Lisbon

Sources from old books

1638. The merchants mappe of commerce wherein by Lewes Roberts.

Of Lixborne and the Trade thereof.

LIXBORNE is accounted to bee seven miles in compasse, and to containe 20000. families, having 67. towres upon the walls, and 22. gates to the Seaward, and 16. to the Continent: it is seated upon the River Tagus, accounted most famous and commodious for traffique and commerce, from hence the Portugals set out to the East Indies, and hether doe returne againe with all those Spices drugs and other the rich Merchandise which East India, Arabia, Persia and China doe affoord: at the entrance of the River Duer•… stands Porto also, a towne of good trade, where the gallies used in times past to land the merchandise, and therefore is called Porta gall•…rum, by which meanes some authors doe inferre the whole countrey tooke its name of Portugall. But to proceede to Lixborne, I will note what I have observed thereupon in matter of traffique according to my proposed theame.

The coines in Portugall found currant are these:

A 〈◊〉 of gold, is worth 400. Reas.

A Duccat of Portugall is 10. Reals, which is 400. Reas, which is five shillings starlin.

A Riall is 40. Res, or 6. d. starlin, a mill Reas is 22. Rials.

A Teston is 2½. Rials, or 100. Res, or 15. d. starlin.

A Vintin is 20. Res or 3. d. starlin.

A Mirle of gold is 1000. Res, which is 2½. duccats.

A single Riall Spanish, is 2. Vintins, or 4. Res.

Their Waights are these, a small and a great, the great C•… is divided into foure Roves, and each Root. is 32. Reals, which is 128. li. at 14. ounces per li. which hath been found to make in F•…rence 149. li. their small Quintar for Pepper and Ginger is neee•… 112. li. English: the Rove or quarterne is 28. li. the great Quintall holdeth 15. in 16. per cent. more then the English 112. li.

The King hath a Quintar for his Contractation house to sell the Spices of India, by which is 150. li. of Florence, and is about 114. li. English; the great Cantar of Lixborne making in Florence 170. 〈◊〉. 〈◊〉 130. li. English, but all fine goods is by custome of the place to b•… sould by the said Kings beame.

These observations upon the 100. li. small of Lixborne, have been made in and yeeld

The 100. l. small of Lixborne doth to yeeld in

• London—113½. li.
• Marselia—126½. li.
• Venetia sotle—168½.
• Venetia grosse—106 〈◊〉.
• Sicilia—63¼.
• Florence—149¼.
• Antwerpe—107¾.
• Lions—119 〈◊〉.
• Civill—110¾.
• Dansick—130½.
• Genoa—162.
• Alleppo—23. Rials
• Alleppo silke—24. 6.
• Irip. soria—27. 6.
• Irip. Barbaria—98. li.
• Baruti—22.
• Allex. zera—52. 3.
• Allex. forsia—117. 6.
• Sei•…—102. 10.
• Constantinople—93. 6.
• Rhodes—20. 7.
• Acria—18. 3.
• Babylonia—15. 10. Ma.
• Balsera—4. 5½. Ma.
• Ormus—113.

Which for triall I referre to the experienced.

Their Measures of length, dry and liquid heere used are these; first, their Measure of Cloth is the Covada, which is neere ¾ of •…n English Yard; but the Measure of Linnen is the Vare, and is •…n Ell, lesse naile of the English Measure, by which may bee made •…he computation for other Countries, and by some found to bee 8. •…er centum lesse.

The Measure of Corne is the Alquier, three Alquiers is a bushell,〈◊〉 is 8. Gallons Winchester Measure, and five Alquiers is a Hannep of Spanish Measure.

The Measure of Salt is called the Muy, and 60. Alquiers makes a Muy, and 2. Muyes and 15. Alquiers is a Tunne of Bristoll water-mea•…ure, which is 10. Gallons Winchester, and 40. of those Measures doe make a Tunne.

Note that 4½ Alquiers of Lisborne makes a Fanega or Hannep in Andalusia, by some observations, which Fanega is 2. Staios and •…omewhat more of Florence, in such manner that a Staio of Florence •…ay be accounted halfe a Fanega, and an Alquier of Lxiboa may bee •…ccounted halfe a Staio of Florence, which makes () Gal. Eng.

The Customes is inwards 23. per centum, that is, to the dechima 10. per cent. to the Sisa 10. per cent. and to the Consolado 3. per cent. and the Customes outwards is onely 3. per centum.

These observations have beene also made upon Measures of this place; 22. Alquiers of Lisborne have made in Sicilia upon corne〈◊〉. generall Salmo, Alquiers 3⅙ have made in Marselia one Mina; and •…t is to bee understood, that the Muy of Corne and Salt are all alike, but that there is given one in 24. more upon Salt, because the Salt •…ooseth and not the Corne. The Tunne of Wine in Lisborne is 52. Almudin, and one Almudin is 13. Cha•…ate, &c. which is in England () Gallons.

The next Province is Valentia, giving name, or taking it from a Citie of the same name, the principall of this Province which is seated some two miles from the sea, where there is found an open Roade called La Gre•…o, and not capable of great shippes, nor indeed safe for shippes of any noted burthen, therefore is Alicante become the principall Scale for this Citie, in which place having resided for some time Anno 1617. I shall touch the Trade thereof as observed by me in those dayes.