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The excerpt represents the core issue or deciding factor on which you must meditate, and is drawn from From London to Land's End by Daniel Defoe: of gold in specie, either in MOIDORES (which is the Portugal coin)
or in bars of gold, that I am very credibly informed the carrier
from Falmouth brought by land from thence to London at one time, in
the month of January, 1722, or near it, eighty thousand MOIDORES in
gold, which came from Lisbon in the packet-boats for account of the
merchants at London, and that it was attended with a guard of
twelve horsemen well armed, for which the said carrier had half per
cent. for his hazard.
This is a specimen of the Portugal trade, and how considerable it
is in itself, as well as how advantageous to England; but as that
is not to the present case, I proceed. The Custom House for all
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