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.

OF AMERICA AND THE PROVINCES THEREOF.

CHAP. XI.

THIS bodie then contained in this univer∣sall * 1.1 Map, or (as now I may terme it) this World, is by Geographers divided (as I said before) into 4. parts, Europe, Africa, Asia and America; which last was alto∣gether unknowne to the ancients, and being of a large extent, the moderne have divided it, some into two, some into three parts, Mexicana, Peruana, Magellanica, and each of these parts are found to containe severall Provinces and Kingdomes, the which I will onely superficially look over, thereby the better to come to the Townes of traffique, scituated in those Provinces and King∣domes; upon which my method and present intentions will in∣force me the longer to insist upon: and because this last mentio∣ned, parts America as last discovered, is least known unto us, and the least frequented by our Nation; I thinke it not improper there to begin to delineate my MAP of COMMERCE, bor∣rowing herein the liberty of those navigators that publish their Cards, leaving unperfect to the view of all men those places, lands and harbours, which have not been fully discovered and found out; and thence sailing homewards by Africa and Asia into Eu∣rope, gathering in each Countrey as I passe more variety of colours to adorne and beautifie this Treatise, and so at last to close my whole labours, and finish my MAP within the circumference of London, as better known unto us, and as being better versed in their severall manner of negotiation.

This new World then called by us America, and now adayes pas∣sing by the name of the west Indies; being West in respect of its Scituation, and India in respect of its wealth, was at first discove∣red by Christopher Columbus à Genoes, at the charges of Ferdinando, and Isabella King and Queene of Castilia, after 63. dayes saile from Sivil. Then secondly by Americus Vespatius à Florentine, at the charges of Emanuel King of Portugall: and thirdly, by Iohn Cabbot a Venetian, at the charges of Henry the seventh King of England, the first and last had their adventures of discovering of some Ilands onely in this part; and Americus of the Maine con∣tinent, and thereby gained the honour of giving name to that vast circuit of Earth, which since by sundry others have been more exactly discovered, as by our Countrey-men Drake, Candish, Frobusher, Davies, Willowby, Burrows, and others as desiring to share with the first discoverers in the riches and wealth which thence spread it selfe over all the other parts of the World.

This America then or more properly in honour of the first dis∣coverer Columba, bounded as I mentioned before, is found by the Spaniard, (who challengeth all this large territory) for their own by conquest, to be divided into 2. parts, Mexicana, and Peruana, of which briefly.

Notes

• * 1.1

  America and the Provinces thereof.