146 TRADE AND MARKETS. 



broadcloths was to be charged with a freight of ten duckats, 

 each worth 5^. From Ayamonte and Lepe (two small ports 

 close to the southern boundary of Spain and Portugal) at zos. 

 the ton, to San Lukar de Barromeda, San Mary Port, and the 

 Bay of Cadiz 2 is. the ton, except in case of perishable goods, 

 from the Crane of Seville direct to London 23^., and from 

 Malaga to London 25^. with the same exceptions. 



Malaga then was the farthest range to which English ships 

 went, or were expected to go, in the latter part of Henry the 

 Eighth's reign. But even here it will be noticed that the more 

 distant ports are charged with the freightage only when they go 

 direct to London, a limitation which seems to imply that the 

 Parliament or the government contemplated the carriage of 

 Spanish produce from some nearer port, or did not expect that 

 an English ship would generally make a voyage beyond the 

 southern limits of the modern kingdom of Portugal. There 

 was a considerable trade on the east coast of England, espe- 

 cially from Norfolk, many persons, as for example, Fastolfe, 

 having accumulated no small part of their wealth by commerce 

 with the Low Countries and Northern Germany. So again the 

 southern ports were full of small craft which plied along the 

 coast, or crossed the narrow seas. But Bristol appears to have 

 been the only considerable port on the west which rose to great 

 importance at a comparatively early date. The rivers Severn, 

 Ouse, and Avon were navigated, and goods carried by water 

 Tewkesbury and Evesham. The carriage of sea coals by coasting 

 vessels had long been practised, for we are informed by statut< 

 9 Hen. V, cap. 10, that a custom of two-pence the chaldron 

 been always levied on coals carried seawards from Newcastl< 

 on-Tyne. The vessels, called keels, were generally of twent] 

 chaldrons burden, but they had been increased to twenty-twc 

 or twenty-three chaldrons, and the Crown had been paid 01 

 twenty chaldrons only. Hence the statute provides hercafU 

 that the keels shall be measured and marked. 



Every precaution is taken to prevent the loss of the prcci* u: 

 metals. The statute-book is full of enactments intended t< 



