. Our country in story . en sailed far eastpast Constantinople and across the Black Sea to the veryborders of Asia. Here they loaded their vessels with richsilks, dyestuffs, gums, spices, ivory, and precious costly products had been previously brought to theshores of the Black Sea from India, either on the backsof camels, or on ships and river boats to and up theTigris or the Euphrates River. India, as spoken of byEuropeans at that time, included the distant and thenscarcely known parts of Asia, particularly China, knownas Cathay; Japan, called Cipango; and also the EastIndies, or
. Our country in story . en sailed far eastpast Constantinople and across the Black Sea to the veryborders of Asia. Here they loaded their vessels with richsilks, dyestuffs, gums, spices, ivory, and precious costly products had been previously brought to theshores of the Black Sea from India, either on the backsof camels, or on ships and river boats to and up theTigris or the Euphrates River. India, as spoken of byEuropeans at that time, included the distant and thenscarcely known parts of Asia, particularly China, knownas Cathay; Japan, called Cipango; and also the EastIndies, or Malay Archipelago. 22 OUR COUNTRY IN STORY With their ships laden with the treasures of the East,the Genoese sailors would hasten back home. There theyunloaded their precious cargoes on to other trading ves-sels which lay waiting to receive and carry them to allparts of Europe. In this rich trade with the East, Venicewas a great rival of Genoa. Venice, however, reachedIndia by way of the Isthmus of Suez and the Red MAP OF TWO PRINCIPAL TRADE ROUTES TO INDIA Need we wonder that this sea-faring Italy became themother of the discoverers of our country? Or that itsmerchants claimed that no one in Europe could spicewine or season meat without helping to make rich someone of their cities ? Or shall we be surprised to learn thatColumbus went to sea when only fourteen years of age?He made his first voyage as cabin boy on a galley thatsailed on one of the great trading voyages to the not yet sixteen, he sailed beyond the Strait ofGibraltar, way around and along the western coast ofAfrica, as far south as Guinea. He later also voyagedas far north as England and Iceland. A PATHWAY ACROSS THE ATLANTIC 23 Distant voyages like these meant far more at that timethan a voyage around the world does at present, forpeople had a great dread of the wide, unknown imagined that it contained boiling seas, great whirl-pools, and frightful sea-monsters. These were all only ima
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