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. CCXLVII. Of Constantinople, and the Trade thereof.

* 1.1COnstantinople, the Seat and Residence of the Great Turk, is situated upon the Stream that passeth from the Euxine Seas to the Mediterranean, and thereby reaping the benefit of all that the Winds can convey thither, both from the Black and White Seas, as they term them. It is no more commodious for Merchandise, than for to be the Head of an Empire, affronting Asia, and behind it Europe, whereof it is accounted the uttermost limit, esteemed to be to Miles in Circuit, and comprehending 700000 living Souls, as some have conceived, which would grow innumerable, did not the Grand Seigniors Armies yearly, and the Plague once in three or four years sweep away abundance of them.

It was first built by Pausanias, a Lacedemonian Captain, 660 years before Christ, and by him called Bisantium, afterwards ruined by Severus, and in Anno 313. re-edified by Constan∣tins the Great, and made the Seat of his Empire, and by him beautified and adorned with Magnificent Buildings and curious Ornaments, and called Constantinople; then it fell into the Hand; of the Latins, from them to the Grecians; and lastly, in 1453 to the Turks, who now command it, upon which some have made this observation: That the first Emperor of the La∣tins who commanded it was a Baldwin, and so was he also that lost it: also that it was built by a Constantine, the Son of a Helena, a Gregory being Patriarch, and lost by a Constantine, the Son of a Helena, a Gregory being Patriarch; and as it was gained by Mahomet, so have the Turks a Prophesie, that a Mahomet shall lose it.

The City is formed in manner of a Triangle, or more fitly, as we see the Composition of a Harp, having its two largest Angles bordering upon the Seas, upon a point that stretch∣eth it self into the Sea; and the third, which is the least part, incompassed with a strong tripled Wall, incompassed with dry deep Ditches for defence, and strengthned with sundry Towers now daily ruined, for the Turks hold but few Cities fortified either by Walls or Bul∣warks, save some principal places, Frontiers or such like.

It hath many goodly modern Buildings, * 1.2and amongst the rest many Canes for Merchants Strangers to abide; * 1.3and Besesternes, for them to make sales of their Commodities in; it hath also many goodly Mosques, or Turkish Churches, and that anciently of Santa Sophia, con∣verted to their irreligious Devotion, is not the least, though only the now standing Chan∣cel of the first Building, near which is the Grand Seignior's Place, in the very point of the Angle, incompassed for three-Miles in Circuit with a high Wall, and fortified with many hundred pieces of Ordnance: This City is the common Mart of all Commodities of this Em∣pire, receiving and distributing what either comes or goes; the Merchants of London about 1586 here began to have some Trade, and break the Ice by their Land-Travel hither through Hungary; afterwards it was settled by the benefit of the Sea, and the first English Ship that came hither, was about 1585, with an Embassadour to reside; who obtained here such favour by the recommendation of Queen Elizabeth, that her Subjects in their Treaty and Capitula∣tions had many Immunities and Privileges granted them, and amongst the rest a Toleration of their Religion, freedom to their Persons and Estates, and that their Customs should only be three in the hundred out, and three in, whereas all other Christians there Resident paid 5 per cent. Since which time the English have here driven a great Trade, under Protection of divers Embassadours, that have here resided, which have had their Election, Salary, and Main∣tenance from a society of Merchants Incorporated in England under the Great Seal; first, by the said Queen Elizabeth, and confirmed afterward with new Privileges by our deceased So∣veraign King James: and lastly, by our present King Charles under the Title of Merchants of England trading to the Levant Seas, wherein was at first comprehended the Eastern-Indies, the Dominions of the great Turk, and also the Seigniory of Venice; this Company deriving their

Original from the Company of Barbary Merchants, which about this time, by reason of the Civil-Wars of Morocco and Fesse, began to decay, and within a short time came to nothing, and who afterward searching more advisedly into the Trade of these Eastern-Coun∣tries, this Company settled a Consul in Aleppo, and a Vice-Consul in Tripoly, the then princi∣pal Seat of Syria, with the Titles of Syria and Cyprus: also they placed another Consul in Chios, intitled of Scio, Smyrna, and the Arches; as another Consul since in Argier, and another in Tunis, and the last in Petras in Morea, strengthned with command from the Port and Durane of the Grand Seignior, not only for their peaceable living, but also for the quiet enjoying of these Privileges granted unto them, as above is said.

* 1.4The Commodities that this place at first affordeth to our Nation, and which hence in those days were brought into England, were Grograms, Camlet, Mohair, Persia Silk, Gold in great quantity, Carpets, Anniseeds, Cottons, Galls, some Pepper, Indico, and other Spices, which now by the benefit of our East-India Trade, we send thither in far greater abundance than ever we had them thence; and those are yet the common Staple Commodities of this Country.

