Part IL An account of the Money of Asia. ii 

 , « ~ 



high a rate, to the end the Merchants, who come from all the Coafts of India 

 thither with their Wares, may not tranfport it out of the Countrey. This piece 

 is called St. Thomas. Formerly when the Portugmz. had the Trade of fapon 3 Ma- 

 calf ar, Sumatra, China and Mcfambique, which they ftill preferve ; and is the 

 place whither the Indians bring the Gold of the Abaffms and Saba, it was a won- 

 der " 1 thing to fee the quantity of Gold which the Ponuguez. Coin'd, and the le- 

 vera! r ieces of workmanfnip which they fram'd in Gold, and lent into Forreign 

 C> 'evs, even to the We si- Indies, by the way of the Philippine Iflands. But 

 now they have no other places but only Mozambique to furnilh them with Gold, 

 they keep up thofe Pieces called St. Thomafss at a very high rate, left they mould 

 be carried out of the Countrey, as I faid before. They have alfo Silver Pieces, 

 which i hey call Pardos, which go for the value of 27 Sous of our Money : As al- 

 fo a great' quantity of fmall Copper and Tin-Money, not much unlike that of the 

 liings already mentioned, which they thread upon firings in particular numbers. 



The Gold and Silver Money of Mufcovy. 



I Have obferved in my Relations, that in all parts of our Europe, where they 

 Coin Money, there are great Sums tranfported all over uifia, where they go 

 currently. But for the Money of Mufcovy there is great lofs in tranlporting it 

 an T here elfe ; becaufe the Prince enhances it to lb high a value. The pieces as 

 well of Gold as Silver are very good Metal ; for the Gold in worth is fome- 

 what higher than our Lewis. 



Fig. 1 and 2. This piece of Gold weighs 14 Grains ; and to take the Gold at 

 48 Grains the Ounce, would amount to 20 Sous, one Deneer, and one half-peny 

 of our Money. But going in Mufcovy for 24 Sous, there would be nineteen and 

 an half lofs to tranfport it any where elfe. 



Fig. 3 and 4. Is a piece of Silver that weighs eight Grains j and to take an 

 Ounce of Silver at three Livres ten Sous, it comes to a Sous of our Money. But 

 in the Countrey you have but fifty of thefe pieces, or at molt fometimes fifty two 

 for one of our Crowns, or a Real of Spam, or an High-German Rixdollar. 



Fig, f and 6. Is a piece of Silver alio which only goes in Mufcovy, But I 

 cannot tell in what Province it is Coin'd, in regard there are no Arms upon it, and 

 that the moft knowing perfons, to whom I fhewed them, could not tell me what 

 the Characters meant ; which makes me think it is very ancient. The piece weighs 

 2y Grains, which comes to three of our Sous, one Deneer, and one half-peny. 



This is all that I could collect of moft certainty, concerning the Money and 

 Coins of the Eaft, during the long courfè of my Travels. Nor do I believe that 

 any perfon has undertaken, before me, to write upon the fame Subject. If any 

 one of my Readers defires to fee the real Pieces themfelves, as well in Gold and 

 Silver, as in Tin, Ccpper, Shells and Almonds, he may, without queftion,, obtain 

 the Favour from Monfieur, the firft Prefident, to whole Study I devoted them all, 

 together with certain Medals, of which that Supreme Senator, moft skilful in An- 

 tiquity, has great ftore, being ftill curious in fearching after what is rare. 



The end of the Coins. 



TRAVELS 



