Aleppo

Sources from old books

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

Of Aleppo, and the Trade thereof.

ALeppo, called in the 2. Sam. 8. 3. Aram sobab, is now the most famous Citie in all the grand Signiors Dominions, for the wonderfull confluence of Merchants of all Nations and Countries, that come hither to traffique: It is pleasantly seated upon a Plaine, in the midst whereof doth rise a small hill, whereupon is built a strong Castle that commands the whole Citie; it hath in it many Canes for lodgings and warehouses for Merchants, which resembling small Forts being shut with iron gates, defend the Merchants, and their goods from all wrong or theft; their streets are shut with dores every night at each end, in the manner of Cairo, and thereby every street becomes a defensible place by it selfe.

There are of all Easterne, Southerne, and Westerne Nations Merchants found therein, many of which injoy severall immunities and priviledges, granted them by their particul•… •…lations from the grand Signior who is Lord hereof: the English, Venetians, and French, are found to be great Traders hither, each bringing hither their native commodities, & here exchange them for Arabian, Persian and Indian drugges, jems, spices, and such like commodities, •…ongst which the English are most eminent, by reason that they •…t onely furnish this Citie with the native commodities of En•…and; but also with such as come to them from India and Persia 〈◊〉 Sea, and which in former dayes were from hence brought in•… England.

This Citie is seated about 100 English miles from the Sea, A•…ndretta or Scanderone being the Sea Port and Road whereto •…ll shipping, either out of the Ocean or Mediteranean come to •…de and unlade their goods, and are hence transported by Cameels to Aleppo; which scale was formerly in Tripoli, which is a •…ore commodious Port, and neerer in distance; but the way be•…g found more craggy, rugged, and dangerous, by reason of the •…solencie of the Arabians, it was by all Christians disused, and •…y consent the same was heere setled.

The commodities which are found in this Citie, are commonly •…ll the commodities of Asia and Africa, as spices of all sorts, drugs •…f all sorts, silkes of Persia, jems of India, spices of Arabia, and the •…ommon commodities proper to the Countrey, as Grograms, grogram yarne, galles, Cottons, and cotton yarne, silke of Tripoli, Bacai, Bedovine, and Damasco, and other sorts in great quantitie.

The Weights used here in particular, is the dra•… and Rotolo, as in most parts of Turkey; but the Rotolo is found in many commodities to differ in drams, according to the custome in weight of the place and commoditie.

The Cantar is also found to disagree in Rotolo, according to the common and usuall weight of commodities, which I will declare thereby to shew first how they accord with England and other places of trrade, and then how they agree amongst themselve•…:

And first silke of Persia is sold by the wesno, which is 30 ne•…her, and 〈◊〉 ne•…her is 120 grains, and every graine is 30 drams, by which accompt the wesno amounts •…o 3600 drams, and 〈◊〉 make a cole.

But the common weight better knowne to us is the Rotolo, which of ardesse and lege is 680 drams, of 〈◊〉 700 drams, and so changing in other sorts of commodities, which the Factor is to take notice of.

The Rotolo is also divided into 12 ounces, and ounce 1 is drams 60, drams 3600 is accounted a wesno.

Drams 2400 is a botman, which is the weight by which silke is sold in Constantinople, and makes there 6 oakes.

Cantar 〈◊〉 is Rotolos 100, making neere 481 li. haberdepois.

Rotolo 1 is haberdepois 4, 13 ounces accounted and found sometimes 4 li. 14 ounces; so that 112 li. haberdepois, is found hereby to be Rotolos 22, ounces 8. Rotolos 100 common weight, is 494 li. 8 ounces haberdepois which is above 4 li. 15 ounces, and so is sometimes found to produce in some commodities.

A wesno of silver is 100 drams, which is 68 lire of Venetia, and it is found that 11 〈◊〉, 〈◊〉 full weight, makes a wesno of silver heere.

Silver, gold, jems, &c, are sold by the mitigall, which is 1½ drams, which is carat 24 English, or grains 96.

