Stockholm

Sources from old books

1700. The merchants map of commerce by Roberts, Lewes. CHAP. CCXVIII. Of Stockholm, and the Trade thereof.

* 1.626BEcause I intend, upon the general Trade of Estland, to handle some particular Cities be∣longing to the Crown of Sweden, therefore I shall be the briefer upon the Trade of this City of Stockholm, the Metropolis of this Kingdom. Stockholm then being the Residence of this King, whose Arms of late were so prevalent in Germany, is accounted famous in these Northern Regions for the great Concourse of Merchants and Traffick here daily practified seated in watry Marshes, after the manner of Venice, and supposed to be built upon Piles, and therefore bears in their Language some Construction thereof, which not improperly may bear in our ancient English the same sense: It is situate in part upon the Lake of Meller, and in part upon the East-Sea, out of which the great Trade of Shipping to this place doth come and enter by a deep and narrow Channel, spacious and commodious for Ships of the greatest Burthen; but the Fort of Waxholm on one side of the Passage, and the Fort of Digne so fitly seated opposite to the same, in the narrowest of the Gut and Streight, command the whole Channel, and guard the Lake and City, and no Vessel is suffered either to go in or out, but here have their Congé and Admission. It is besides fortified with a strong Castle, wherein are found, for the Defence thereof, 400 Pieces of Brass Artillery; and for the Beauty thereof, it is adorned with many goodly private and publick Buildings, the King's Palace being more renowned for its Antiquity, than the stately Structure thereof.

• 1.627The Commodities for Transportation found in this City are principally Iron, Steel, Copper, Wire, all sorts of Grain, Lead, and other Minerals, also Honey, Wax, Tallow, Hides brought from Mosco, and the like: which is hence dispersed into all parts of these Northern Cli∣mates.

• 1.628The Moneys generally current throughout the Kingdom of Sweden, is the Dollar, which is divided into Marks, and 8 Marks make a Dollar; and this Mark is divided into Clippings, so that two Clippings make a Mark, and a Clipping is accounted for 9½ Stivers Flemish; and by this Dollar they exchange with other neighbouring Countries, and it is valued in sterling Money at (…)

• 1.629The Weight in use here is the Pound, and the 100 l. of London hath produced here 116 l. They have here also two Ship-pounds, one proper to this Place, which is 320 l. of this Weight, and the other is 340 l. The proper Ship-pound of Dantzick is 34 Stones, as in the Chapter of Dantzick appears; and this Quintar or Pound is found to agree with Narva, Riga, Revel, Danizeck, and some Towns of Trade in the Baltick Sea.

• 1.630The common Measure of Length here used is the Ell, and is the same in all Sweden, except some principal Towns of this Tract hereafter noted, and the 100 Yards of London doth pro∣duce 1••••½ Ells; but note, That in Barrow in Sweden this Ell is found to be very uncertain, for the Bigness of a Man's Head is measured about with a Rope, and this they account for an Ell; so that here a great Head may be some benefit to a Merchant, for by this Rule the greatest Loggerhead shall have consequently the largest Measure.

• 1.631Corn is here sold by a Measure called a Loop, 23 Loops make a Last in Amsterdam, or 10 Quarters in London.