EURASIAN WATERWAYS IN TURKEY 61 



stage of which ended at Constantinople. Beyond the imperial city, in 

 Asia Minor, the four routes which had marked the progress of the first 

 crusade in Europe merged into a single trail over which the motley 

 crowd of friar, beggar and adventurer, gathered from every European 

 nation, steered its way towards Jerusalem. 



From a.d. 1250 to 1425 Black Sea coast towns constituted western 

 termini of important caravan routes proceeding from the heart of Asia. 

 Tabriz, the great rendezvous of traders traveling from China, India or 

 Arabia, was connected to Trebizond by the valley of the Arax. The 

 seaports of Samsun, Poti and Tana also received the products of Asia 

 destined for western Europe. The bulk of this Black Sea commerce 

 was in the hands of Venetians and Genoese. Natives of the independent 

 cities of Italy had their agencies in every Euxine harbor of any conse- 

 quence. The Eurasian waterways had permitted the establishment of 

 Italian commercial colonies on the coast of the Black Sea. Families 

 claiming descent from Italian medieval settlers are found to-day in 

 many harbors of ancient or modern importance. 



If abundance of nomenclature on ancient maps be considered as 

 expression of the commercial importance of a given region the names 

 on the Black Sea coast preserved on medieval maps suffice to reveal the 

 extent of trade relations between Italy and the Levant. The tonnage 

 of Italian traffic with the East was derived not only from the impor- 

 tant agencies like that of Galata founded by the Genoese within the 

 present limits of Constantinople, but from numerous smaller posts and 

 colonies scattered on the Black Sea coast. 



The westerly spread of the Turks resulted in the gradual closing of 

 the eastern waterways to Christian traders. In particular the control 

 of the Dardanelles-Bosporus sea road by the Turks in the sixteenth 

 century destroyed the most convenient avenue of intercourse between the 

 prosperous Italian republics and their Black Sea colonies. From this 

 time on trade relations between north-central Mediterranean ports and 

 the iEgean and Black seas dwindled to insignificance on account of the 

 restriction imposed by the Turkish government and the vexations to 

 travelers caused by its officials. - 



The destruction of this Levant trade, however, did not end the de- 

 mand of Europe for the products which the East had hitherto supplied. 

 Spices consisting principally of pepper, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and 

 nutmeg were still sought. The stocks of silk, gum, lacquer and certain 

 perfumes and precious stones were being gradually depleted. These 

 products now reached Europe intermittently and by way of southerly 

 routes through Asia Minor, Syria and Arabia. The journeys to which 

 traders had to submit were long and perilous. The result was that 

 spices sold in Italian ports three or four times higher than in Calicut. 

 Incense could only be obtained at six times its selling price in Mecca. 



