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. CCXXIV. Of Dantzick, and the Trade thereof.

* 1.1DAntzick is a very fair City, standing at the foot of a great Mountain that hangs over it, the famous River Vistula passing by it on the East-side, and running towards the North falls into the Baltick Sea, a little Brook enters the City on the South-side, and runs through it toward the North, affording many Commodities to the City: as first a Fair Water Conduit, where by a Mill the Waters are drawn into a Cistern, and thence by Pipes serving every private Citizens House, then a Corn mill for the Senate (besides their private Mills.) which affords them in every hour a golden Guilden throughout the year to their publick Treasury; and besides many other Mills, it hath one for sawing of Boards and Timber, having an Iron Wheel, which not only drives the Saw, but hooks in and turns the Boards to the Saw without the help of Hands; the Corn Granaries of this Town are also fair, remarkable and many in number, wherein the Citizens do lay up the Corn coming out of Poland, and according to the Wants of Europe, carry it into many Kingdoms, and many times relieve fruitful Provinces in time of casual Dearth; into which Granaries, under a great Penalty, no Man may carry ei∣ther Fire or Candle lighted, by a Law enacted amongst them.

The City is compassed with one Wall, yet contains three several Cities, governed by three distinct Senates, out of which one chief Senate is chosen to govern the whole City; and ac∣cording to the Roman Superstition they have St. George for their Protector, whose Red Cross they carry in their Flags, as doth also England, Genoua in Italy, and the Island Saio in the Arches; the City is seated about one English mile from the Baltick Shore, the Port being call'd Dermind, where the Ships of Burthen do ride to lade and unlade their Commodities; and the

City being acknowledged a Free Town, is permitted to coin Moneys; which as I find observ'd I shall note here, together with the Weights and Measures here in use.

* 1.2Their Accounts are kept here in sundry manners; the common being by Polish Guilders, of 30 Gross, and 12 d. to a Grosh.

But Merchants buy Commodities here by the great Mark of 60 Gross, and by the lesser of 15, and also by the Dollar of 35 Gross, of 3 Stivers the Grosh.

* 1.3Their Moneys current being thus accounted; 1 great Mark is 2 Polish Guilders; 1 Polish Guilder is worth 2 lesser Marks; 1 lesser Mark worth 15 Grosh, and the Grosh 18 d. Besides which, they coin Hungarian Ducats of Gold as they do in Poland, and they have 2 Coins in Gold, called a Milres, and half a Milres; each Milres is 3 Dollars and 2 Soslins, 36 Polish Grosh are here a Dollar.

* 1.4The Weight in use here is the Pound for fine Goods, the 100 l. in London making here 116 l. Besides which they have a Skip pound and a Lis-pound thus distinguished, 16 Mark pound are a Lis-pound, and 20 Lis-pound make a Skip-pound, by the small Stone of 24 l. for Spices, &c.

But they have also a great Stone to weigh gross Wares, as Flax, Wax, and the like, of 34 l. whereof 10 l. to the Skip-pound of 340 l.

* 1.5The Measure for Length of this City is the Ell, the 100 whereof makes in London about 49 Ells, and the 100 yards of London do here make 162 or 163 Ells incirca.

The Measure of Beer is the Fat, which contains 180 Stoops, and is accounted 81 Stoops of Antwerp.

The Measure of Corn here is the Last, which contains 61 shepels, 56 whereof make a Last in Amsterdam, or 10¼ Quarters of London, 4 shepels make a Mud, which is the Ship-pound before∣mentioned of 34 l.

* 1.6Merchants for the most part throughout all Estland are found to keep their Accounts in Flori•…•… or Guilders, and in Groshes and Deniers, accounting 12 Deniers to the Grosh, and 20 Grosh to the Guilder or Florin.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Dantzick and the Trade thereof.
• * 1.2

  Accounts in Dantzick.
• * 1.3

  Coins current in Dantzick.
• * 1.4

  Weights of Dantzick.
• * 1.5

  Measures of Dantzick.
• * 1.6

  Accounts in Estland.