Thomas, under the line, and the other
islands belonging to the Portuguese on the African coast; Brazil wood,
Guinea grains, and other drugs from the west coast of Africa; Madeira sugar
and wines. Of the produce of Portugal itself, Antwerp imported salt, wines,
oils, woad, seeds, orchil, fruits, &c. &c.
To Barbary, Antwerp exported woollen goods, linen, merceries, metals, &c.;
and received from it sugar, azure or anil, gums, coloquintida, leather,
peltry, and fine feathers.
From this sketch of the commerce of Antwerp, when it was at its height, we
see, that it embraced the whole commerce of the world: and that in it
centered all the commodities supplied by Asia, America, Africa, and the
south of Europe on the one hand, and England, the Baltic countries,
Germany, and France on the other. The account given by Guicciardini is
confirmed by Wheeler, who wrote in 1601. He observes, that a little before
the troubles in the Low Countries, the people of Antwerp were the greatest
traders to Italy in English and other foreign merchandize; and also to
Alexandria, Cyprus, and Tripoli in Syria; "beating the Italians, English,
and Germans, almost entirely out of that trade, as they also soon did the
Germans in the fairs of their own country." He adds, that the Antwerp
merchants, being men of immense wealth, and consequently able to supply
Spain for the Indies at long credit, set their own prices on their
merchandize.
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