28o A. D. 1615. 



their fhips was of 1293 tons burden, one of 1 100, one of io6o, one of 

 900, one of 800, and the reft from 600 down to 150 tons. Their ftiip 

 of 800 tons was bought of the Levant company : and he conceives the 

 ground for having fuch large fliips in the Levant trade to be, becaufe 

 our royal navy was not as yet confiderable enough to proted our trad- 

 ing fliips from the Barbary rovers. And the like alfo may be alleged 

 for the Eaft-India {hips. He fays, that our Eaft- India company's 

 greateft ftock (i. e. the value of goods and money exported), in any one 

 year, was but L36,ooo, and that the nation faves annually L70,goo in 

 the prices of pepper, cloves, mace, and nutmegs, merely for home- 

 confumption. That of thefe fpices they exported laft year to the va- 

 lue of L2 1 8,000 befide indigo, calicoes, China filks, benjamin, aloes, 

 &c. * A confiderable addition this to the national ftock. To which fhould 

 be added the king's cuftom, and alfo the employment given to fliips 

 and mariners in the re-exportations. 



That, befide cinnamon, the company computed that we annually con- 

 fumed at home the following quantities of fpices, viz. 



Pepper (formerly 8/ now but 2/ per lb.), 450,5000 pounds weighL 

 Cloves, _ _ _ . - - 50,000 



Mace, _ _ _ _ - _ 15,000 



Nutmegs, _ _ _ ._ _ 100,000 



Total, 615,000 pounds weight. 



And that , the cloves, mace, and nutiTiegs, are proportionably reduced 

 in price, iince our direct trade to India. 



Next, he gives the outfet and cargoes of the company's trade for the 

 year 1614, viz. 



' In bays, kerfies, and broad-cloths, dyed and drefl^d, to the king- 

 ' dom's beft advantage, _____ Li4,ooo o o 



' Lead, iron, and foreign merchandize, - 10, coo o o 



' Ready money in all the fliips (and which was lefs 

 ' than is allowed bj their charters), _ _ _ i 2,000 o o 



' Total, L36,ooo o c 



' The fame year, their ftiipping and furniture coft 



* them in fitting out, _ _ _ _ 34,000 o c 



' And for viduals and other extraordinary charges, 30,000 o o 



* Total outfet, anno 1614, I>ioo,ooo o o 



The anonymous but acute author, whom Sir Dudley Diggs now an- 



Twered, gives us a lift of our fliips employed in other branches of trade. 



* There is no nienliou as yet of porcelain or the cargo of tlie fliip Ntw-Ycar's-Gift taken in at 

 tea. Bantam in this fame year. lPurc,':ai, I., iv, c. 15, 



■Porcelain is mentioned by Elkington as part of ^ i.J M. 



