Smyrna

Sources from old books

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

THE principall trade of this Citie was within these few yeares transported hither from the Iland Scio, where the consulls abovesaid had their residents, and from thence are intitled Consulls of Scio and Smyrna, but by reason that scale both for sales and investments had then a dependencie upon this, it was found more proper and lesse chargeable to remove their aboad and warehouses hither, and by that meanes this became the principall Port, the goodnesse of the harbour much furthering the same, being both under the command of the Grand Signior, and within these later yeares much inriched by the trade of English, French, and Venetians.

The commodities that are found here to abound, and that are hence transported into other Countries of Christendome, are cotton woolls, which in great plenty grow in the adjoyning plaines of this Citie; also Galles for Diers, aniseeds, cordovants, wax, cotton and grogram yarne, cute, carpets, grograms, mohers, chamblets, and some fruits and drugges, raw Persia silke is likewise hither brought by land from Persia; and all other commodities found in Turkie or of that growth is here to be had, and the commodities here vented from England are Clothes of Suffolke and Gloster, kersies of Yorkshire and Hampshire, lead, tinne, callicoes, pepper, Indico, and other spices, which within these late yeares wee had formerly from this and other places of Turkie, and which now by the commoditie of the East India trade and navigation, we carry to them; and from Venice is brought some clothp aper, silkes, velvets, &c. and from France some few clothes and paper, &c.

The coynes currant of Smyrna are those of Constantinople, and generally those of all that Empire, which I shall shew when I treat of that Citie, and for that cause here omit it, and their accounts they also keepe here in the same nature with them, and therefore referre you to that place in both these particulars.

The weights of Smyrna and Scio, for they agree both in one, is the quintar, which containes 100 Rotolo's, or 42 Oakes, and every oake being 400 drams, and every Lodoro being 176 drams, and the pound haberdepois hath beene found to be 148 drams, and the quintall of 42 oakes abovesaid, which produceth 119 li. English, but in many commodities it is found to answer but 117 li. so that •…irca 9•… drams is 1 ounce English haberdepois.

They have here in use two measures, one for linnen and another for woolen, but because they neerly agree with Constantino•… I will referre the same to that place.

The customes payd by the English here and throughout all Tur•… by vertue of their Capitulations with the great Turke, is onely •…ree per centum; and oftentimes the custome-house of Scio and of •…yrna is in one mans hands, and though by their Capitula•…ns it is so agreed, that those goods that have once payd custome •…one port, should not pay any more being thence exported to •…y other place of his Dominions, and that commands have been •…anted to that end by the grand Signior at severall times; yet the •…stice of that Countrey is so defective in this particular, that the commodities landed in Smyrna, and paying there three per centum, •…d afterward transported to Constantinople, pay there againe another three per centum, or compound with the customer, which •…metimes is done at 1½ per centum, and sometimes at lesse: note •…at here as in all parts of Turkie the Venetians French and Dutch •…y five per cent. two per cent. more than the English, which is founded upon their capitulations with the Emperour.

The port charges of clearing a Ship in Smyrna is paid in commodities of our Countrey, and was to that end thus at first regula•…d; but since converted into payment by money, as to the cadie •…o is to have five pico of Venice cloth, and a bundle of cony-skins •…r a vest, which in the infancy of our English trade was here •…und to be much requested.

The cadies servant to have 3½ pico english cloth.

The cadies caya to have 3 pico of ditto.

The cadies scrivan to have a chicquine in gold.

The cadies pages to have 2½ dollers.

The Mosur Bashaw to have 1½ pico cloth.

The cadies Ianisaries to have a chicquine.

All which charges amount in circas to 68 dollers.

To conclude, the trade of this port it is most noted for the abundance of cottons which hence is transported to England, France, Holland, and Italie, estimated yearly to be about 20000 quintall, and found here to grow in the adjoyning plaines, which they doe •…w as wee doe Corne, the stalke being no bigger than that of •…heat, but stronger and tougher, bearing a head, round and bear•…ed and hard as a stone, which when it is ripe it breaketh and is •…livered of a soft white bombast or cotton, mixed with seed, which •…ey separate with an instrument, selling the wooll, but reser•…ng the seed for the next harvest; see more of this trade in Cy•…us and Constantinople, to which I referre the inquirer.