sires to see further thereof.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Iland Ciprus and the trade thereof.
• * 1.2

  Commodities of Ciprus.
• * 1.3

  English consul at Ciprus.
• * 1.4

  Coines of Ciprus.
• * 1.5

  Weights of ci•…•…rus.
• * 1.6

  Note Fama∣gusta.
• * 1.7

  Weights of Cy∣prus compared with other places.
• * 1.8

  Measures of Cy∣prus.
• * 1.9

  Of Wine.
• * 1.10

  Of Oyle.
• * 1.11

  Of Graine.
• * 1.12

  Of Salt.
• * 1.13

  Iland Rhodes seated amongst the Iles Arche∣pelago.