Damascus

Sources from old books

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

Of DAMASCUS and the Trade thereof.

DAMASCUS is so pleasantly seated, that the impostor Mahomet would never enter into it, least forgetting by the ravishing pleasures of the place, the businesse (as he said) he was sent for, and make this his Paradise; it is seated in a very fruitfull soyle, bearing grapes all the yeare long, and girt with curious and odoriferous Gardens; being also famous, first, for her founders, who were Abrahams servants; secondly, for the Temple of Zacharias; and thirdly, for the conversion of Paul, who here first preached, and escaping the traps of his enemies, was let downe the walles of the house by a basket. And in matter of trade it still continueth a place where all commodities of Turkie, Arabia, and India are brought in•… where Caravans of th•…se Nations doe passe through, going 〈◊〉 Constantinople, Bagdat, and Aleppo, to Aegypt, Mecha or India, 〈◊〉 so againe backe.

The currant coynes of this Citie is those common with all Syria, Aleppo being the principall, where you may see further for the •…eys of the place.

The Damasco cantar is in Venetia sotile 600 li. grosse 380. li. which •…aberdepois 402 li. yet observed to make in some commodities •…6 li. English, so that by the said Venetian calculation which I •…e by (because of their residence there, and their great traf•…e thither) 100 li. grosse Venetia should render 26⅓ Rotolos, and 〈◊〉 100 li. sotile 16⅔ Rotolos Damascino Rotolo. 1. makes Venice sotile 〈◊〉 grosse 3 li. 9⅓ ounces; Peso 100 Damascino are 〈◊〉 66 〈◊〉 so•… Venice 1 li. metallichi 100 damas: gives in Venetia silver waight •…¼ ounces; Killats 100 Damasco gives silver waight in Venetia 90 〈◊〉: Killats 100 damasco gives by spice waight in Venetia 106 〈◊〉: •…tar 7½ of damasco gives in Rhodes cantar one, cantar one damasco •…es in Genoa 550 li.

Measures of length is the pico, which is accounted about 27 〈◊〉, agreeing thus with other places.

Pico 100 damasco, makes Venetia measure of cloth 87 brac; makes in Genoa 24 Canes of 10 palmes every Cane. makes in Flor•…ce •…4 〈◊〉 Canes.

Braces 100 of cloth in Venetia gives here 11•… 〈◊〉. 100 of silke Venetia gives here 106 pic•….

Pico one Damasco make scarsly ⅞ Brace of Venetia.

The commodities comming hence are cottons of Syria, Saffron, •…le, excellent blades for swords and knives, wrought and raw silkes 〈◊〉 the growth of this Countrie, oyle, honey, wax, 〈◊〉, Almonds, •…es, some drugges, rice, which here are noted plentifull, besides 〈◊〉 commodities here found and hither brought from other Re•…ns, which I need not here nominate.

There is used in Damascus in the buying and selling of divers •…modities a certaine Tare and allowance to be given, over and a•…e the weight, from the buyer to the seller, most especially •…actised in bargaines of spices and drugges, which as I find them •…served by others, I thinke good here to shew; as in

Ginger	5 per cent. 105 Rot.	Myrrhe	5 per cent. 105 Rot.
Maces	5 per cent. 105	Sugar candid	5 per cent. 105 Ro.
Cinamon	5 per cent. 105	Wor•…seed	5 per cent. 105 Rot.
Cloves	5 per cent. 105	Zedoaria	5 per cent. 105
Indico	5 per cent. 105	Spiknard	5 per cent. 105

Gallingall	5 per cent. 105	Mirabolans	5 per cent. 105
Nutmeggs	5 per cent. 105	Aloes epatica	5 per cent. 105
Lacke	5 per cent. 105	Cardamom	5 per cent. 105
Long pepper	5 per cent. 105	Turbit	5 per cent. 105
Cutchenele	5 per cent. 105	Silke	10 per cent. 110
Greeneginger	0 per cent. 000	Ambergreece	10 per cent. 110
Sugars	0 per cent. 000	And many others which the Merchant must learne.

All these commodities are found to have these certaine Tares, besides the bagges, canisters, boxes, churles, and the like, by the custome and practise of the place, and for as much as this Citie is an inland Towne, wherein a Bashaw is found to command for the grand Signior; there is here a custome imposed upon all goods entring and issuing to forrainers and Merchant strangers 3⅓ per cent. which is payd in money and not in the same species, according to the customes of Alexandria before specified.

And to conclude the trade of this place, I will insert an old observation falne into my hands, made upon the waights here and the agreement therof with other Countries, the certaintie whereof I will referre to triall.

The cantar of Damasco making as I said before 100 Rotolos, makes in

The cantar of Damasco by observatiō hath made in

• Alexandria 428 Rot. forfori.
• Constantinople 341 Rot.
• Venice sotil: 600 li.
• Ditto gross: 380 li.
• Ancona - 517 li.
• Florence—525 li.
• Rhagusa—500 li.
• Naples—566 li.
• Sicilia—576 li.
• Idem—203⅔ Rot.
• Millan - 552 li.
• Genoa—570 li.
• Valentia - 400 li.