Wesno's of Aleppo are in buying of silke thus reduced into Rotolos and drams following.

Wesno 1 is Rotolos 5 drams 200.

5	26	320
10	52	650
20	105	600
30	158	560
40	•…11	520
50	264	480
60	317	440
70	370	400
80	423	360
90	476	320
100	529	280

Which may bee inlarged to a greater number, having purposely heere inserted the same for the benefit of the ignorant, and learner.

Now for asmuch as the Venetians have beene accounted the first Christian Traders into this Citie, let us observe the agreements * 1.6 in weights of this place and Venetia.

Cantar 1 makes sotile Venetia 720 li. gross. 456 li. which this way reduced to English weight, is 482 li. haberdepois.

Rotol. 1 Venetia sotile li. 7, ounces 2, sache 2 2/4 gross. li. 4, ounce. 6¾.

Grosse Venetia 1000 li. i•… i•… Aleppo cantar 2, Rot. 19.

Solite Venetia 1000 li. 〈◊〉 in Aleppo, cantar 1, Rot. 40; so that 100 li. gross. is Rotol. 21 & 100 li. •…ile is 14 Rotolos.

Cantar 1 hath produced in Florence 660 li.

Now it will be necessary to note some observations vpon commodities weighed in Aleppo, with the •…res and allowances by custome of the place given to the buyer.

All sorts of Indico is sold by the C•…le, which is 27½ Rotolo of 720 drams, churles 2, makes a chest, allowing in accompt 327 li. to a churle of neat Indico, and there is allowed to the buyer 3 ounces per churle for dust, and 3 ounces for single shire, and 6 ounces for double.

Silke of all sorts hath allowance for heads of skeins if course,〈◊〉 in 130 drams per wesno; if fine 60 drams notwithstanding.

Muske being bought by the mitigall, out of the Cod gives no al•…wance, in the Cod 20 per cent.

Druggs of the growth of this Countrey, are sold by the Rotolo〈◊〉 720 drams, and payes no custome; but of the growth of forreign •…rts, by Rotolo of 600 drams, and payes great custome, as are •…mphire, aloes, Socotrina.

Silke also of these Countries as Damascus, Tripoli, Bacas, gives •…o allowance in tare being cleane silke.

Oppion is sold drams 110 for 100 drams, the 10 drams being al•…wed for tare in that commoditie.

Spices of all sorts are sold by the Rotolo of 720 drams, and if the •…me be ungarbled, the allowance is 132 for 100; but if garbled, •…10 for 100 notwithstanding, as in cloves, maces, cynamon, &c.

Galls have allowance for dust 2 per cent. and briefly observe •…ese commodities give these tares to the buyer, Aloes epaticum with •…e skin, and aloes socotrina, asaphetida with the skin, Bedillio gives •…0 in. 120: Cinamon, Cubebus, Casa fistula, Oculus Inde, Galbanum, Maces, Oppion, Rubarb, Manna, &c. 10 per 100; Camphora, Lig•…um Aloes, Nutmegs, &c. 5 per 105.

Note, that forasmuch as no English Merchants are permitted •…o trade into Turkey but the levant company, and that this company •…re incorporated by especiall priviledges in London by the favour of his Majestie of England, the orders of that companie by the traders hither to other the Ports of Turkey is to bee observed, according to their established acts and ordinances, whereto I referre the inquirer for further information.

The Coines currant of Aleppo is the same common with all the dominions of the great Turke; the passable here is

The Soltanie is medines 80, aspers 120, sh. 16.

The Lion doller, med. 50, asp. 80, sh. 10.

The Duccat, med. 40, asp. 60, sh. 7½.

Rialls of 8/8 have passed 6½ per cent. better then lyon dollers, and 1½ ℞. 8/8 hath passed for a soltanie: but this rule holds not in these dayes, for the warres and troubles of that Country have altered these observations.

Shes. 1 is medin. 5⅓, or aspers 8, and the med. 1 〈◊〉 shes.

