Cairo

Sources from old books:

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

Of CAIRO and the Trade thereof.

I Willingly omit the present trade of Rosetto, Damietta and some others of lesser note comprehended within the limits of Aegypt, and also (here passe over to a fitter place) the present trade of Sues in the red Sea, till I come to survey that gulph and the neighbouring •…ownes of Zebit, Mecca, Aden and others, and now content my •…lfe to consider the present state of the place and condition of •…affique of Cairo, and it is found at this day under the scepter of the •…and signior.

Cairo is then commonly reputed to be one of the greatest and most famous Cities of the world called by the Arabians el Cahair, •…ted in a beautifull plaine neere the Mountaine Mucatun, and •…out 2. miles distant from the famous River of Nilus, invironed •…th stately walls, and fortified with Iron Gates, having therein •…ny faire, large and long streets, where are seene placed by •…emselves each trade and occupation, and some streets wholly •…autified with Colledges for the studious, palaces for the honourable, •…emples for the religious, and Caens or Burses for the Merchants •…d negociators; the principall of which is called Caen Haleli, for•…erly the residence onely of Persia Merchants, now admitting of •…ther nations, built in manner of a Kings Palace, having three •…ories one above another; the lower onely containing ware•…ouses for the keeping of heavie and bulkie commodities, the •…iddlemost for spices, perfumes, and richer Merchandize, and the uppermost for lodgings for those Merchants that have their warehouses therein: neere which, and round about the same the richest shop-keepers are found to have their dwelling; and where in times past the principall Merchants of Christendome had a place of residence appointed for their factors and agents.

This City is surrounded with sundry large and spacious Suburbs, which is peculiar to sundry Artizans and Artists, the principall Suburbs is called Bullach, distant 2. miles from the walls of the Citie, and stretching it selfe along the bankes of the River of Nile, beautified with many faire buildings, and is now the common residence of the principall Merchants of this Citie: and here are all such commodities landed, as either cometh out of the mediterranean Sea by any the channells of Nilus up this River, or out of Arabia or other Countries downe this streame; here lies all the Vessells moored, either to lade or unlade; and here doe the Officers reside, which receive the customes of all goods coming by water from either Damieta, Roscett a, or Alexandria, which in it selfe is but small, the principall custome and duety being payd by these Merchants, and collected by the agents of the customers at these Maritime ports abovesaid: but those commodities that come out of the firme land doe here pay the said intire customes as shall be mentioned hereafter.

This Citie is inhabited by sixe sorts of Merchants, each of them trading by so many distinct wayes; the native Aegyptian I reckon the first ever accounted expert Merchants, but never adventuring out of his owne Countrey, who buy from other forraine Nations their commodities in grosse, and supply the necessities of their owne Countrey by retaile. The Arabian or Moore is the next, here esteemed the greatest and most eminent Merchants; for these are they who are found to furnish all Aegypt with the spices and Iems of India, and the drugges of Arabia, importing the same by camells and dromedaries from Goa, Ormus, Aden, Zebit, Dangula, Mecca, and other places from and about the red sea: and in returne thereof exporting hence the drugs of Aegypt, and such other commodities as are brought hither by those Nations neighbouring, principally upon and about the mediterranean sea. The principall commodities accounted and fittest for them is the excellent gold of this Countrey called the Solianies and sheraffie, which Aegypt in great plenty affordeth. The third sort of Merchants I account the Christians of Europe, as principally the French and Venetians, who have here their consuls and viceconsuls for the preservation of their trade, and protection of their Nation, by certain capitulations agreed uponbetween their soveraignes and the grand signior in Constantinople, paying such dueties and customes to his Officers here as their said capitulation doe nominate; and these thus furnish Aegypt with leventine commodities, and generally with all the af bricks and wares of the growth of Europe; and these cary hence in returnes these commodities brought hither both out of Arabia •…d India, and the native commodities of this Countrey. The •…urkes I account the next, whose Emperour swayeth the scepter 〈◊〉 this rich Countrey, and who in respect of their easie customes •…ape a peculiar benefit by the trade of this place; but the most •…inent of them residing farre hence and in Constantinople, and •…eir adventure proving dangerous and hazardable by reason of •…e incursions of the Malta and Florentine Galleys, joyning there•…o the dull temper of that Nation generally in matter of Com•…erce, and the ill successe their grand Galons have of late yeeres •…ad, doth much divert their minds from any eager pursuit of that •…o rich a traffique. The Iewes here resident I account the fifth, who •…y reason of their generall knowledge in trade, and their generall •…orrespondence in all these Countries beforementioned, partake of all the Commerce and traffique practised by these severall persons; for from Venice, Constantinople, Ormus, Goa, and other eminent places of traffique they are found to adventure and to have adventures; they travell and returne with the Arabian into India and Arabia, they traffique here both in grosse and retaile; and besides their subtilty in driving of bargaines and making of contracts betweene man and man as brokers, they are here found to be of all professions, and are the professors of all Arts. The last which I reckon in this roule is the Armenian, Graecian and Coptie, all Christians, who in their wayes set the wheele of trade on worke, by being some shop-keepers, some artificers, and some Merchants, principally trading by Caravans to and from Aleppo, Damascus, Amman and Baruti, and in the commodities of those Countries of Armenia, Georgia and Persia, they carry the principall sway and stroake, all which considered, what doth the place want to make it absolute but onely what it hath lost? which is the vast trade of India, which of late yeeres the Portugalls, English and Flemming hath deprived them of; for which I leave them to sorrow for, as for a thing past remedie.

