The merchants map of commerce wherein the universal manner and matter relating to trade and merchandize are fully treated of, the standard and current coins of most princes and republicks observ'd, the real and imaginary coins of accounts and exchanges express'd, the natural products and artificial commodities and manufactures for transportation declar'd, the weights and measures of all eminent cities and towns of traffick in the universe, collected one into another, and all reduc'd to the meridian of commerce practis'd in the famous city of London / by Lewis Roberts, merchant.

CHAP. XXIII. Of the City MOROCCO, and the Trade thereof.

* 1.1MOROCCO is the chief City of this Kingdom, and in times past was accounted the Metropolis of all Barbary, as once containing one hundred thousand housholds, but now inferiour to Fesse in beauty, spaciousness and populousness: it is strongly walled about, and within adorned with many private and publick Edifices, the chief being the Castle or Arsenal, and the Churches, or Moschs; one whereof is bigger, though not so beautiful as that of Fesse, seated in the midst of the City, and built by Hali their King, augmented 50 fathom in spaciousness by Abdullmumen and Mansor his Son, with many exquisite Pillars brought from Spain; he also covered the same with Lead, and made a Cistern of the same greatness, as this Temple was to receive the Rain-water that came therefrom; besides which he made therein a Tower of Masonry in form of the Roman Colossus, equal in height to the famous Tower in Bolonia, which being ascended, the Hills of Asaffi, being 130 miles distant, may be easily discerned. The Castle is also very large and strong, of the bigness of a reasonable Town, in the midst whereof is a Temple, which hath a Tower, whereon is fixed a Spindle of Iron, passing through three great round Globes made of pure Gold, and weighing 130 thousand Bar∣bary Ducates, which is 58500 l. sterling, which divers Kings have gone about to take down and convert into Money; but have all desisted, by reason of some strange mis-fortune that hath been inflicted on them, so that the common people imagine they are kept by a Guard of Spirits.

They have here also a Burse for Merchants, which is now taken up by Artisans, the late Civil Wars having eclipsed the glory of the famous Trade that was seated in this Countrey, which in its former splendour was found to have several Streets for several Artsmen, and no one Artsman permitted to make his abiding but amongst those of his own Profession.

* 1.2The Commodities of this Kingdom are the same as in the Kingdom of Fesse, spoken of before, save that the same abounds more in Sugars, especially in Taradant, where divers Merchants are found to reside purposely for that Commodity, from whence it is Exported into other Regions.

* 1.3The Coins current is also the Xeriff common with Fesse, and all these parts of Barbary, and by some called the Ducate of Gold, having eight divisions or parts, esteemed to be about nine shillings and four pence sterling, each ⅛ worth fourteen pence sterling.

* 1.4They are found here to have two several Quintals, one that doth accord with the Quintal of Fesse, specified formerly; and the other which doth agree with the Quintal of Sevil, which

may be seen more at large in the ensuing Tract, and there it may be observed, how the same doth agree with the weight of London, and other places; besides which it is observable, that sundry Commodities are weighed by this Quintal, yet comprehending more or less Ro∣tolos, according to the custom in sale of that Commodity, which the Merchants must learn to know.

* 1.5The Measure of length here is also Covado, agreeing with that of Fesse, as you shall find in the Chapter before touched.

* 1.6The Customs of Morocco are the same as specified in the Kingdom of Fesse, at the entrado 2 per cent. by the Subject, and 10 per cent. by the Merchant stranger: * 1.7But the Civil Wars have given a period to that famous Traffick here maintained by the Barbary Merchants of London, which from this Kingdom had its original, and which flourished in the days of Queen Eli∣zabeth; the faction, dissention, and banding for this Kingdom and Fesse, overthrew that Company, * 1.8from whose ashes and dissolution, arose the Society of Merchants trading into the Levant Seas, known by the name of the Turkie Company, which now we find to be grown to that heighth; that (without comparison) it is the most flourishing and most beneficial Com∣pany to the Common-wealth of any in England of all other whatsoever; into whose Patent was at first inserted the Eastern-Indies, as only proper to their Navigation, which within few years after being by way of Turkey better discovered, and gathering thereby new strength, it was in the beginning of King James's Reign incorporated a Society by it self; and for incouragement to Adventurers in consideration of the length of the Voyage, and of the great charges and dangers incident thereto, it was permitted that all men of what Quality and Profession soever, might be Adventurers therein, and be admitted thereunto, contrary to the Custom and Priviledge of the Turkey, and said Barbary Company, and of all other Societies of Merchants, who admit not any to be a Member thereof, but such as are meer Merchants, and none others.

* 1.9The Trade of these Countreys by reason of their discontent is almost come now to no∣thing, every Town and Province for the most part acknowledging a several Sovereign; and where Peace and Unity is wanting, Trade must decay. Some good Ports these two Kingdoms are found to enjoy for Traffick, as Tituan within the Streights, Tangier and Ceuta at the Streights mouth, Larache, Maxinara, Sali the old and new, a second Argier, and sure recepta∣cle for Pirates, lately reduced to better conformity with the English Subjects by the valour of some English, under the fortunate and happy conduct of Captain William Rainsborough, to whose worth Powe this particular remembrance: Assasse, Mogador, and Santa Crux, with some others; and lastly, Taradant the only Mart of all these Countreys, seated upon the River of Sens,* 1.10 in a spacious Plain between the Mountain Atlas and the Sea, abounding with Sugar, and all other kind of Provision; the good regard and continual abode that Mahomet Xeriffe, one of their late Sovereigns made in this place, hath greatly augmented and ennobled this Town; the Observations upon the present Trade thereof, I am constrained by reason of my ignorance, to refer to another hand.

Notes

• * 1.1

  City of Mo∣rocco and the Trade there∣of.
• * 1.2

  Commodi∣ties of Mo∣rocco.
• * 1.3

  Coins of Mo∣rocco.
• * 1.4

  Weights of Morocco.
• * 1.5

  Measure of Morocco.
• * 1.6

  Customs of Morocco.
• * 1.7

  Barbary Merchants.
• * 1.8

  The Origi∣nal of the Turkey and East-India Company.
• * 1.9

  The Trade general of Barbary.
• * 1.10

  Taradant.