Astracan

Sources from old books

1638. The merchants map of commerce by Roberts, Lewes

Of Astracan and the Trade thereof.

ASTRACAN is in Tartaria Asiatica, as I shall shew hereafter, seated in the Emboshure of the River Uolga, having 70 mouthes and receives the trade of all the Caspian Sea, into which the said River entreth; it hath a very great confluence of Merchants, who by the benefit of that Sea have here a very great trade, Uolga bringing it all the commodities of Moscovia, Russia and Tartaria and this Sea; the commodities of Persia, Arabia and other Provinces abutting thereupon; it is situate in an Iland of 12 leagues compasse, defended by a woodden Castle and earthen walls, taken by the Moscovites in Anno 1552 from the Tartarians: it is all winter shut up by the immeasurable cold, and all traffique over and upon this great streame is performed on dry foot. The coines here currant by reason of my ignorance I must referre to the better experienced.

Their weights are here two, a grosse for grosse commodities, and a sotile for fine commodities; the grosse cantar hath been observed to have in England yeelded 268 li. the small cantar hath made English 103 li. now in both these cantars there is accounted 20 Rotolos to a libb, and 5 libbs to a cantar, and 12 tochats to a Rotolo; which by the ingenious may easily be reduced to the sotile English pound, therfore I passe it over and come in the next place to the measures.

Their common measure is a pico, and the 100 thereof hath made by observation in Venetia 126 braces of cloth measure, which is in England about (—) inches.

Corne and all other graine is sold by a measure called the Chistetto, which in Venetia comes to make 8 〈◊〉 staios.

Wine and liquid commodities is sold by the but, which is 46 mistaties, and which also renders in Venetia 3¼ Bigonso.