Commerce
■with the
Levant at the
accession of
Queen
Elizabeth.
Route from
Aleppo to the
Persian Gulf.
Queen
Elizabeth
resolves to
open a trade
to India overland.
they were either forwarded along the southern shores of the
Euxine to Constantinople, or carried by water, to the Crimea;
or to the estuary of the Danube, in order to find their way into
Europe.
Elizabeth, on her accession, found British vessels trading to
Cyprus, Candia, Tripoli, Beirut, &c., and bringing in return
calf-skins, &c., silks, camlets, rhubarb, oil, cotton, Turkey
carpets, gall-nuts, and Indian spices; a part being imported to
England by Genoese, Yenetian, and other foreign vessels.
The routes through Syria to the Persian Gulf, which had
been partially in use from the time of the journey of Nicolo di
Conti in the middle of the fifteenth century, became more
generally frequented towards the end of the sixteenth. Leon-
hart Rauwolfs voyage from Bir to Babylon, in 1574, has been
described at length.1 Gasparo Balbi, a Yenetian jeweller,
followed him four years later, taking his merchandise with him.
He descended the Euphrates from Bir to Felujah, from whence
he crossed to Baghdad; he then descended by the Tigris to the
Persian Gulf, and proceeded to Pegu, the object of his voyage.2
About this time, the English merchant, John Newberrie,
having gone as far as Ormuz in the prosecution of trade, and
the attention of Queen Elizabeth having been drawn to the
subject on his return, a . d . 1583, her Majesty granted a charter
to Sir Edward Osborne the Lord Mayor of London, and
others, authorizing them exclusively to trade in the dominions
of the Grand Seignior; and thus was formed the Turkey, or
the Levant Company.3
. 1 See Eay’s Collection of Travels.
s See his Narrative in Purchas’s Pilgrims, vol. II., 1728.
3 “ May 1582. In consideration that Edward Osborne and Richard Stapers,
her M““ faithful subiects, by their adventure and industrie, and to their greast
costes and chargies traveled and caused trouble taken, as well by secret and
good meanes, as by dangerous waies and passagies, to set open a trade into
the dominions of Turkquie not heartofore in the memory of man knowne to
b e any of this nation. And also have by their like good meanes and
chargies procured of the Senior, commonly called the great Turke, amitie,
safetie, and freedom, for eontynewance of the said trade; whereby good and
profitable event may be had of their commodities of this realm, sundry
other great benefits to Her M*"* dominions and subjects. Therefore her M0“
tenderinge to the wealth of her people, and the encouragement of her good
subiects in their good enterprises for the advancement of the common weal,
The next year, Fitch, Newberrie, and others, being de-A.D. 1584.
spatched by Sir Edward Osborne, carried cloth, tin, &c., by First voyage
Aleppo to Baghdad, and from thence down the river Tigris to charter.he new
hath of her grace, &c., granted unto her subiects, Edward Osborne, alderman,
and Richard Stapers, mearchant, the whole libertie and privilege of traffique
into the dominions of the said grand senior duringe of vij yeares from
the date of her M“‘ letters-patents.
“ With prohibition to all her M““ subiects to adventure or intermeddle in
the said trade and traffique duringe the said tearme directlie or indirectlie,
without the assent of the said pattentees, under paine of loss of shipp and
goodes, the one half unto her M'ie, and the other half to th e , and imprisonment,
and suche furder punishment as to her M“° for so highe contempt
shall be thought meete. '
“ That Edward Osborne shall be governor of the said societie and trade
duringe the said tearme, and y f he decease within the said tearme, then the
rest of the said societie have libertie to chuse a newe governor.
“ That the pattentees, duringe the said tearme, may admitt into the said
societie freedom to the said dominions, or any part thereof, suche other
of her M‘le* subiects, as to them shall seeme best, at their will and pleasure,
freelie, or with suche restraint and condition as to them shall seeme good, not
exceedinge the number of xij or xiiij persons over or above the said pattentees.
“ That they may assemble themselves, or any of them, in any place or
places, for con and doings tutchinge the affaires of the said trade
duringe the said tearme.
“ That they may make lawes, ordinaneies, not repugnant to the lawes of
the realm, for the interest and good rule, orderinge and government of the
said societie and trade, the same to revoke and alter at their pleasure, and
thene to put in execution by forfei , peine, and penalties, to be levied
and extended against the offenders thereof duringe the said tearme, and for
the execution of the said ordinaneies and other services and uses of the said
societie and trade, may appointe officers, mynysters, and servants, suche and
so many as they shall thinke meete, and them revoke at their pleasure.
" Eor as muche as the Genovaies do use to beare the read crosse, like the
flagg of England in their shipp-toppes, and not beinge in leage or amitie with
the said grand senior; therefore, for the better surtie of the said companie
tradinge into the said dominions of Turkquie, it may please her M'ie to per-
mitt and grant that the said societie, duringe the said tearme, and for the said
trade, may set use, and use the armes of England in the toppes of their
shippes, whereby both her M‘ie* subiects may be the more certain knowne and
discovered, and more esteemed of and lovingly received in those parts.
“ That for the better tryinge of the said trade in good order, rule, and
government, nothinge be done in, and tutchinge the said trade, but with or
accordinge to th e tie and assent of the said Edward Osborne, or of
suche other governor as shall be after his decease, duringe the said tearme.