CHAP. XXIX. A View of Asia, and of the Trade, Manners, and Customs thereof to∣gether with the Description of their Currant Coyns, Weights, Measures, &c.
ASia Earths third Portion, is divided from Africa by the Red Sea, and Egyp∣tian Isthmus, and from Europe by the E∣gean Propontis, and Euxian Sea, by Palus Meotis, Tunais, Duina, &c. and is divid∣ed into these Regions or Provinces, viz. Anatolia, Syria, Palestina, Armenia, Arabia, Media, Assyria, Mesopotamia, Chaldea, Per∣sia, Parthia, Tartaria, China, India. And the Islands of the Sea.
Anatolia, or Natolias, is bounded on the East with Euphrates, on the West with Thracius Bosphorus, Propontis, the Helle∣spont, and Egean, on the North Propontis, Euxinus, and on the South bounded with the Rhodian, and Lycian Seas.
In this Province Smyrna, is the chief Ci∣ty of Trade, therefore passing over those of less note, I shall Center the Trade of Page 107 the whole Province, in that one City.
Smyrna, the City to which the Church of which St. John directed his Revelation, is Seated at the Bottom of a Gulgh, called the Gulph of Smyrna; where resides an English Consul, and the like for the French, and Venetians. The Principal Trade having been lately removed from Scio thither, by Reason of the advanta∣gious Harbour for Shipping. This City is under the Government of the Grand Sig∣neur, and is Inhabited by all Nations, but especially Traded to by the English, French, and Venetians. The Commodities found there, which are brought by the A∣rabians, Persians, and other Merchants of Asia, and sold to the Christian Traders in that Port, are Cotton Wools, Galls, Anniseeds, Wax, Cordovant, Cottons wrought Grogram, Yarn, Cute, Carpets, Grograms, Chamblets, Mohairs, Fruits, Drugs, and store of Persian Silk; which is brought on Camels, and Dromidaries by Land; for which they receive of our Mer∣chants in Exchange Suffolk, Essex, and Glo∣cester Cloaths, Yorkshire, and Hampshire Kersies, Lead, Tinn, Pepper, Calicoes, In∣dico, Cloves, Cinnamon, and the like; which Spices were formerly the growth of those Countries; but in the intestine Wars, the Page 108 Trees for the most part destroyed, and now supplyed by our Merchants being brought from India.
The Venetians Trade with them for Pep∣per, Cloath, wrought Silk, Velvets, and the French bring thither, Cloath, Paper, and Bullion, the latter of which they con∣vert to Coyn, Stamped with the Effigies and Motto of the Grand Signeour for the most part, and the same with what is currant all over his Empire; which when I come to take a View of Constanti∣nople, and the Trade thereof, I shall de∣scribe.
The Weights in use, is the Quintar, which contains 100 Rotolos, or 24 Oaks, which are found to be 400 Drams. They have likewise the Lodoro, being 176 Drams, and the Pound Averdupois, has appeared to be 148 Drams, and the Quintar of 42 Oaks to be 119 pound English, tho some∣times but 117.
Their Measures are two, viz. one for Linnen, and the other for Woollen, to which as before in the Weights, I shall re∣fer the Reader to those of Constantinople, they being in effect the same.
The Custom-House of Smyrna, is for the most part farmed of the Grand Signeour, and three per cent. only taken of the English Page 109 Merchants, unless upon Extraordinary oc∣casions; and altho there has been an Edict, Published by the Grand Signeour, that no Goods paying in one Port of his Domini∣ous, and brought into an other Port, shall pay any more duty, yet it is not observed, but the Merchants are obliged to compound with the Customers upon that occasion. But this Custom of 3 per cent. is only to the English, by virtue of their Treaty, for the French, Dutch, and Venetians pay 5 per cent.
The charges of the Port for Ships, before they can be cleared, are sometimes pay'd in Commodities, and sometimes in Money, as they can agree; and the most part are thus. To the Cadie 5 Pico of Venetian Cloath, and Cony Skins to leave it. To the Cadies Servant, 3 ½ Picos English Cloath, to the Cadies Caya, 3 Picos of what Cloath he shall chuse, to the Cadies Scrivan, a Chicquen in Gold. To the Cadies Page, 2 ½ Dollars, to the Mosier Bashaw, 1 ½ Picos of Cloath, to the Cadies Janizaries, a Chicquen in Gold; all of which is commonly accounted to be worth 68 or 69 Dollars. But to conclude, the Trade of this Port, is most in request for the abundance of Cotton; which grows in the adjacent parts, after this manner Page 110 about the Spring of the Year, it is sow∣ed and comes up with a Slender Stalk like Wheat; but strong as a Cane, and bears a Bearded Head, exceeding hard, but when Ripe it opens of it self, and yields both Seed, and Cotton, the first of which they Preserve to Sow again, and the lat∣ter they sell to the English and French to the quantity yearly of 20000 Quin∣tals.