* 1.5The Commodities which at first this Company did send to Constantinople, were Lead, Tin, and principally a sort of blue Kersies, called Hampshire, and Stoplist, and some few Cloths of Suffolk, Furs of Martins, Coney, Fitches, Sables, and such: and now those Kersies are al∣together out of use, and converted into Cloths of Suffolk, Gloucesters, Coventries, and the like, which they send in colours died and drest, to the number of eight or ten thousand Cloths yearly; and now we also supply their Markets with Indico, Pepper, Cloves, Moces, Nutmegs, Ginger, Calicoes, and other East-India Commodities

* 1.6The Merchants here residing keep their Accompts as almost is accustomed over all Turkey, in Dollars and Aspers, whereof 80 Aspers is accounted a Dollar; and though in Merchandise it doth pass at 90, 100, or 110, or 115 Aspers, as I have known it, yet the standard of the Dollar in Accompts alter not of 80 Aspers to a Dollar, nor of the 120 Aspers to a Sultany.

* 1.7The Coins Current in Constantinople, are those proper to the whole Empire; which is prin∣cipally the Sultany in Gold, which agrees with the Hungar, Venice, Checquin, and Xeriff of Barbary, passing for 120 Aspers and the Dollar of Germany: the Rial of ⅜ Spanish passeth for 80 Aspers, so that the 1½ Rial of ⅜ is a Sultany of Gold; howbeit of late days Silver is found more plentiful, and Gold more scarce, so that the said Sultany Hungar or Checquin is worth 1½ Dollar, and 10, 12, or 13 Aspers more or less as the same is demanded and sought after: also here are found other Dollars, both of Italy and Germany, to pass for a consider∣able value, as the Lion Dollar at 75 Aspers, and the German Sesetine at 70 Aspers, &c. and in fine, most sort of Current Coins in the World, if found good Silver, find here a real price in payments of Merchandise.

* 1.8The Weights used amongst Merchants are these.

A Grain is the least, 4 makes a Quillat.

A Dram is 16 Grains, of which all the Weights of these Countries are Composed.

An Yusdrome is 100 Drams, and is 1 l. sotile Venice, or 72 Mitigales here.

A Lodero is 176 Drams, about 132 l. Averdupois 19½ Ounces.

An Oak is 400 Drams, which is near 2 l. 12 Ounces, or 10 Ounces.

Loderos 100 is accounted to be 42 Oaks, and called a Quintar; which Quintar is accounted to be 118 in 120 l. suttle English.

A Batman is 6 Oaks, which is 2400 Drams, or 16⅓ l. English. By which weight Silk is here bought, making 10 great l. ⅔ Ounces per Batman. Batman 7 and Oaks 2 makes a Quintal, which is 120 l. English. Loders 13 and Drams 112 makes a Batman: all Silk is sold by the Bat∣man, and yet weighed by the Lodero; so also is Grogram Yarn, and other Commonities sold by the Oak, yet weighed by the Lodero. * 1.9To bring therefore Loderos into Oaks, do thus, posite, you have 14 Loders, and would know how many Oaks it produceth: First, multiply your 14 Loderos by 44, which produceth 616; then cut off the two last Figures, for the C. will remain 6 which is Oaks; then multiplying the 16 you cut off by 4, and it makes 64, which is Drams, and so your 14 Loders is 6 Oaks 64 Drams: And so do of any other Sum given.

Drams	720	are accounted Rotolos of Silk and other Commodities in A∣leppo, according to the Custom in sale of that Commodity which is to be noted:
700
680

And this Dram is 16 Killats.

A Mitigal is 1½ Drams, which is 24 Killats, 20 Mitigals of Gold is 3 Ounces English.

A Checquin Sultain or Hungar is 18 Killats or Charats.

Rotolos 3½ and 20 Drams in Aleppo is a Batman in Constantinople, four hundred Drams making an Oak consisting of four Yusdromes or Pounds, ten Ounces to the Yus∣drome, and ten Drams to the Ounce; and hereby I have estimated near forty eight Drams to sixteen Ounces Averdupois. Where note, That here (as in Aleppo) several Commodities

are sold by a several Oak, as there by several Rotolo, as the Oak of Saffron is here 120 Drems, and no more: and so in others.

* 1.10Now having considered this weight in it self, let us consider it as it is found to agree with other Cities of Trade, which may best be done upon the 100 Loderos as the known Beam; here the Oak, and Batman and Rotolo being feigned and compounded thereof.

