A, D. 1613. 273 



1613 — The confideratlon of the voyage of Richard Chancelor, &c. 

 in the lad century, from Ruffia, down the great river Volga, and crofs 

 the Cafpian fea into Perfia, where he attempted to trade with Enghfti 

 manufadlures, &c. for Perfian and Indian merchandize, put Sir Henry 

 Nevill upon a fcheme of the Uke nature, for bringing the whole trade 

 of Perfia, and the inland parts of India, up the river Hydafpes (a 

 branch of the Indus), and thence over land to the river Oxus, which 

 falls into the Cafpian fea, thence crofs that fea, and up the Volga to a 

 fmall land-carriage, which would bring then to the river Dwina, and 

 thence down to Archangel. This proje6l was communicated by John 

 Chamberlain, in a letter to Sir Ralph Winwood, at the Hague, and is 

 printed in his Memorials of affairs of ftate [/^ iii] ; but this 'letter- 

 writer very juflly thought it a matter of no fmall difliculty. The 

 fcheme, however, as far as relates to Perfia acrofs the Cafpian, has in 

 our days been found prafticable by the Ruflia company, for import- 

 ing raw filks, till the continual troubles in Perfia have again interrupt- 

 ed it. 



In this year fixty-two perfons from England had a grant of lands in 

 Newfoundland : they pretended to have raifed wheat, rye, and garden- 

 fluff there ; yet it is Imce found that neither wheat nor any grain will 

 profper on that ifland. Thofe planters, however, foon grew weary of 

 their attempts, which by no means anfwered their expedations, and 

 therefor transferred their grant to other new adventurers. 



In this loth year of King James's reign, he coined the pound weight 

 of gold into L44 by tale, of the old ftandard of 23 carrats 3^ grains, 

 fine. He alfo coined gold this fame year of bafer allay, viz. of 22 car- 

 ra^-s fine, into L40 : i 8 ; 4, by tale; the pieces being units of 22/, 

 double crowns 11/, Britain crowns 5/6, thiflie crowns 4/11.1, half Bri- 

 tain crowns 2/9 each; a very flrange fancy, of having gold coins of dif- 

 ferent finenefs ! wherein he was followed by his Ion. 



In the treaty of peace and commerce, between King ChriiHern IV 

 of Denra:irk, and Guftavus Adolphus of Sweden, under the mediation 

 of King James I of Great Britain, we find the following articles relat- 

 ing to commerce. 



' I) Both nations may freely trade to each other's country, without 



* paying any cuflom or duty. 



' II) The Swedes fliall freely pafs the Saund with their fhips without 



* paying toll there, either for perfons or goods ; excepting in the cafe 



* of foreign liquors, for which the Swedes muft pay the fame toll as 

 ' Danifli iubjed themfelves do.' [Fcedera, V. xvi, p. 738.] 



The Englifli Ruffia company having this year obtained of King James 

 a charter, excluding all orhers (natives as well as foreigners) from fail- 

 ing to Spitzbergen, they profecuted the whale-fifhery with fuch refolu- 

 tion, that this vear thcv equipped feven armed fhips ; wherewith they 



Vol. 11. " ' M m 