The Rot. Damas: is

• in Valentia 4 li. 11½ ounces, and 1 li. Ual. is 120 drams.
• in Genoa 5 li. 8½ ounces, - 1 li. Genoa is 105 dra: here.
• in Millan 56¼ ounces, - 1 li. Millan is 208 drams.
• in Sicilia 59 ounces.
• in Naples 5 li. 6 〈◊〉 ounces, - and 1 li. Naples is
• in Rhagusa 5 li. - and 1 li. Rhagusa.
• in Florence 5 li. 3 ounces, - and 1 li. Florence is 112 dr.

The truth of these observations I must leave to the tryall of the more expert, and give you a touch, what I have gathered in the matter of agreement of measures of length.

100 Braces of cloth in Florence have made in Damasco 99 picos.

100 pico of Damasco have made in Naples 28½ canes.

100 pocos of Damasco have made in Sicilia 28¾ canes.

100 picos of Damasco hath made in Millan 87 braces.

10 Canes of silke in Genoa hath made in Damasco 37½ pico.

100 pico of Damascus have made in Venice of cloth 87 braces.

100 braces of Venice silke have made in Damasco 106½ picos.

And for as much as the English, French, and Dutch are not found at present to have any trade hither, and that the Venetians are the onely westerne Christian Merchants that here reside, and have here a Consull for the protection of them and their trade & goods, it will fit me best to borrow some of their observations, and observe the trade they now drive to this Citie.

The commodities which the Venetians then carie hither for merchandize, are woolen clothes, honey, almonds, tynne, quick-silver, leade, lattin wier, iron wier, lattin plates, brimston, allom, wax, mastique, corrall, saffron, Flemish beades and bracelets, crystall looking glasses, linnen of divers sorts, course canvas, some few furres, sugars of Cyprus, writing paper, velvets, taffeta's, damaskes and sattins, some Norimberge wares, corrall, beads, and many such European commodities.

The commodities that they finde here to make returnes of, are these, Raw silke of this Countries growth, and of Persia Ardasse and lege, Belledine, Tripoli, Bodovin, Baias and others; also some spices and some drugges, as Ginger, Cloves, Maces, Sandoll, Incense, Myrrhe, Nutmegs, Indico, Gallingall, long Pepper, Mirabolans, Armoniac, Aloes Epatica, Cardamon, Turbit, sanguis dragonis, Sugar candid, Wormseed, Zedoaria, Spignard, Cynamon, Tutia, Cottons, and some cotton yarne, Benjamin, Assafetida, Manna, Camphir, Cassia, and the like, of which some are found to be sold by the cantar of Damasco, and some by the Rotolo: also observe

That Muske, Ambergreece and pearle is sold by the metalico, which is 1½ dram, and Sivet is sold by a weight called Ongia, being 10 drams, which makes 6⅔ metalicos, which makes sotile in Venice 1 ounce 1 sacc: and 5 caratts.

The Rotolo is accounted here 600 drams, but lege and ardasse is here sold by a Rotolo of 680 drams, which is 7 li. sotile Venice, but Damasco silke and all silke of the growth of the Countrie is sold by the Rotolo of the place of 600 drams.

These notes the Venetians have made upon their weights and measures.

1 Cantar Damasco is sotile Venice 600 li. and grosse 380 li.

1 Rot: Damasco is sotile 6 li. and grosse 3 li. 9½ ounces.

100 Drams Damasco is 66½ metigall sotile Venice 1 li. and of the silver weight in Venice 10 ounces ¼ and 5 Caratts.

100 Drams makes silver weight in Venice 12 Marc. 6 ounces & ½.

100 Mitigal Damasco is in Venice 15¼ ounces and 5 Caratts.

100 Carat damasco is silver weight in Venice 91 Carat.

1½ dram damascin is 24 carat damascin, the which 24 carat is one Miticall damascino. Againe è contra

The 1000 li. grosse in Venice makes in Damasco 263⅓ Rotolos.

The 1000 li. sotile in Venice is in damasco 166⅔ Rotolos.

So that the 100 li. grosse is 26⅓ Rotol. damascine, and the 100 li. sotile is 16 〈◊〉 Rotol. damascine.

As for the measure of Damasco, there is but one here in use, and is common to all commodities, both linnen, silke, and woolen, which is the pico, which by the calculation of the Venetians I finde thus, 100 pico in Damasco is in Venice cloth measure braces 87, thereby 〈◊〉 estimating the said pico to be almost ⅞ of brace Venetian.

100 Braces of cloth in Venice make in Damasco 111 in 112 pico.

100 Braces of silke in Venice makes in Damasco 106 in 107 pico; and how they agree with the measures of England and other places I have shewed before, therefore leaving Damasco trade to the judgement of the better experienced, and finding the Caravan of Aleppo ready to depart, I am called thither, where by the way observing some reliques not here worth mentioning, and where arriving you shall finde in the next leafe what I have there observed in the matter and manner of the trade thereof.