100 Loders in Constanti∣nople make in In Sergamo 160 l. In Cronia 163 l.	London	120 l. and found by often trial but to be 117 and 118 l.
Aleppo	242	℥
Ditto Silk Rot.	252	℥
Tripoli Suria	294	℥
Tripoli Barbaria	140	l.
Baruti	236	℥
Alex. Zera	56
Alex. Forfori	125	l.
Rhodes	22	℞
Acria	196
Babylonia	168¾
Balsora	48⅓
Millan, and Verona, and Man∣tua	163	l.
Lucca	157	l.
Genoa	160	l.
Florence	151	l.
Venice suttle	176	l.
Venice gross	112	l.
Cairo	123	Rot.
Cyprus	25½	Rot.
Corfu	112	l.
Larta and Cattaro	132	l.
Rhagusa and Spallato	146	l.
Messina gross	62	Rot.
Sicilia suttle	69	Rot.
Naples and Puglia	60	Rot.
Ancona	148	l.
Rome and Balonia	146½	l.

* 1.11The measures of length in Constantinople used in Trade are three, and are called Picos: the first is the Cloth Pico: four whereof hath been observed to make three Yards English, and is about 26½ Inches, and if heedfully noted, twenty seven Inches very near.

The second is the Grogram or Chamlet Pico, containing 24 Inches, and observed to make 24 Pico 16 Yards English.

The third is the Linen Pico, which is only the former doubled: and note, That in the mea∣s••ring here of all Commodities of length, here is no allowance made nor given in courtesie, as the Inch is Overplus in England; but the said Picos are found to be made of flat Iron, and to more allowance given than the thickness of the Pico at the end, which commonly exceeds not the thickness of an English Shilling.

* 1.12Corn's sold by a measure Concave, called the Killow, and weigheth about 20 Oaks; and it hath been observed, that 8⅔ of a Killow is a London Quarter, and doth make a Salmo in Legern, and 5 Killows in Zant make 6 Bushels English.

* 1.13Wine and Oil, and almost all liquid Commodities is sold by a Meter, which makes 8 Oaks, and is accounted ⅔ of a Gallon English.

Note, That in Constantinople all Fuel to burn, Fruit, Fish, Flesh, and for the most part all Commodities are sold by weight, and very few by the Concave measures, which is a good benefit to the Provident. Observe, That Scio doth agree with these Measures and Weights; and so also should Smyrna by the Observations of Merchants, some years past; but some dif∣ference is now found peradventure crept in by the abuse of the Weighers, and the falshood of Beams; and this difference is found more gross upon Cottons and Galls, than upon any other Commodity, which may proceed both from the foulness of the first, and the greenness of the latter, which I refer to the reformation of the more judicious.

* 1.14The Customs paid in Constantinople are divers: as the Italians, and other Franks and Jews pay upon all Commodities, both Outward and Inward, 5 per cent.

The Turks themselves are free from all Customs.

The English and Dutch pay 3 per cent. Inward, and as much Outward, upon all Commodi∣ties, and this is paid in Species, and not in Money, except that the Merchants do compound, as oftentimes they do with the Customer, that an indifferent rate be made upon the Commodi∣ties, and upon that rate is 3 per cent. taken accordingly.

* 1.15Note, That over and above this Custom paid by agreement and Capitulation of Forein Princes for their Subjects, there is paid upon all ponderous Commodities a Duty of 1½ per cent. and upon all measurable Commodities is paid 1 per cent. and these Customs are called Miseteries; and ever paid between the Buyer and the Seller; the Turk, if happening to be either, is ever exempted, which Duty, both by the Buyer and Seller is paid to the Brokers, who repay it to the Farmer thereof, and both ⅕ for the Collector, and is a Rent setled for the maintenance of an Hospital founded by Sultan Achmet, as hoping by this new Custom levied upon Strangers, and thus disposed of to charitable uses, to gain Heaven at the charges of Christians.

* 1.16Opposite to the City of Constantinople, is the City Gallatta, formerly Cornubisantum, and in times past belonging to the Genoese, who in the declining state of the Grecian Empire were Pos∣sessors of this City, and many other in this Empire both of great Trade and Consequence,

which are now in the possession of the Grand Seignior, between which a River now runneth, wherein all shipping find both a safe and convenient Harbour, and in which all the Wester•• Christians, either English, French, Dutch, or Venetian Merchants have their common Refi∣dency, intermixt with Grecians, Jews, Armenians, and some few Turks, where also is placed a Custom-house opposite to another on Constantinople side, * 1.17both commonly farmed by one and the self same Emine or Farmer, who is the Receiver of the Grand Seigniors Customs, which are found commonly payable, the one half in Aspers, of 80 Aspers to a Dollar, and the other half in Sultanies of Gold, or otherwise as the Farmer and Merchant can agree for, and compound the same.

