London (England) -- Description and travel; London (England) -- History -- 18th century
The next company is the Eastland Company, formerly called Merchants of
Elbing, a town in Polish Prussia, to the eastward of Dantzic, being the
port they principally resorted to in the infancy of their trade. They
were incorporated 21 Elizabeth, and empowered to trade to all countries
within the Sound, Norway, Sweden, Poland, Liefland, Prussia, and
Pomerania, from the river Oder eastward, viz., with Riga, Revel,
Königsberg, Elbing, Dantzic, Copenhagen, Elsinore, Finland, Gothland,
Eastland, and Bornholm (except Narva, which was then the only Russian
port in the Baltic). And by the said patent the Eastland Company and
Hamburg Company were each of them authorised to trade separately to
Mecklenburg, Gothland, Silesia, Moravia, Lubeck, Wismar, Restock, and the
whole river Oder.
This company consists of a governor, deputy-governor, and twenty-four
assistants, elected annually in October; but either they have no power to
exclude others from trading within their limits, or the fine for
permission is so inconsiderable, that it can never hinder any merchants
trading thither who is inclined to it; and, in fact, this trade, like the
former, is carried on by private merchants, and the trade to Norway and
Sweden is laid open by Act of Parliament.
To Norway and Denmark merchants send guineas, crown-pieces, bullion, a
little tobacco, and a few coarse woollens.
They import from Norway, &c., vast quantities of deal boards, timber,
spars, and iron.
Sweden takes from England gold and silver, and but a small quantity of
the manufactures and production of England.
England imports from Sweden near two-thirds of the iron wrought up or
consumed in the kingdom, copper, boards, plank, &c.
The Turkey or Levant Company was first incorporated in the reign of Queen
Elizabeth, and their privileges were confirmed and enlarged in the reign
of King James I., being empowered to trade to the Levant, or eastern part
of the Mediterranean, particularly to Smyrna, Aleppo, Constantinople,
Cyprus, Grand Cairo, Alexandria, &c. It consists of a governor,
deputy-governor, and eighteen assistants or directors, chosen annually,
&c. This trade is open also to every merchant paying a small
consideration, and carried on accordingly by private men.
These merchants export to Turkey chiefly broadcloth, long-ells, tins,
lead, and some iron; and the English merchants frequently buy up French
and Lisbon sugars and transport thither, as well as bullion from Cadiz.
The commodities received from thence are chiefly raw silk, grogram yarn,
dyeing stuffs of sundry kinds, drugs, soap; leather, cotton, and some
fruit, oil, &c.
The East India Company were incorporated about the 42nd of Elizabeth,
anno 1600, and empowered to trade to all countries to the eastward of the
Cape of Good Hope, exclusive of all others.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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