MANfRAC»
ï’VjÈilMSi'' ï.
were the trïöft rich and-refpe&able body of men in Éhe -city. The ca»
pituiatfen« óf this commerce;5 fo called becaufe they were mere conceffións
granted by the Porte,“ date from the reign ;of. Elizabeth.' Though the
charter were granted to a company there was no common ftock ? Blit
each individual traded in" his own' way," and. upon his own fund.
There was> ambdeAf regulations': the fiiips'were fent annually :• and no
bullion- was allowed to be remitted to Turkey.' The- declide ^ th i s
trade appears; ‘from the account of -this^ author; to.hav.e_' arifen.from
feveral injudicious bills brought into- parliament,, which from their,
fercrity induced thér merchants, to export cloth, of an iijfëipr-quaBty.*
Yet as he confeffes that the‘trade had declined; .before tjte: ftatutes, had'
paffed, it feéfeas' reafonahle to .infer, 'that- the. avarice of fo.me traders,
was the real >caufe ?©f the inferiority of nour articles- to Lthofe,of the
Frenehj -who artfully availed themfdves I dfvthe. opportunity,-, and; *by
ftria' regulations* maintained thèir fuperiority. In| the period • frpm
to .*738'the Englifh cloth-fent to Gonftantinople. amounted-am-
nually to 574 bales while from 1739 to 1748 it had fallen to 236
bales. For the nature and caufes of the: decline of our Tuskey,.trade,
and the, afcendancy of that of the Trench, the reader, who wilhes^for
minute,information, muft be referred to the fame Judicious, traveller.
* "CHAPTER IV.
- N a t u r a l G e o g r a p h y .
~dnSrki^nf^Face,^QjEct-h^ , C o j m m an^
'— Rofany. “Minerdhgy.— Milleral
* Wylers.—XSiaMr^ Qttriojjilies-. ^
r pH 'E blirrflte'bf' Afia Minor has always been conftdered as' excellent.
Tfi'ereis a peculiar foftnefs-and ferenity in the air,;M$t'perceivable
'da the' European fide of the Archipelago. The heat of the fummer
4s confideVably tempered by the numerous chains of high mountains,
■ fomeof which are fafd to he covered with-perpetual fnowv
’ The’general appearance oT-Afiatic ‘Turkey may be regarded as
/riibuntainous; but intermingled with laf^e' and beautiful plaihs, which,
mftead of being cbvdfbd"WitH rich" h&ips ‘of‘grain; are paftured by the
numerous flocks dhd ftJerds of the Turcbmans. ’The‘ foil, as may be
'exjpetfted,* rs' - extremely Variohs •’ but that“ of Afia' Minor' is-’Chiefly a
clay 5 add wheat, barley, .and durra^for m' ’the 'Chief, if hot ' the
' But excfeil^nt grapes and olives abound;
and, the’ fouthern pfovihce#’are 'fertile in dates': Tii Syfiathe- agriculture
‘ is id the moft flcplbraole conditibh‘;“and the' infl^rnneuts, ‘and
’mariagCitteht are alike’ execrable. The peafaiit^ ate lh the" moft miftra-.
■ ^le fituatiM ; and thdughhbt 'fold with'the foil, like thbfe of Pola-nd,
P ifpoffihle,J’yef mbre hjppreffed; barley'bread, onion’s, and water
'cbnft'itutftig thewhbjiftaht fare.*
’ThAbrinbi^ii t&er of Afiatic 'Turkey is^ije^onfl^aif comparifon, the
Euphrates, which rifes from the mountains of-Armenia, a few miles to
• Jirownei 418. * * Volney, II. 413. ^ ’jt* «»• •
' , e 2 - the'
C limate
jsnw Seasons.'
Face o f the
Country.
Agriculture,
Rireri. 1
Euphrates.