The commodities that this Countrey and place principally afordeth to these Merchants, whereby their commerce is now preserved to them is flaxe, and all sorts of pulse, abounding in the Province of Sahid, where the Pharoah's resided, fruits, rice, balsome, &c. abounding in Eriffia, where the Ptolomies resided; cottons, sugars, and some drugges, &c. abounding in Marrema, where the Romans and Grecians resided; and all these annually foretold by the inundation of the River Nilus, discerned by a piller seated in the Iland Michias opposite to the City of Cairo, beginning ever to increase about the 15. Iune, so continuing 40. daies increasing, and 40. daies decreasing as I said before; the height of the increase giving assured testimonie of that yeeres aboundance and plenty, at the end whereof a solemne seaven daies feast is kept to Nilus, in which it is oftentimes seene the Aegyptian to sp end asmuch in jolity as with great paine and industry he hath gathered the whole yeare before with penury; out of this plentie and abundance is yearly drawne for revenue of this Kingdome three millions of sheraffies, in value 8. sbil. starling a piece, the one whereof is now adaies sent to the grandsignior (by land and Caravan for feare of surprizall at Sea by the Florentine or Maltagallies;) the second million is spent in the pay of the Militiae and Soldery of this Country: and the third redounds to the benefit of the Bassa, here resident for the grand signior for the maintenance of his owne Court and dependants.

Their principall parts for traffique in the mediterranean Sea is Alexandria, as before I noted, accounted a free port for friend or enemie; the harbour commanded by a Castle, and the entrance guyded by an eminent watch-tower to give light to saylers: the customes of which place is formed by Jewes at 20. thousand Medins, per diem 30. Medins accounted for a Royall of eight Spanish, which here may be valued 5. sh. starling, the which by the yeare may amount to 55. thousand pound starling, all goods entring here payes the custome in species, or compounded for at 10. in the hundred, onely moneys entring pay but one and halfe per cent: but outward all commodities payes 11. per cent. but this is to be accounted the Soldanes custome, and called the great custome: the other customes raised here is as much, or very neere as much more, as he shall find to his cost that tradeth into these parts, whereto for better tryall I will referre him.

Now for the trade in generall of Cairo, the Merchants thereof are found at this day in some sort to have the reliques of that former great trade which they lost out of the red Sea; for hence they send by Caravans sundry European commodities thither, especially at the time when the yearly caravan departeth hence for Mecca, and Medina Talnabi, the Sepulcher of their false Prophet Mahomet, which arriving at Sues in the red Sea, is there found to have a generall dispersion, some going for the Citie of Assuan, which is commodiously seated upon their river Nile, and upon the borders of the Kingdome of Nubia, which hence fits it selfe with the commodities both of Asia and Europe, and is equally distant betweene Cairo and the Citie of Suachen or Suasuem, once the principall port of this Kingdome, scituated on the red Sea, but now in the subjection of the great Emperour of the Abassins: from which is commodious navigation to Brava, Melinda, Quiloa, and other places alongst the coast of Abex and Mosambique, as I have mentioned before. And because it is the principall Towne of trading on Africa side in the red Sea, I hold it here worthy a better and more serious survey.