Better In Quality, When Brought By Land
Carriage, Though This Conveyance Was More Expensive.
From the works of Sanuto, it appears that sugar and silk were the two
articles from their trade in which the Saracens derived the greatest
portion of their wealth.
Cyprus, Rhodes, Amorea, and Marta (probably
Malta), produced sugar; silk was the produce of Apulia, Romania, Crete, and
Cyprus. Egypt was celebrated, as in old times, for the fineness of its
flax; European flax was far inferior. The Egyptian manufactures of linen,
silk, and linen and silk mixed, and also the dates and cassia of that
country were exported to Turkey, Africa, the Black Sea, and the western
ports of Europe, either in Saracen or Christian vessels. In return for
these articles, the Egyptians received from Europe, gold, silver, brass,
tin, lead, quicksilver, coral, and amber: of these, several were again
exported from Egypt to Ethiopia and India, particularly brass and tin.
Sanuto further observes, that Egypt was dependent on Europe for timber,
iron, pitch, and other materials for ship building.
As his plan was to cut off all trade with the Saracens, and for that
purpose to build a number of armed galleys, he gives many curious
particulars respecting the expence of fitting them out; he estimates that a
galley capable of holding 250 men, will cost 1500 florins, and that the
whole expence of one, including pay, provisions, &c. for nine months, would
be 7000 florins. The seamen he proposes to draw from the following places,
as affording the most expert: Italy, the north of Germany, Friesland,
Holland, Slavia, Hamburgh, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway.
In the year 1335, Pegoletti, an Italian, wrote a system of commercial
geography; in this, the route taken by the merchants who brought produce
and manufactures from China to Azof is particularly described. "In the
first place," he says, "from Azof to Astracan it is twenty-five days
journey with waggons drawn by oxen; but with waggons by horses, only ten or
twelve. From Astracan to Sara, by the river, one day; from Sara to
Saracanco, on the north-east coast of the Caspian Sea, eight days by water;
thence to Lake Aral, twenty days' journey with camels. At Organci on this
lake there was much traffic. To Oltrarra on the Sihon, thirty-five or forty
days, also with camels; to Almaley with asses, thirty-five days; to Camexu,
seventy days with asses; to a river, supposed to be the Hoangho, in China,
fifty days with horses; from this river the traveller may go to Cassai, to
dispose of his loading of silver there, and from this place he travels
through the whole of Cathay with the Chinese money he receives for his
silver; to Gambelecco, Cambalu, or Pekin, the capital of Cathay, is thirty
days' journey." So that the whole time occupied about 300 days. Each
merchant generally carried with him silver and goods to the value of 25,000
gold ducats; the expence of the whole journey was from 300 to 350 ducats.
The other travellers of the fourteenth century, from whom we derive any
information respecting Eastern geography and commerce, are Haitho, Oderic,
and Sir John Mandeville; they add little, however, to the full and accurate
details of Marco Polo, on which we can depend.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 264 of 524
Words from 137508 to 138054
of 273188