* 1.18I have shewed before, how that the Company of English Merchants, incorporated by the name of the Society of the Levant Company in England, do elect and nominate an able and skilful well qualified man in Merchants affairs, who with his Majesty's consent and approba∣tion resideth here as Legier Embassador, to protect both the said Companies Factors, and their Estates here in matter of Trade, whose charges and salary is paid and defrayed wholly by the said Levant Company, and for the honour of the English Nation, and as necessary to his Port, and the said Companies Traffick through the Grand Seigniors Dominions, they are found also to maintain at present, and to pay Salary to 6 Consuls in six several places of this Empire; and to wait upon these and their Factors, they give pay to 40 Janizaries, 20 Druggermen, or •…•…∣terpreters, 6 Secretaries, 3 Ministers, besides sundry other needful Officers. * 1.19And for the go∣vernment of this Trade in England, they have a Governour, who is always yearly chosen in London, and is ever one of the most eminent of the said Company, then a Deputy, and third∣ly a Husband, in which last, the said Company have for some years honoured my imployment, and thought my pains worthy their acceptation: and these in consideration of their care have a yearly courtesie or gratuity for their pains: also to these are added a Secretary, Accomptant, and some other Officers receiving Salary; and for the better regulating of this Trade, and as Assistants to the abovesaid, they have a Treasurer, and 18 Committees yearly chosen, and are ever the greatest Traders, and the most eminent of the said Society, and commonly the deepest interessed in the general Trade; and in this nature hath it continued since the first Erection and Incorporation of this Society in Anno 1585, by Queen Elizabeth, whose love to her Merchants procured them in Turky many privileges, and granted them in England the Immunities aforesaid. Now for the levying and supportation of this charge annually this happening, and for the raising of the Present that is given to the Grand Seignor at the change of every Embassadour, there is levied a Lanto upon the Merchandise, either Imported or Er∣ported, in or out of Turky, upon the Members of the said Company, * 1.20which in England is called by the name of Impositions, and in Turky by the name of Consolage, which the said Company do impose upon themselves, and set the same either higher or lower, as their occasi∣ons and necessity of their charge doth require, and these are the most eminent of all the Mer∣chant Christians that Traffick bither.

* 1.21The second eminent Traders into this City are the Venetians, and the Subjects of that Seignory, to protect whom, and for reasons of State, because of their near Neighbourhood, that Common-wealth maintains here an Embassadour, commonly entitled the Bailo, together with 10 Consuls in sundry parts of the Grand Seignior's Dominions, together with 60 Janize∣ries, 30 Druggermen, and sundry other Officers, which are all paid and defraid out of the Office of Cottinio in Venice, from whence also issueth all avennues, and other losses and charges that happen for the preservation and maintenance of the Trade of Turky, or the Liberties and Immunities granted thereto throughout all the Grand Seignior's Dominions.

* 1.22The third eminent Traders into this City are the French, and the Subjects of that Crown: to protect whom, and also for preservation of Amity settled between them, that King main∣taineth here an Embassadour, together with twelve Consuls, dispersed into sundry parts of this Empire; together with 80 Janizaries, 34 Druggermen, and sundry other Officers, all paid and defraid out of the Coffers of the French King, who willingly contributeth the charge for the ease of his Merchants, and hath but small Leviations upon them for the same.

* 1.23The fourth and last is the Dutch Nation, who in some manner are found to have some Traffick hither; to which end that State maintaineth in this City an Embassadour, whom they intitle their Oratour, besides whom they have only three Consulships, twelve Janizaries, ••e•• Druggermen, and some other Officers dispersed through the Grand Seignior's Dominions, whose charge is born by the State of the Merchants of that Nation, trading hither at a tante per cent. and not by the Purse of the said Provinces.

Besides these, some small Trade is driven here by the Subjects of the King of Poland, as also by the Subjects of the King of Hungary, and by the Emperours Subjects; who each of them have here their Embassadours: but the Trade thereof is of so little consequence, and subject to such change and variation by reason of the War and Peace, which sometimes is truy observed, and sometimes again as little regarded, that it merits no great consideration in this place.

As for the Traffick driven here out of Armenia, Moscovia, Tartaria, Egypt, Georgia, Persia, and other Countries of Asia, and Africa, I pass them over in silence, having handled them par∣ticularly in those several Kingdoms, to which I refer the Reader.

