The weight, measure, and money currant in the kingdom of Ormuz:
Spices and drugs they weigh by the bar, and of euery sort of goods the
weight is different. To say, of some drugs 3 quintals, and 3 erubi or
roues, and other some 4 quintals 25 rotiloes, and yet both is called a
barre, which barre, as well as great as litle, is 20 frasoli, and euery
frasoll is 10 manas, and euery mana 23 chiansi, and euery chianso 10
meticals and a halfe. [Sidenote: What a rotilo is.] Note that euery
quintall maketh 4 erubi or roues, and euery roue 32 rotiloes, and euery
rotilo 16 ounces, and euery ounce 7 meticals, so that the quintall commeth
to be 128 rotiloes, which is Aleppine 26 rotiloes and one third part, which
is 132 li. English weight. And contrarywise the quintal of Aleppo (which is
494 rotiloes 8 ounces English) maketh 477 rotiloes and a halfe of Ormuz,
which is 3 quintals 2 roues, 29 rotiloes and a halfe.
Note that there are bars of diuers weights, vt supra, of which they
bargaine simply, according to the sort of commoditie, but if they bargaine
of the great barre, the same is 7 quintals and 24 rotiloes, which is 958
li. 9 ounces of London weight, and of Aleppo 193 rotiloes and a halfe.
Touching the money of Ormuz, they bargaine in marchandize at so many leches
by the barre, which lech is 100 Asaries, and maketh larines 100 and a
halfe, which maketh pardaos 38, and larines one halfe, at larines 5 by the
pardao. One asarie is sadines 10, and euery sadine is 100. danarie.
The larine is worth 5 sadines and one fourth part, so that the sadine is
worth of Aleppo mony 1 medine and 1 fourth part, and the larine as in
Balsara worth of Aleppo mony 6 medines and a half.
The pardao is 5 larines of Balsara.
There is also stamped in Ormuz a seraphine of gold, which is litle and
round, and is worth 24 sadines, which maketh 30 medines of Aleppo.
The Venetian mony is worth in Ormuz larines 88 per 100 meticals, and the
roials are worth larines 86 lesse one sadine, which is euery thousand
meticals, 382 asures: but those that will not sel them, vse to melt them,
and make them so many larines in the king of Ormuz his mint, whereby they
cleare 2 per 100, and somewhat more: and this they doe because neither
Venetian money nor roials run as currant in Ormuz, per aduise.
The measure of Ormuz is of two sorts, the one called codo which increaseth
vpon the measure of Aleppo 3 per 100, for bringing 100 pikes of any
measurable wares from Aleppo to Ormuz, it is found in Ormuz to be 103
codes. Also these measures of Ormuz increase vpon those of Balsara and
Babylon 25 and two third parts per 100: for bringing 100 pikes of any
measurable wares from Balsara or Babylon, there is found in Ormuz 125 codes
and two third parts.
The other measure is called a vare, which was sent from the king of
Portugall to the India, by which they sell things of small value, which
measure is of 5 palmes or spans, and is one code and two third parts, so
that buying 100 codes of any measurable wares, and returning to measure it
by the sayd vare, there are found but 60 vares, contrarywise 100 vares make
166 codes and two third parts.
Note that al such ships as lade horses in Ormuz for Goa or any other place
of India, lading 10 horses or vpwards, in what places soeuer the said
horses be taken a shore in the India, the marchandize which is to be
discharged out of that ship wherein the said horses come, are bound to pay
no custome at all, but if they lade one horse lesse then ten, then the
goods are bound to pay the whole custome. And this law was made by Don
Emanuel king of Portugall, but it is to be diligently foreseene, whither
all those horses laden be bound to pay the king his custome: for many times
by the king of Portugall his commandement, there is fauour shewed to the
king of Cochin his brother in armes, so that his horses that come in the
same ship, are not to answere custome. As for example: If there were 4
horses laden in one ship, all which were to pay custome to the king, and
one other of the king of Cochins which were not to pay any custome, the
same causeth all the marchandize of that ship to be subiect to pay custome,
per aduise. But if they lade ten horses vpon purpose to pay the king his
custome in Goa, and in the voyage any of them should die in that case, if
they bring the taile of the dead horse to the custome in Goa, then the
marchandize is free from all custome, because they were laden in Ormuz to
pay custome in Goa. Moreouer, if the horses should die before the midst of
the voyage, they pay no custome at all, and if they die in the midst of the
voyage, then they pay halfe custome, but if any horse die after the mid
voiage, they pay custome no lesse than if they arriue safe.
Notwithstanding, the marchandize (whether the said horses die before or in
the mid voyage or after the mid voiage) are free from all custome.
The custome of Ormuz is eleuen in the 100, to say, 10 for the king, and 1
for the arming of the foists: but for small wares as glasses, and looking
glasses of all sorts, and such like, made for apparell, pay no custome. But
cloth of Wooll, Karsies, Mockaires, Chamlets, and all sortes of Silke,
Saffron, and such like, pay custome, being esteemed reasonably.
There is also another custome, which they call caida, which is, that one
bringing his goods into Ormuz, with purpose to send the same further into
India, the same are bound to pay 3 by the 100, but none other are bound to
pay this custome, except the Armenians, Moores, and Iewes: for the
Portugals and Venetians pay nothing thereof.
Note that in Ormuz they abate tare of all sorts of commodities, by an order
obserued of custome.
The fraight from Ormuz to Chaul, Goa, and Cochin, is as followeth:
Mokaires, larines 6 per table of 60 pikes. Aquariosa 8 larines by ordinarie
chist, raisins 10 by chist, which is a quintall of roues 128. Ruuia of
Chalangi larines 10 per quintall, glasses larines 8 per chist, of 4 foote
and a halfe, glasses in great chists 14 and 15 larines by chist. Small
wares larines 12 by chist of fiue foot. Tamari for Maschat sadines 2 and a
half, and 3 by the fardle. Tamarie for Diu and Chaul 4 sadines, and 4 and a
halfe by bale. Other drugs and things which come from Persia pay according
to the greatnesse of the bales.
The fraight mentioned, they pay as appeareth, when they ship the sayd goods
in ships where horses goe: otherwise not hauing horses, they pay somewhat
lesse, because of the custom which they are to pay.
The vse of the India ships is, that the patrones thereof are not at any
charge neither with any passenger, not yet with any mariner in the ship,
but that euery one at the beginning of the voyage doe furnish to maintaine
his owne table (if he will eate) and for drinke they haue a great iarre of
water, which is garded with great custodie.