But these rules following are more certaine and found true.

℞. 8/8 is found to weigh 424 grains the single Rot. 26½ gr.

The Crowne or single pistolet found to weigh 53 grains.

The Solianie, hungar, or chequine to weigh 54 graines.

And the Mitigall is found to weigh 72 graines.

Their accounts are kept as by a common consent throughout the principall places of traffique in Turkey in dollors and aspers; the dollor containing 80 as. at what rate otherwise soever the same doe passe amongst all Christians that are Merchants, and here resident; yet it is found that the account of the Countrey (as proper to the revenewes and treasure of the grand signior, and practised by the receivers of his estate) is kept in aspers, wherein they account to thousands, ten thousand and hundred thousand aspers, and so by a cargo or loade of aspers which they account to be 100 thousand aspers, and at 80 aspers per dol. amount to 1250 dollers, o•… 312 li. 10 shil. starling.

There is found in Aleppo but one measure or pico which is 27 inches English or ¾ of a yard, and is the same for linen and woollen, and doth agree with the Venetian brace, used there in cloth of gold and silke; and the 100 braces of cloth in Venetia is found to render here 106 picos.

There is also a pico found for grograms, chamblets and Moheres, but this is the proper pico of Angera the staple of that commodity, and is found to be but 2 inches English incirca lesse, as I have more at large noted in that place.

As for the customes of this place they are as in Constantinople, for the English nation 3 per cent. with some innovations crept i•… by the corruption of customers and forraigners which here are found to be Jewes; and which in this point are loath to derogate from the common manner of almost all customers and forraigners in the World: but the last agreement between Mustafa, Aga the customer and the consul of the English was thus,

• Kerfies rated at medines 14 〈◊〉 per piece, at 3 per cent.
• Broad clothes rated at medines 120 per cloth at 3 per cent.
• Co•…e skins the bundle 50 skins at 14 dol.
• Tynne rated at 55 Rot. per chest and 3•… dol. is 157½ dol.
• Indico at medines 587 per chest.
• Galles at 12 dol. per Rot.
• Silke at medins 6 per Rot.
• Grograms the balle at 33 dol.
• Fillades per quintall at 33 dol.
• Cotton wool per cent—33 dol.
• Quilts at 50 dol. per ball.
• Botanos at ball 80 dol.
• Cordovants at ball 8 dol.
• Turmericke at medins 80 per Rot.
• Gumdragan•… at ball 60 dol.

Note that all spice as nut•…egges, cloves, mace and Cynamon payes 21 per cent. but to be rated at 14 per cent. lesse then the same cost as being commodities of India properly,

• Nut•…egges valued at medines—60.
• Cloves per Rot. at—160.
• Maces per Rot. at—220.

• Cynamon per Rotolo at—90

Pepper owes but halfe custome, and therefore rate it at ½ lesse then it cost, and then pay 21 per cent.

Before I leave this place, it will be needfull that I doe more •…articularly survey the body of the great trade which is deen ex•…rcised here at this day; and first for the trade of the English as the most eminent, it is found that this place doth yearely vent about •…6000 English clothes of severall sorts, about 600 quintalls of tynne, some furres, kerfies and other English commodities, besides 100 thousand rialls of 8/8 brought yearely hither by them in ready mo•…eys to be invested in raw silke, drugges, and other commodities of this Countrey: they have here to this end a consull, who is intitu•…ed of Syria and Cyprus, who hath here the preheminence of all other Christian consulls resident; and in returnes of this estate carry •…ence great quantity of raw Persia silke termed and knowne to us by the name of Ardasse and Lege, and also Bedovin Castravan, Bele•…in, Baias, and other sort of the growth of this Countrey; also they carry hence great quantities of galls of Tocat, some drugges of Arabia, great quantity of grogram yarne and grograms, cottons and cotton yarne, and other commodities of this place, which investments were formerly in a large nature in drugges, spices and Iems, which •…ow the English furnish themselves at the first •…and from India, &c. and though otherwise thus their returnes are thereby shortned, yet having a greater part of their returnes in these sorts of silkes above said, it hath herein found a faire inlargement for the abatement made in spices. The scale of this City is Alexandretta as I noted before, commonly Scanderone, whereto all ships come that have businesse hither; and here likewise the English have a factorie intituled a vice consull for the effecting and preservation of their affaires here, and for the landing or lading of all goods coming in or going out from this City; and where also to the same end the Venetians and French have likewise their particular vice consulls to manage the publike trade of their severall Nations.

