their governor by their petition, to bring this trade to pass: giving him to understand that of all nations in the world we do him least hurt, and that we may do his country great good in consuming those commodities which his country people make.
Furthermore, it were far more requisite that we should carry our own commodities, than to suffer a stranger to carry them thither: for that we can afford them better cheap than a stranger can.
I write not this by hearsay of other men, but of mine own experience: for I have traded in the country above this thirty years; and have been married in the town of Scio full twenty-four years: so you may assure yourself that I will write nothing but truth.
Now I will declare unto you the wares and commodities that are in the countries near about Scio. There are very good galls, the best sort whereof are sold in England, five shillings [the hundredweight] dearer than any other country's galls. There are also cotton wool; tanned hides; hides in the hair; wax; camlets; mocayares; grogerams; silk of divers countries; Cordovan skins tanned white to be made black, of them in great quantity; and also coarse wool to make beds. The natural commodities growing in the island itself are raw silk and mastic.
Of these commodities there are laden yearly ten or twelve great ships of Genoa; besides five or six which belong to the town of Scio: which ships are freighted for Genoa, Messina and Ancona. And now that the Mauneses and the chief merchants of Genoa are banished, the trade is clean lost: by reason whereof our merchandise must now of necessity be better cheap than it has been in times past.
But yet when all those ships did trade to the country, and also our ships; we never had less than three quintals of galls for a kersey; and in England we sold them for 35s. and 36s. the hundred: whereas now they are brought by the Venetians; they sell them unto us for £3 10s. and £4 the hundredweight.
Also we had three quintals of cotton wool for a kersey, and sold the wool for £2 10s. or £3 at the most: whereas now the Italians sell the same to us for £4 10s. and £5 the hundredweight.
