XCII. "A valuation of the Commodities growing and to be had
in Virginia"
1620
C. O. 1, Vol. I, No. 24 (MSS.)
Document in Public Record Office, London
Pages 25--28 of a printed book, Bonoeil, "Observations to be followed, for the making
of fit roomes, to keepe Silk-wormes in: as also, for the best manner of Planting
Mulbery trees to feed them," with the indorsement on the cover: "The Booke
of the Commodities of Virginia"
[152]
List of Records No. 151
A valuation of the Commodities growing and to be had in Virginia: rated as they are
there worth
- Iron ten pounds the Tunne.
- Silke Coddes, two shillings sixepence the pound.
- Raw Silke, thirteene shillings foure pence the pound.
- Silke grasse to be vsed for Cordage, sixepence the pound: but we hope it will serue
for many better vses, and so yeeld a farre greater rate, whereof there can neuer bee
too much planted.
- Hempe, from ten shillings, to two and twenty shillings the hundred.
- Flaxe, from twenty shillings to thirty shillings the hundred.
- Cordage, from twenty shillings, to foure and twenty shillings the hundred.
- Cotton wooll, eyght pence the pound.
- Hard Pitch, sixe shillings the hundred.
- Tarre, fiue shillings the hundred.
- Turpentine, twelue shillings the hundred.
- Rozen, fiue shillings the hundred.
- Madder Crop, forty shillings the hundred, course Madder, fiue and twenty shillings
the hundred.
- Woad, from twelue shillings, to twenty the hundred.
- Annis-seeds, forty shillings the hundred
- Powder Sugar, Panels, Muscauadocs and Whites, fiue and twenty shillings, forty,
and three pounds the hundred.
- Sturgeon, and Cauiare, as it is in goodnesse.
- Salt, thirty shillings the weigh.
- Masticke, three shillings the pound.
- Salsa Perilla, wild, fiue pounds the hundred.
- Salsa Perilla, domestick, ten pounds the hundred.
- Red earth Allenagra, three shillings the hundred.
- Red Allum, called Carthangena Allum, ten shillings the hundred.
- Roach Allum, called Romish Allum, ten shillings the hundred.
- Berry graine, two shillings sixe pence the pound: the powder of graine, nine shillings
the pound: it groweth on trees like Holly berries.
- Masts for Shipping, from ten shillings, to three pounds a piece.
- Pot-ashes, from twelve shillings the hundred, to foureteene.
- Sope-ashes, from sixe shillings, to eyght shillings the hundred.
- Clapboord watered, thirty shillings the hundred.
- Pipe staues, foure pounds the thousand.
- Rape-seede oyle, ten pounds the tunne, the cakes of it feed Kine fat in the winter.
- Oyle of Walnuts, twelue pounds the tunne.
- Saffron, twenty shillings the pound.
- Honey, two shillings the gallon.
- Waxe, foure pounds the hundred.
- Shomack, seuen shillings the hundred, whereof great plenty in Virginia, and good quantity will be vented in England.
- Fustick young, eyght shillings the hundred.
- Fustick old, sixe shillings the hundred, according to the sample.
- Sweete Gums, Roots, Woods, Berries for dies and Drugs, send of all sorts as much as you can, euery sort by it selfe, there being great quantities of those things in
Virginia, which after proofe made, may be heere valued to their worth. And par-
ticularly, we haue great hope of the Pocoone roote, that it will proue better than
Madder.
- Sables, from eyght shillings the paire, to twenty shillings a paire.
- Otters skins, from three shillings, to fiue shillings a piece.
- Luzernes, from two shillings, to ten a piece.
- Martins the best, foure shillings a piece.
- Wild Cats, eyghteene pence a piece.
- Foxe skins, sixe pence a piece.
- Muske Rats skins, two shillings a doozen: the cods of them will serue for good
perfumes.
- Beuer skins that are full growne, in season, are worth seuen shillings a piece.
- Beuer skins, not in season, to allow two skins for one, and of the lesser,
three for one.
- Old Beuer skins in Mantles, gloues or caps, the more worne, the better, so they bee
full of furre, the pound waight is sixe shillings.
- The new Beuer skins, are not to be bought by the pound, because they are thicke and heauy leather, and not so good for vse as the old.
- Pearles of all sorts that you can finde: Ambergreece as much as you can get: Cristall
rocke: Send as much as you can, and any sort of Minerall stones, or earth that
weighs very heauy.
- Preserue the Walnut trees to make oyle of, and cut them not downe: so also preserue
your Mulberry and Chesnut trees very carefully.
- In the monethe of Iune, bore holes in diuers sorts of Trees, whereby you shall see
what gums they yeeld, and let them be well dried in the Sunne euery day, and send
them home in very dry Caske.
[Indorsed, in pencil:] Virginia Jas I abt 1610?
