1G2 



ANACARDIACE^. 



(the ancient Phocsea), north-west of Smyrna, for ten years, renouncmg 

 all tribute during that period. The concession was very lucrative, a 

 large revenue being derived from the Contrata del Mastico or Mastich 

 district : and the Zaccaria family, taking advantage of the weakness of 

 the emperor, determined to hold it as long as possible. In fact they 

 made themselves the real sovereigns of Scio and of some of the adjacent 

 ■ islands, and retained their position until expelled by Andronicus III. 



in 1329.1 .... 



The island was retaken by the Genoese under Simone Vignosi in 

 134G; and then by a remarkable series of events became the property 

 of an association called the Maona (the Arabic word for subsidy or 

 reinforcement). Many of the noblest families of Genoa enrolled them- 

 selves in this corporation and settled in the island of Scio ; and in order 

 to express the community of interest that governed their proceedings, 

 some of them relinquished their family names and assumed the general 

 name of Giiistiniani.^ This extraordinary society played a part ex- 

 actly comparable to that of the late East India Company. In Genoa 

 it had its " O^cium CJiii " ; it had its own constitution and mint, and 

 it engaged in wars with the emperors of Constantinople, the Venetians 

 and the Turks, who in turn attacked and ravaged the mastich island 

 and adjacent possessions. . , 



The Giustinianis regulated very strictly the culture of the J^^J^^^ 

 and the gathering and export of its produce, and cruelly punished all 

 offenders. The annual export of the drug was 300 to 400 quintals, 

 which were immediately assigned to the four regions with Avhich tne 

 Maona chiefly traded. These were Romania (i.e. Greece, Constanti- 

 nople and the Crimea), Occidente (Italy, France, Spain and Germanyj, 

 VeraTitrcida (Asia Minor), and Oriente (Syria, Egypt, and ^ortllelIl 

 Africa). In 1364, a quintal was sold for 40 lire ; in 1417, the pi;ice va^ 

 fixed at 25 lire. In the 16th century, the whole income from the diu^ 



was 30,000 ducats (£13,7.50),^ a large sum for that period. 

 In 1566, *^" '^"-^-----" ■«"•■• ^ ^ ■ ■■- • ' ^: 



Turks undei 



, the Giustinianis definitively lost their beautiful is^an^' J^' 



jr Piali Pasha taking it by force of arras under pretext tna 



the customary tribute was not duly paid.^ A few years before tn. 

 event, it was visited by the French naturalist Belon « who testifies Iron 



what maybe obtained from ^he isWof 

 Hispaniola, be mentions— gold ^n'^^r-reece 

 and mastich, hitherto found only i" v^ 

 in the island of Scio, and ^h^cMhe^^^J^ 

 noria sells at its own price, f miicu ^^^^ 

 Highnesses [Ferdinand ^^d Isabe ^'^J^^^^ 

 command to be shipped, xne J^j^^igi^y^ 



looJy^^^ Jordanus who visited Scio circa 

 1330 (?) noticed the production of mastich, 

 and also the Ios3 of the island by Martino 

 Zaccana,— J/2ra6/7ict descripta, or Wonders 

 of the East, edited by CoL Yule for the 

 Hakluyt Society, 1863. 



2 Probably partly for the reason that a 

 1 alazzo Giustiniani in Genoa had become 

 the property of the Society. In the little 



I'lazza Giustiniani," near the cathedral 

 of ban Lorenzo, that palace may still be 

 seen, but there is only a large view of the 

 island of bcio which would remind of the 

 Maona I was told in 1874 by Sig. Canale, 



doubtful that the Officium Chii had resided 

 in the said palace. — F.A.F 



3 An incidental notice showing the value 

 ?h,W tff 'Je ^^^'^urs in the letter ofColumbus 

 (himself a Genoese) announcing the result 

 of his first voyage to the Indies In stating 



date 15 Feb. 1493. 



Columbus (Hakluyt Society) 1870. V-^^^^ 

 4 The ducat being reckoned a* f ;.- 



(Leipzig, 1859) art. Oiustauam . ais 

 (Mouieccmmerciali degU ItaU^'» '« 





i. (18GG). 



6 Observations de pMsieuro —jf. .,^^ etc. 

 choses mAmorables trouvees en^ 

 Paris, 1554. liv. ii, ch. 8- p. ^•*'^- 



