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. XXXII. SUACHEN on the Red-Sea, and the Trade thereof.

* 1.1SUACHEN is one of the richest Cities of the Orient, situated within the Arabique Gulf in the Coast of Aethiopia sub Aegypto, and amongst all the famous Cities of Trade in the Orient this is accounted equal, if not superiour to them in four things; the first in the goodness and security of the Haven; the second in the facility and good service for lading and unlading of Ships; the third in the Traffick with very strange and remote People and Coun∣treys, and of divers behaviours; the fourth in the strength and situation of the City: As for the goodness and security of the Port, Nature hath so made it, that it is defended from all storms whatsoever; the Haven is capacious and large, of smooth Tides, the ground good, and able in circuit to hold 300 great Sail of burthen, with water at all times, from six to twelve fa∣thom; the Ships are laden round about the whole circumference of the City, casting only a plank into the Merchants Ware-houses where their Wares are kept; and the Gallies fastning themselves to the stones and doors of their houses, set their Prows over the Streets, and by them as by Bridges they are commodiously laden or unladen; and secondly, as touching the Traffick and Navigation thereof, few Cities can in these parts be compared with it; for this City is found to have Traffick with all India intra and extra Gangem, that is, Cambaia, Tanacerim, Pegu, Mallacca, and with the Arabick, with Judea, Cairo and Alexandria, as I said above, and with all Aethiopia and the Land of Abexi; from whence it gathereth great abundance of Gold and Ivory: Thirdly, For the situation of it; for it is such as if Nature had framed it purposely for a Royal Mart; for it is an Island round in form, incompassed with many sholds and flats, for defence of the Port and City, occupying and taking up the whole bo∣dy of the Island, so that it may as properly be termed an Island of a City, as a City in an Island; for there is no one foot of waste ground upon the whole Island, but is imployed in Housing and Magazines: the manner of Trade here, as far as I have gathered is thus:

It is now the principal Port-Town in these Seas belonging to Prester Jean, from whose Court called Dombia, it is twenty five days journy by Caravan; and the concourse of Mer∣chants is here so great, that twenty Caravans are yearly found to set out hence towards several parts of the neighbouring Regions.

* 1.2The Commodities they carry, are all kind of Indian Clothing, and also of our English Commo∣dities, as Broad Cloths, Kersies, Lead, and Tin; likewise Velvets, Damasks, Sattins, Taffetteas, and all other sorts of Silk Stuffs; their colours more desired are reds, greens, viol••ts, murries, and other light colours.

* 1.3Their Measure is called a (—) about half a Yard, and Cloth that is worth in Suachen 4 Ryals of 1/•• is there worth 8 Ryals, and the price of Kersies is half the price of Broad-cloth; Vel∣vets of China are here worth 10 ℞ 8/•• the said measure, and Italian Velvets are mach more worth, but not so profitable to the Merchants, as being much dea••er; Sattins of Florence are worth 10 8/••, Damasks of the best fort worth from 8 to 10 ℞ 8/•• Taffetta's 3 ℞ 8/••, and all colours well sold, excepting yellow and black, which are out of use in these Countreys.

* 1.4Their Weight is the Rotolo, which is about 16½ ounces Averdupois, the Rotolo is four Wakies, and 360 Rotolos make here a weight called a Bahar.

The Commodities here abounding are these, Civet in great quantity, and worth a ℞ 8/•• a Wai••a, Elephants Teeth also plenty, worth thirty ℞ •• the Bahar, Wax worth 1 ℞ •• the 100 Rotolo's; Gold worth 60 ℞ 8/•• the Rotolo, Tin worth 1 ℞ •• the Rotolo, and Lead much more; but the Turk will not suffer any to be brought hither through his Dominions, for they hold it a contrabanda Commodity: from Grand Caire there goeth always in August a great Caravan for these parts, and likewise another in November, and the Commodities they earry thence is Broad Cloths, Kersies, Velvets, Satins, Damasks and Silks of all sorts, and from Cairo to Dombia this way is fifty days travel by Caravan, and no more, which hence is easily performed.

Now forasmuch as I find not on the Arabian side of the Red-Sea any other Town of eminence in Trade besides this, and that from Cape guarda fue along the Coast, I find none other worthy my detention, I will hence sail down to the bottom of this Gulf, and willingly pass by in silence the famous Port Town of (…) the place conceived where the Israelites passed on dry foot over, or rather throw this Sea, when they were pursued by their envious Enemies the Aegyptians, who therein found their death the reward of their hatred; and perusing the same, survey the now famous Port of Sues, the present station of the Grand Signior's Fleet, that aweth this Sea, and the neighbouring Regions thereof.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Suachen on the Red-Sea, and the Trade thereof. Suachen fa∣mous for four excel∣lencies needful in Trade.
• * 1.2

  Commodi∣ties of Sua∣chen.
• * 1.3

  Measures of Suachen.
• * 1.4

  Weights of Suachen.