The fourth voyage into Persia, made by M. Arthur
Edwards Agent, John Sparke, Laurence Chapman,
Christopher Faucet, and Richard Pingle, in the yeere
1568. declared in this letter written from Casbin in
Persia by the foresaide Laurence Chapman to a worshipfull merchant of the companie of Russia
in London.
Anno Domini 1569. Aprill 28.
WORSHIPFULL sir, my duetie alwayes remembred, and
your prosperous health, and good successe in all your
affaires wished, to the glory of God, and your owne hearts
desire, &c. May it please you to understand that your
Agent M. Arthur Edwards and we departed from Yeraslave in July 1568. and the 14. of August arrived at our
port called Bilbil, with your ship the Grace of God, and
the goods in her in good safetie, God bee thanked for it,
finding there neither the people so ready to ayd us for the
bringing of her in, & unlading of the goods, nor yet so
obedient to the Shaughs privilege, as the worshipfull company have bene informed. Our goods brought upon land,
we were compelled to open & sel as they would set the
price, or otherwise it would have bene worse for us.
Being so satisfied to their contentment, we were speedily
aided with camels by the prince Erasbec Sultan his
appointment, to carry our goods to Shamaki, to which
place we attained the first of September, finding it so
throughly furnished with all maner of commodities by
occasion of our late comming, and by such as came before
us, that no man would aske to buy any one piece of karsie
of us, and lying then the space of one whole moneth before
your Agent Arthur Edwards would disperse us abroade
with the goods, such as came out of Russia
afterwardes,
had brought their goods to that and other places, and
spoyled those sales wee might have made, being sent
abroad in time convenient, being no little hinderance to
the worshipfull, as also great griefe unto us to see. To
conclude, through our dayly calling upon him, he bent
himselfe for Casbin, taking with him the greatest summe
of the goods, and two of the worshipfuls servants, to
witte, John Sparke and my selfe, to helpe and procure
the better sale for the same: and leaving at Shamaki
Christopher Faucet and Richard Pingle with three hundred
and fiftie pieces of karsies in their handes, supposed to be
solde there or in
Arrash before hee should be able to make
his returne from Casbin, which, so farre foorth as I can
understand,lie for the greatest part unsolde. And being
upon our way, at a certaine towne called Ardouil, we
chanced to barter nine pieces of karsies with those merchants for fourescore and foure batemans of cynamom,
selling the karsies at one hundred and fiftie shawghs the
piece.
And being at that present not farre from Teveris, called
the principal place in this countrey for uttering of cloth or
karsies, by much intreatie I perswaded your Agent to
send thither to proove what might be done, and receiving
from him foure and fiftie pieces of karsies, as also his
commission for the sale of the same, I proceeded on that
voyage my selfe, and one Tolmach in company with me,
finding in that place great store of broad cloth and karsies
brought thither, some part by the Turkes who be resident
there, some by the Armenians, who fetch them at Aleppo,
and some by the townesmen, who travell unto Venice
and
there buy them, so that no man offered me one penie
more then a hundred and fourtie shawghs for a karsie:
and having speciall commission and charge from your
Agent not to stay there above the space of seven dayes
after my arrivall there, but to repaire to Casbin with all
speed, and furthermore, having regard to keepe up 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: neverthelesse, 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 have 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.
It chanced me in that place to meet with the governours
merchant of Grozin, who was not a litle desirous to bargen
with me for a hundred pieces of karsies for his master
called Levontie, and offering me so good bands for the
paiment of the money or silke to the merchants contentment upon the delivery 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 priviledge for the worshipful
to travel into all parts of his dominion, as the Shaugh had
given 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
deliverie of the karsies there, having 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 devised:
and upon the same I sent my Tolmach from me backe to
Shamaki, with such goods as I bought at
Teveris, and to
the end hee might cause the worshipfuls servants there to
see this bargen accomplished. At whose arrivall there,
as I do perceive, 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 this countrey, with
whomsoever you shal bargen. If the ware be bought,
and they doe mislike it afterwards, they will bring it
againe, and compel you to deliver the money for it againe,
regarding the Shawghs letters, which manifesteth the
contrary, as a straw in the winde: by meanes whereof,
the worshipfu11 may know whether all be true that hath
bene written of this countrey people or not.
I am informed by all the brokers in
Teveris, 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
Teveris, 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 up 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
perceive.
To breake the trade betwixt the Venetians and the
whole company of the Armenians it is not possible, unlesse
the worshipful will finde some meanes to receive of them
yerely to the number of 100. catters or mules lading, and
deliver them for the same one third part money, the rest
cloth and karsies fitted in coulers meete for this countrey:
the examples, as abovesaid, are sent unto you.
