Your Loving Friend To Command In All That I May, JOHN NEWBERY.
No. 2.
- _Letter from Mr John Newbery to Mr Leonard Poore of London_.
My last was sent you on the 25th of February last from Deal out of the
Downs, after which, in consequence, of contrary winds, we remained on
the coast of England till the 11th March, when we sailed from Falmouth.
The 13th the wind came contrary with a great storm, by which some of our
goods were wet; but, God be thanked, no great hurt was done. After this,
we sailed with a fair wind within the Straits, continuing our voyage and
anchoring no where till the 30th of April, when we arrived in the road
of Tripoli in Syria, which was a good passage, God make us thankful for
it. We left Tripoli on the 14th of this month of May, and arrived here
at Aleppo on the 20th; and with Gods help we begin our voyage to-morrow
for Bagdat and Basora, and so to India.
Our friend Mr Barret, commendeth him to you, and sent you a _ball_
[bale?] of nutmegs in the Emanuel, for the small trifles you sent him,
which I hope you have long since received. He has also by his letter
informed you how he sold these things, whereof I say nothing, neither
having seen the account nor demanded it; for, ever since our coming
hither, he has been constantly occupied about the dispatch of the ship
and about our voyage, and I likewise in purchasing things here to carry
to Basora and India. We have bought coral to the value of 1200 ducats,
amber for 400, and some soap and broken glass and other small matters,
which I hope will serve well for the places we are going to. All the
rest of the account of the bark Reinolds was sent home in the Emanuel,
which amounted to 3600 ducats, being L.200 more than they were rated; as
Mr Staper rated them at L.1100, and it is L.1300; so that our part is
L.200, besides such profit as it shall please God to send thereof;
wherefore you would do well to speak to Mr Staper for the account.
If you could resolve to travel for three or four years, I would advise
you to come here, or to go to Cairo, if any go there. For we doubt not,
if you were to remain here three or four months, you would like the
place so well, that I think you would not desire to return in less than
three or four years; as, were it my chance to remain in any place out of
England, I would choose this before all other that I know. My reason is,
that the place is healthful and pleasant, and the profits good; and
doubtless the profits will be better hereafter, things being carried on
in an orderly manner. In every ship, the fourth part of her cargo should
come in money, which would help to put off the rest of our commodities
at a good price. It were also proper that two good ships should come
together, for mutual assistance, in which case the danger of the voyage
would be as little as from London to Antwerp.
Mr Giles Porter and Mr Edmund Porter went from Tripoli in a small bark
to Jaffa, the same day that we came from thence, which was the 14th of
this month of May, so that I have no doubt they are long since in
Jerusalem. God send them and us a safe return. At this instant, I have
received the account from Mr Barret, and the rest of the rings, with 22
ducats and 2 medins in ready money; so there remaineth nothing in his
hands but a few books, and I left certain small trifles with Thomas
Bostocke, which I pray you to demand. From Aleppo, the 29th May 1583.
No. 3. - _Letter from Mr John Newbery to the same_.
My last was of the 29th May from Aleppo, sent by George Gill, purser of
the Tiger. We left that place on the 31st, and came to Feluchia, which
is one days journey from Babylon [Bagdat,] on the 19th of June. Yet some
of our company came not hither till the 30th of June, for want of camels
to carry our goods; for by reason of the great heats at this time of the
year, camels are very hard to be got. Since our coming here we have
found very scanty sales, but are told our commodities will sell well in
winter, which I pray God may be the case. I think cloth, kersies, and
tin have never been here so low as now. Yet, if I had here as much ready
money as our goods are worth, I would not doubt to make a very good
profit of the voyage here and at Basora, and as it is, with Gods help,
there will be reasonable profit made of the adventure. But, with half
money and half commodities, the best sort of spices and other
merchandise from India, may be bought at reasonable rates, while without
money there is very little to be done here at this time to purpose. Two
days hence, God willing, I purpose going from hence to Basora, and from
thence I must necessarily go to Ormus, for want of a man who speaks the
Indian tongue. While at Aleppo, I hired two Nazarenes, one of whom has
been twice in India, and speaks the language well; but he is a very lewd
fellow, wherefore I will not take him with me.
The following are the prices of wares, as they are worth here at
present: Cloves and mace the _bateman_, 5 ducats; cinnamon, 6 ducats,
and very little to be had; ginger, 40 medins; pepper, 75 medins;
turbetta[433], 50 medins; neel [or indigo,] the _churle_ 70 ducats: the
churle is 27-1/2 rotils of Aleppo; silk, much better than that which
comes from Persia, 11-1/2 ducats the bateman, each bateman being 7
pounds 5 ounces English.
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