Europe - The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques And Discoveries Of The English Nation - Volume 4 - Collected By Richard Hakluyt
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And Hauing Special Commission And Charge From Your Agent Not To
Stay There Aboue The Space Of Seuen Dayes After
My arriuall there, but to
repaire to Casbin with all speed, and furthermore, hauing regard to keepe
vp the price
Of the worshipfuls commodities, according to their desire, I
found meanes to barter them away for spices, such as were there to be had,
neither in goodnesse nor yet in price to my content: [Sidenote: Warre
against the Portingals at Ormuz.] neuerthelesse, considering the colde
sales which were there, as well for your karsies, as also the hot newes,
that Ormuz way was shut up by occasion that the Indians do warre against
them, which is true in deed: and againe the desire that the worshipfull
hath to haue such commodities bought, I thought it necessary to buy them,
the prices and weight whereof appeareth at large by my accompt sent to the
worshipfull, and is, as I thinke, the whole summe of spices bought at this
time.
[Sidenote: The gouernour of Grozin his Merchant.] It chanced me in that
place to meet with the gouernours merchant of Grozin, who was not a litle
desirous to bargen with me for a hundred pieces of karsies for his master
called Leuontie, and offering me so good bands for the paiment of the money
or silke to the merchants contentment vpon the deliuery of them, as in any
place within all this countrey is to be had: and offering me besides his
owne letter in the behalfe of his master, that no custome should be
demanded for the same, and the obtaining also at his masters hand as large
a priuilege for the worshipful to trauel into all parts of his dominion, as
the Shaugh had giuen them, and hearing good report made of him by the
Armenians also, and that he was a Christian, I was much more the willing to
bargen with him, and sold him a hundred pieces for a hundred and threescore
shawghs a piece, to be paid to the merchant in Grozin either in money or
silke to his contentment, within three dayes after the deliuerie of the
karsies there, hauing a band of him made by the Metropolitanes owne hand,
for the performance of the same, which is as sure as any here is to be
deuised: and vpon the same I sent my Tolmach from me backe to Shamaki, with
such goods as I bought at Teueris, and to the end hee might cause the
worshipfuls seruants there to see this bargen accomplished. [Sidenote: The
generall inconsistencie in the merchants and dealers of those parts.] At
whose arriuall there, as I do perceiue, the Captaine would not accomplish
his bargen to take them, but saith, hee hath no need of them; such is the
constancie of all men in the countrey, with whomsoeuer you shal bargen. If
the ware be bought, and they doe mislike it afterwards, they will bring it
againe, and compel you to deliuer the money for it againe, regarding the
Shawghs letters, which manifesteth the contrary, as a straw in the winde:
by meanes whereof, the worshipfull may know whether all be true that hath
bene written of this countrey people or not.
I am informed by all the brokers in Teueris, that the way once open to
Ormuz, from whence commeth no such store of spices as the worshipfull doeth
looke for, that here will bee put a way in Teueris, some for money, and
other some for barter, to the number of three hundred or foure hundred
pieces of karsies, being in coulers and goodnesse to the examples here sent
you, the rest of the karsies to make them vp a thousand, and broad clothes
to the summe of a hundred, bee as many as will be put away yeerely in this
countrey, so farre as yet I can perceiue.
[Sidenote: The trade between the Venetians and the Armenians not easily to
be broken.] To breake the trade betwixt the Venetians and the whole company
of the Armenians it is not possible, vnlesse the worshipful will finde some
meanes to receiue of them yerely to the number of 100. catters or mules
lading, and deliuer them for the same one third part money, the rest cloth
and karsies fitted in coulers meete for this countrey: the examples, as
abouesaid, are sent vnto you.
At Amadia sixe dayes iourney from Teueris, grow abundance of galles, which
are brought vp yerely by the Venetians, and be solde there for two bistes
the Teueris bateman, which as your Agent here saith, maketh sixe pound
English weight, but I doubt it wil not so be proued. Neuerthelesse it is
supposed much good will bee done by buying of them: which might at this
present haue partly bene proued; it so be that some could do but halfe that
which hath bene written.
Touching drugges, I finde many as well at Teueris, as also in Casbin, but
the goodnesse nothing like to such as be brought into England out of other
places: and the price is so high that smal gaine will be had in buying of
them: albeit, if I had bene furnished with money, as I might haue bene, if
some would, I would haue bought some, to the ende the goodnesse of them
might haue bene seene in England. At my comming to Casbin I found no maner
of sales of any commoditie made, but all lying there whole, and newes giuen
out (as your Agent saith) that the Shaugh would buy all such commodities as
he had, and giue him silke and spices for the same: but by report the
Shaugh neuer tooke cloth into his treasurie all the dayes of his life, and
will not now begin: his whole trade is in raw silke, which he selleth
alwayes for money to the Armenians and Turkes, and such other as vse to buy
it: thus hoping of that which is not like to be had, hee hath driuen off
the time, not sending to any other places:
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