158 THE CALIFORNIA 



silk everywhere throughout their dominions, both on the 

 islands and on all the shores of the Mediterranean ; silk 

 and mulberry trees were introduced into Spain and 

 Portugal by the Arabians, on their conquest of those 

 countries, in 711. 



From Greece, the cultivation of silk was introduced 

 to Sicily and Naples. Roger, king of Sicily, in his 

 invasion of Greece, in 1146, introduced, by compulsion, 

 many silk weavers and manufacturers, whom he carried 

 to Palermo. In twenty years the manufactures of Si- 

 cily became famous, being adorned with various colors 

 and figures, interwoven with gold and embellished with 

 pearls. Here it long mysteriously remained ; and it 

 was not till 1540 that it had extended to Piedmont, and 

 indeed to all Italy. So extensive is its cultivation at 

 the present day throughout Italy, that, according to 

 Count Dandolo, two-thirds of their whole exports to all 

 countries consist of silk. 



Its first introduction into France was in 1494 ; but no 

 very important results succeeded until, in 1564, Trau- 

 cat, a gardener of Nismes, established the first founda- 

 tion of a nursery of white mulberry trees, with an effect 

 so successful, that from this source the cultivation ex- 

 tended within a few years, over the whole of the south- 

 ern provinces of France ; but its final, and more com- 

 plete establishment in France, in 1603, is due to Henry 

 IV., who encouraged the formation of nurseries and the 

 manufacture of silk, even in the northern as well as 

 middle provinces of the kingdom, and whose name is 

 held in perpetual remembrance, for his noble deeds of 