* 1.24Now the Trade of other Nations hither, I have noted, it is not unproper I should give a touch of the Trade of the Inhabitants of this City into other places: Four sorts of People are found hence to use a Traffick; such as are the native Greeks, Turks, the Armenians and the Jews. The Jews bend much of their Trade into the Land, as to Adrianople, with English Cloths, Tin and Spices, brought hither by other Nations: To Angora for Gragrams, Mohairs, and Grogram Yarn: To Salonica and other Cities in Peloponnesus for Silks and other Manufactures. The Arenenians drive most of their Trade into Georgia, Armenia and Persia for raw Silks, Galls, and some Drugs; and carry thither Cloths, Tin, and other European Commodities, and Rials of Silver. The Turks bend their Traffick to Venice with Grograms and Camblets and other Commo∣dities of Dalmatia and Sclavonia; and thence return Sattins, Velvets, and some Wollen Cloths, and Venices Gold: thence to Meccn, Damasco, and Cairo, with European Commodities, some∣omes by Sea, but oftner by Land, and bring thence Gems, Spices, Drugs, and Callicoes, and other Indian Commodities. The Greeks for the most part found to be either Shop-keepers, and so cannot be termed Merchants; or else Mariners, which sail to Caipha, to Danubius, to the Arthes, Cyprus, and Alexandria; and these are noted to drive some Trade, that it merits not here any further observation.

Having thus as briefly and succinctly as I could, handled the Trade of the main Continent of Europe; and being come to this City of Constantinople, one of the most eminent and fairest Cities, not only of Europe, but also of the whole VVorld, whose Trade I have also duly and yet briefly related: It is now high time for me to look homewards; and so leaving this famous Ory, sail down the Thracian Bosphorus to the Hellespont, * 1.25leaving in view and sight on Europe side the once famous Galipolis, the late Station for the Grand Seignior's Gallies; whose materials either for the matter or for the manner of Traffick, differs not from this used in the City of Constantinople it self, tho' otherwise it yields to the Merchants for transportation good quantity of raw Hides, Sheeps-Wooll, Anniseeds, and some other Commodities; and taking aboard me one qualified here, who according to the Custom of the place supplies the room of general C•…•…sul for all Western Nations, I sail with him to the Castles of Sestos and Abydos, the now Keys of this Sea and said City, famoused by the Ancients for the sad and disastrous love of Hero and Leander; where staying three days to clear my Vessel, according to the manner of each that would depart hence, discharging 101 Dollers 6 Aspers to the Custom-houses of Constan∣tinople and Galatta, and to the Captain of these Castles, and here 124 Dollers 54 Aspers more, I and my Ship are cleared and discharged hence: and being freed, and my Sails flown, I begin to descry the Arches, and there survey what Islands of note and consequence I find in those Seas, leaving behind me the main Continent of Europe; and having thus performed my Land-Travel, and fully discovered and laid open the Traffick and Commerce thereof, I am called upon in the next place, to survey the Trade of the principal Islands comprehended under this part of the World, Europe.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Constantino∣ple; and the Trade thereof.
• * 1.2

  Canes.
• * 1.3

  Canes. Besesternes.
• * 1.4

  Commodities found in Con∣stantinople.
• * 1.5

  Commodities sent from Eng∣land to Con∣stantinople.
• * 1.6

  Accompts in Constanti∣nople.
• * 1.7

  Coins current in Turkey.
• * 1.8

  Weights in Constanti∣nople.
• * 1.9

  To bring Lo∣deros into Oaks.
• * 1.10

  Weights of Constanti∣nople. with other Countries.
• * 1.11

  Measures of Constanti∣nople.
• * 1.12

  Corn measure.
• * 1.13

  Wine and Oil.
• * 1.14

  Customs of Constanti∣nople.
• * 1.15

  Miseteria.
• * 1.16

  Gallattae.
• * 1.17

  Emine.
• * 1.18

  The Govern∣ment of the English in Constanti∣nople.
• * 1.19

  Mr. Alderman Garaway at present being Governor, and Mr. William Cockaine. De∣puty, to whom I owe this grateful ac∣knowledg∣ment, as to those who have lent me their ready furtherance in this Work.
• * 1.20

  The English Nation the greatest Tra∣ders into Tur∣ky of Christi∣ans.
• * 1.21

  The Veneti∣ans being se∣cond.
• * 1.22

  The French being the third.
• * 1.23

  The Dutch being the last and least.
• * 1.24

  The Trade of the Citizens of Constantinople
• * 1.25

  Galipolis.