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. CXVIII. Of Valentia, and the Trade thereof.

* 1.1VALENTIA, the principal City of the Province of Valentia, giveth Rules to all the adjoyning places, as well for matter of Trade as Judicature, wherein is vented yearly great quantity of Pepper, Tin, Lead, Baies, Linnens, Fish, as Pilchards, Herrings, and Ne••∣land fish, and such other like Commodities, having their Moneys current, Weights and Measur•…•… as followeth.

* 1.2A Liver of Valentia is worth 20 Sold. of that money, and is 5 s. Sterling.

A Ducate of Gold is 21 Sold. of the said money.

A Castiliano is 27 Sold. and 4 Deniers of the same money.

A Liver of Valentia is worth 365 Marvedies of Castilia, and changing them at Naples for Valentia 18 sold. 4 Deniers, which with the charges comes even, because a Ducate of Carlins is worth at Naples after the rate of sold. 18 Den. 3½, and this because your money is at 15 pe•• centum.

Their greatest money is a piece of 6 sold. which is three Rials Castile, then have they three sold. which •…•… Rials, and the half of three sold. which is 18 Deniers, which is 1½ sold. every soldo is 12 Deniers, and 24 Deniers is a Rial Castiliano, which is 6. d. sterl.

* 1.3Their Accounts are kept by Liver, Sold. and Deniers. 12 Deniers accounted to a sold. and 20 sold. to a Liver, which is 10 Rials Castile, 50 souls French and 5. s. sterl.

* 1.4The Weights are these and thus distinguished.

The greatest Weight is a Cargo or Load, which is 360 l. of Valentia, and hath been sound to encrease 3 or 4 per centum after the Weight of Florence. * 1.5This Cargo is accounted to be 12 Re∣ves as well of sine as gross goods; a Rove suttle being 30 l. and by this Weight is weighed Corn, Sugar, Oyl, Spice, and other fine goods.

A Rove Gross is 36 l. and by this is weighed Wool, and such other gross goods.

A Quintar as well the small as great is four Roves, which makes 120 l. of fine goods and 144 l. of gross goods, in which observe this true Rule for all the Weights of Va∣lentia.

* 1.698 l. of 18 ounces to the l. is 144 l. of 12 ounces to a pound, and is accounted the great Kintar, and

80 l. of 11 ounces to the l. is 120 l. of 12 ounces per. l. the small Cantar: so that the diffe∣rence is 16 l. of 18 ounces, and 24 l. of twelve ounces from the great to the small; and these two Weights have been observed to yield in other Cities of Trade after this manner.

		Suttle l.		Gross l.
100 l. Suttle doth produce the first Row. 100 l. Gross doth produce in the second	London	96½		115¼
Marselia	107		128
Venetia sotile	140		168
Sicilia	54		64
Lisbon	84		102
Florence	122		147
Antwerp	92		110
Lions	101		122
Sevil	94		113
Dantzick	110		133
Malage	26	Rials	31	Rials.
Barcelona	104	l.	125	l.
Majorque	102		124
Paris	102		124
St. Maloes	105		128
Aleppo	196	Rials	234
Tripoli Syria	234	Rials	249
Baruti	188		224
Alexand. zera	445		532
Scio	876		105
Constantinople	79		95
Rhodes	17		21
Genoa	133		163

* 1.7Their Measures are these following:

Four Palms of Valentia make a Vare, which is 1⅔ Braces of Florence, and is 1⅚ parts of an English Yard; 100 Vares after this account may be in London 83 in 85 Yards.

* 1.8Corn is sold by the Caffiso in Valentia, which is twelve Barsellas which weigh 10½ Roves of 36 l. la Rove of twelve ounces per l. which is in Florence 7½ Staios, and 37 Barsellas is there 24 Staios, which is a Mayo, Barsellas 17 making a general Salmo in Sicilia; and is of the measure of Corn in England (…) Gallons.

* 1.9Salt is also sold by the Caffiso, which weighs 18 l. of the Gross weight of Valentia, eight Caffises making one Modino in Juice, and one Caffise making 3 bushels English.

* 1.10Wine is sold by the Cantaro, which is a pitcher, and contains twelve quarts of Eng∣lish Measures. Note, that 1480 Salms of Wheat in Sicilia have made in Valentia 1480 Saffici.

* 1.11This Country affords, as I said before, hard Soap commonly worth 80 Rials a Kintar, rising and falling as Oyls are in request.

Aniseeds are worth 24 Rials the Rove, and daily is transported for France and Eng∣land.

Barillia is used in making Glasses, and hard Soaps; and worth 16 to 18 Rials per centum.

* 1.12Raisins of Denia, a small Village, anciently a famous Town of this Province; not so well esteemed as Malaga Fruit, is sold here at 18 Rials per cent. and I have paid here for a whole Ships lading of 200 Tuns, Anno 1618. 24 Rials per cent. proving commonly best when dearest.

Almonds are here also plenty, worth commonly 12 Ducates a Cargo, which is 220 l. English which 280 l.

* 1.13Customs here paid is 9 per cent. 4½ by the buyer, and 4½ by the seller, and as often as any Commodity is bought or sold, so often is this Custom paid, being 8 Deniers Du∣ana and 3 Deniers Sisa; and if any Goods come in to be shipped out again (com∣monly called a Transito) the general Duty of four Deniers per l. is only paid and no more.

Their payments in Customs and all other ways are in Valentia money, and worth 3 per cent. to be converted into Spanish Rials.

There is also a Duty called a Mottahecos, which is a pound of Pepper on each Quintar, and so upon other fine Goods: And this is as much as I remember needful in this Argument, and so I will proceed to the next Province which is Catalonia; and as for the Exchanges here practised, see farther in the 291 and 426 Chapters.

* 1.14In Catalonia is only famous, the City of Barcelona the principal of this Province, where having good cause of the remembrance of my being here, by reason of my imprisonment in

the Inquisition, Anno 1618. I must according to my Method afford the Cities Traffick, a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of observation, in acknowledgment of their love and pains in my Release; moved thereto, partly by the affection I had gained with many the chief Merchants, but especially left the same might deter other English from coming to traffick and inhabit amongst them, and furnish their necessities with English Commodities which they seem much to desire, and oftentime much stand in need of.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Valentia and the Trade thereof.
• * 1.2

  Coins of Valentia,
• * 1.3

  Accounts in Valentia.
• * 1.4

  Weights of Valentia.
• * 1.5

  Cargo fine Ditto gross.
• * 1.6

  Note in weights.
• * 1.7

  Measures of Valentia.
• * 1.8

  Of Corn.
• * 1.9

  Of Salt.
• * 1.10

  Of Wines
• * 1.11

  Commodi∣ties of Va∣lentia.
• * 1.12

  Denia.
• * 1.13

  Customs in Valentia.
• * 1.14

  Catalonia.