QuotesPartfour

" The five ships, it might be added, must be of at least medium class.
In a round ship this means she would be able, in earth figures, to freight between
approximately one hundred and one hundred and fifty tons below deck. I have
calculated this figure from the Weight, a Gorean unit of measurement based on
the stone, which is about four earth pounds. A weight is ten stone. A medium class
round ship should be able to carry from 5,000 to 7500 Gorean weight. The weight
and the stone incidentally are standardized throughout the Gorean cities, by Merchant
Law, the only common body of law existing among the cities. The official "stone"
actually a solid metal cylinder, is kept, by the way, near the Sardar. Four times a year,
on a given day in each of the four great fairs held annually near the Sardar, it is brought
forth with scales, the merchants from whatever city may test their own standard "stone"
against it. The "Stone" of port kar, tested against the official "stone" at the Sardar, reposed
in a special fortified building in the great arsenal, which complex was administered by agents
of the Council of Captains." To be sure we knew generically what was being borne. It was
not difficult to tell. Normal goods, exports of bar iron, and such, do not move in the city in
such numbers. It is true, of course, that sometimes wagons would congregate at meeting
places near gates, the wagons, say, of various manufacturers and merchants, and then
travel on the roads in convoys, as a protection against brigandage, but in such a case
the wagons, having different points of origin, would not form their convoy until in the
vicinity of the gates, and, indeed, sometimes outside them, in order to avoid blocking streets.
But the formation of such convoys, too, are usually advertised on the public boards, this
information being of interest to various folks, say, merchants who might wish to ship goods,
teamsters, guards, and such, who might wish employment, and folks wishing to book
passage. Sometimes, incidentally, rich merchants can manage a convoy by themselves,
but even so they will usually accommodate the wagons of others in their convoys. There is
commonly safety in numbers and the greater the numbers usually the greater the safety.
A fee is usually charged for entering wagons in a convoy, this primarily being applied to
defray the costs of guards. Too, in some cases, it may be applied to tolls, drinking water,
provender for animals, and such. Some entrepreneurs make their living by the organization, management and supply of convoys."
( Magicians of Gor pg. 102--103 )

"A hundred pieces of gold, for example, is a great deal of money to be carrying about,
particularly standardized tarn disks. Indeed, on Gor it is a fortune. It would not have been
absurd if he had had with him not the gold, but only a note, to be drawn on one of the bank,
like strongholds. on Brundisium's Street of Coins. Had that been the case I would have attempted
to cast doubt on the value of the note. Many of the ruffians probably could not read. Too, there
were the sort of men who would be inclined to distrust financial papers, such as letters of credit,
drafts, checks, and such. Certainly such things were not like a coin in their fist of a woman in their arms."
( Vagabonds of Gor pg. 467 )

"Ulafi should have been recruited, said the dark haired girl.
He will do anything for gold. Except betray his merchant codes, said he who was called Kunguni.
I was pleased to hear this, for I was rather fond of the tall regal Ulafi. Apparently they did
not regard him as a likely fellow to be used in the purchase of stolen notes on speculation,
to be resold later to their rightful owner. Many merchants, I was sure, would not have
been so squeamish. Such dealings, of course, would encourage the theft of notes.
It was for this reason that they were forbidden by the codes. Such notes, their loss
reported, are to be canceled, and replaced with alternate notes."
( Explorers of Gor pg. 148 )

"You must put men upon Schendi's Street of Coins, I said.
Shaba must not be permitted to cash the notes he carries." .... "Why could you not
apprehend Shaba at the banks? I asked. He never cashed the notes, said Msaliti.
I looked at him. He feared to do so? I asked. We were tricked, said Msaliti.
He signed the notes over to Bila Huruma, and it was agents of the Ubar himself,
who cashed them. Twenty-thousand tarns of gold, I said. The money, said Msaliti,
in fury, is being invested in the formation of a fleet of a hundred ships, fully fitted
and supplied, and crewed with fifty men each. These ships are being specifically
built to be sectioned and rejoinable, to make possible their portage about difficult areas."
( Explorers of Gor pg. 215 & 226 )