At Amadia sixe dayes journey from Teveris, grow
abundance of galles, which are brought up yerely by the
Venetians, and be solde there for two bistes the Teveris
bateman, which as your Agent here saith, maketh sixe
pound English weight, but I doubt it wil not so be proved.
Neverthelesse it is supposed much good will bee done by
buying of them: which might at this present have partly
bene proved, if so be that some could do but halfe that
which hath bene written.
Touching drugges, I finde many as well at
Teveris, as
also in Casbin, but the goodnesse nothing like to such as
be brought into England out of other places: & 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
have bene, if some would, I would have bought some, to
the ende the goodnesse of them might have 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 given out (as your Agent saith) that ye Shaugh
would buy all such commodities as he had, and give him
silke and spices for the same: but by report the Shaugh
never 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 use to buy it: thus hoping
of that which is not like to be had, hee hath driven off the
time, not sending to any other places: by means whereof
the worshipfuls goods lie unsold to this day to their great
hinderance, which I for my part am not a litle sory to
see.
Babylon is from hence fifteene dayes journey, whereas
by true report be great store of Dates, and sold for a
bisse the batman, the commoditie fit for England, and the
place so neere unto us might easily have bene knowen, if
hee, whose deeds and sayings differ much, had bene
willing to the same. Cassan also is but seven dayes
journey from hence, & a place by report where most store
of spices be at all times to be had, over and above any
place in this countrey: it could not be granted by him to
be seen and prooved at this time: if this be losse to the
worshipfull, referre it to the want of one which can do
that which he speaketh in words.
To travell in this countrey is not onely miserable and
uncomfortable for lacke of townes and villages to harbour
in when night commeth, and to refresh men with wholesome victuals in time of need, but also such scarsitie of
water, that sometime in three dayes journey together, is
not to be found any drop fit for man or beast to drinke,
besides the great danger we stand in for robbing by these
infidels, who doe account it remission of sinnes to wash
their hands in the blood of one of us. Better it is therefore in mine opinion to continue a beggar in England
during life, then to remaine a rich Merchant seven yeeres
in this Countrey, as some shall well find at their comming
hither.
By commandement of the Agent also I went to Gilan
,
as well to see what harbor was there for your ship, as also
to understand what commoditie is there best sold, and
for what quantitie. I found the way from hence so
dangerous and troublesome, that with my pen I am not
able to note it unto you: no man travelleth from hence
thither, but such poore people as need constraineth to buy
Rice for their reliefe to live upon, and they lay not above
twentie batmans upon a catter, and it lieth no lower then
the skirts of the saddle, and he escapeth very hardly that
commeth there with the same.
The towne of Laighon, which was the chiefest place in
all that land, have I seen, and Langro and Rosar also,
which be now overrun by the Shaugh and his power, and
be so spoiled, & the people so robbed, that not one of
them is able to buy one karsie. The best commoditie
there to bee bought, is raw silke, and is sold in the
Summer time for 38. shaughs the Laighon batman, which
is litle above 40. li. waight, and for ready money: also
there is to bee had what store of Alom you will, and sold
there for one bisse the Teveris batman.
In these partes be many Turkie merchants resident,
which give an outward shew, as though they were glad
of our comming hither, but secretly they be our mortall
enemies, searching by all meanes to hinder our sales,
because we should the sooner give over our trade thither,
which in processe of time I hope will growe to better
perfection. They wish us to go to Hallape with the rest of
our commodities unsold, where they say we shall have
good intertainment in spight of the great number of
Venetians which be there resident, and the custome but
two in the hundred, and our karsies to be sold presently,
had we never so many, for twelve duckets, which maketh
of this money 165. shaughs: but by such as know the
place, market and custome, it is reported to us credibly
to the contrary, and that such karsies as ours be, are not
sold for above 8. duckets there: the custome thirtie in the
hundred and more, that no place in the world is so well
furnished with good cloth and karsies, and of so brave
colour as that place is, supposing it to bee craftily purr
posed of them, to bring us into trouble, which God defend
us from.
The price of spices be these, at this present enhansed
by reason ye way is shut to Ormus, which when God shal
send open, I purpose (God willing) to see, and at my
returne to advertise the worshipful what benefit is there
to be had in all points, so neere as I can learne: Pepper
25. shaughs the Teveris batman: Cloves 50. shaughs,
Long pepper 25. shaughs, Maces large 50. shaughs,
Ginger 24. shaughs, ready money all, or els looke not
upon them. And the best sort of rawe silke is sold for 60.
shaughs the Teveris batman. Thus for want of further
matter to inlarge, I ende for this time, beseeching God to
preserve you in continuall health.
By your obedient servant, Lawrence Chapman.
