Caffa

Sources from old books

1638. The merchants map of commerce by Roberts, Lewes

CAFFA anciently Theodosia, seated commodiously for traffique in the botome of the black sea, was by Mahomet the great taken from the Genoes, and is the present scale for all commodities that passe by Sea from Constantinople, Trabesond, Podolia, and Walachia by Danubius, and such other places to Tartarie, Muscovia, &c. The Countrey affords great aboundance of cow hides, furres, waxe, honey, and a kind of pickled fish much resembling the English herring here caught upon this coast: also it sends to Constantinople some butter sowed up in oxe hides of all colours and sluttishly made, which serves for provision there to the slaves, and the meanest sort of people inhabiting that large City; also thence the grand signior hath his principall timber for the building of his Gallies, Shippes, and such like other provisions.

Caffa doth in matters of Merchandize and trade retaine still much of the customes of the Genoes, to whom for a long time it was subject; and so doth Thana, Sorgat and other principall Cities bordering upon the black sea, which I will in briefe touch so farre as I have gathered the same when I lived in Turkey.

First then the coines of Caffa are the same as is currant throughout Turkey, save that the neighbourhood of Tartaria and Moscovia makes the coines of those places and Kingdomes likewise passe currant there, as it is found in all frontier Towns which borders upon two Nations, and that are either free of themselves, or subject to other; therefore for the same I will referre the Reader to the coines currant in those bordering Countries.

Their weight is a Rotolo, 100 whereof makes a Cantar, which answers in haberdepois weight to 70 li. English; which said Cantar is divided into severall divisions, according to the commodity bought or sold thereby; as sometimes to Batmas, accounting 7½ Batmas to a Cantar, and 12 Rotolos to a Batma, and then the Cantar is but 90 Rotolos: and sometimes to Sommas and Saggies, as 124 saggies makes a Somma, and 10 Somma's makes a Cantar of 100 Rotolos above-said; and silke is sold by this Somma, 20 Somma's to a draught, which is 2 Cantars, and is English about 140 li. and in Venetia sotile weight 212 li. circa.

Their measure so farre as I could learne is but one, which is the pico, the 100 whereof made in Venetia by triall of a friend silke braies 130, and this pico is divided into 8 Rupps, as at Constantinople.

They have also a coine which is called a Somma, in which their accounts are kept, and to which other coines currant are reduced; and the same is divided to saggis, which they account by 45 saggis to a somma, and 4 sommes to a soltany or checquin; and thus much shall serve for the trade of Caffa.