The Venetians I account the next Merchants of consequence here resident, who bring hither great quantity of cloths Venice making, and others of severall sorts, some Germaine commodities, as lattin plates, wier, shaven lattin, steele, iron, silkes wrought, as sattins, damasces, velvets, taffetas, paper, and some ri•…lls of eight and Uenetian chiequens in gold, with crystall looking glasses, quicksilver and other commodities. And hence in returnes thereof export silkes raw of all sorts, cotton wooll and cotton yarne, grograms, moheires, chamblets, sundry sorts of drugges, spices, jems, and galls, indico and other such.

The French are the next of note that trade hither, having to that end also a consull in Aleppo, and a vice consull in Alexandretia, and who carry hither some few clothes of Languedocke, and of rialls of plate a great quantity, which every small Barke is found to bring hither from Marselia the onely French port hither trading, in return whereof they used some yeeres past to carry hence abundance of raw silke of all sorts, to the imports sometimes of 600 in 800 bales upon a vessell: but this their trade by sundry losses occasioned is now decayed, and their shippes are onely laden with galles, cotton woolls, cotton yarne, grograms, some drugges, spices, callicoes, and such.

These are then the onely 3 Christian nations that have any trade of moment here, the trade driven here by the Dutch not worthy consideration; besides which this Town is found to be the great magazin of all Persia, India and Arabia commodities; the Merchants whereof come hither in great troopes and caravans, with their Camels laden with the rich wares of those severall Countries, and make their returnes in the commodities of Europe abovenamed, which they buy and barter with the English, French and Venetians, which here have their residence as aforesaid. To conclude then the trade of this place, and to omit nothing that I have judged proper for the demonstration thereof, I will insert the observations made here by experience in the weights and measures of this place, with the weights and measures of some other places of trade in the elevante.

It is before noted that in Aleppo there is but one quintar accounted as the common cantar of the place, by which all commodities are both bought and sold; yet it is to be noted withall, that from this quintar is many other cantars derived, varying according to the custome practised in the weight of some speciall commodities, as I have before likewise noted: now this cantar consisteth of 100 Rotolos; the common Rotolo here which is also accounted 600 drams, though as I have there observed, severall commodities are weighed by a severall Rotolo, some consisting of 600, some 680, some 700, and some 720 drams: therefore to explaine this point it hath been observed that the common cantar of Aleppo containing 100 Rotolos, and each Rotolo containing 600 drams have made in these Countries following:

The 100 Rotolo of 680 drammes is

• In Naples—633 li.—6 li. 8 ounces.
• Uenetia sotile—720 li.—7 li. 2 ounces 2⅖ sach.
• Uenetia grosse-456 li.—4 li. 9¾ oun.
• Florence—626 li.—6 li. 3⅛ oun.
• Gotile sotile—624 li.—6 li. 10 oun.
• Sicilia—691 li.—6 li. 10 〈◊〉 oun.
• Millan—662 li.—6 li. 7½ ounces.

I have noted the measure here in generall for all commodities to be the pico in Cloth, the 100 picoes hath beene found thus to concord with other Countries.

• 100 pico have made in Uenice cloth—94 braces.
• In Venice silke—100 braces.
• ...In Florence—107½ braces.
• In Genoa—28½ Canes.
• In Millan—81 braces.
• Sicilia—31 Canes 1 palme.

And thus much is what I conceive needfull to have 〈◊〉 •…ning the trade of this famous City of Aleppo.