AND COMMERCIAL ROUTES. 147 



Wine, indeed, was undoubtedly produced in England, and, 

 as the reader will find, as far north as Norfolk. In all likeli- 

 hood, however, this produce was obtained only in exception- 

 ally hot summers. 



The most costly articles of foreign produce were those 

 which are known from the remotest times under the name 

 of c spices/ With few exceptions these were of distant 

 origin. Saffron has given its name to an Essex town, near 

 which it was cultivated from remote times j and, as will be 

 seen in vol. ii. p. 546. i., it was produced at Lewes in Sussex. 

 Cumin and anise may also have been grown at home. 



Raisins, figs, currants, galingale, almonds, rice, and liquo- 

 rice were the produce of Southern Europe, and especially of 

 Greece. Dates came from Egypt. Sugar from Sicily, Cyprus, 

 Crete, Amorea, Marta, and Alexandria. The persons who 

 engaged in this trade were generally Italians, but also some- 

 times English merchants. 



Spices proper, as pepper, cinnamon, mace, ginger, cloves, 

 canel, grains, and cubebs, were obtained from the East, by 

 several different routes. The chief authority on the course 

 of Eastern trade during the early part of the fourteenth century 

 is Sanuto. 



Marino Sanuto Torcellus was a Venetian senator, who ad- 

 dressed a work to Pope John XXI, in the year I32r, on the 

 danger incurred by reason of the power possessed by the Sultan 

 of Egypt, on the sources of that power, and the means by 

 which the interests of Europe in general, and of the pope in 

 particular, would be furthered by the adoption of a plan com- 

 prised in his work, entitled "Secreta fidelium crucis." The 

 volume, he says, was accompanied by four maps, one of the 

 Mediterranean, the others of the various countries on its eastern 

 coasts. 



Eastern produce was collected in two ports, Mahabar and 

 Cambeth, and from thence shipped to four other ports 

 Hormus, Kis, the river below Baldac, and Ahaden. Origi- 

 nally the greater part of this produce was carried to Baldac, 



L 2 



