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| The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.2 |
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Citation Information
IP
s
CHAP. XXII. GINGER
38t
of braise or hot coals, and its first application was to this dye-wood from the far East. Then it was applied to a newly-discovered tract of South America, perhaps because producing a kindred dye-wood in large quantities : finally the original wood is robbed of its name, which is monopolised by that imported from the new country. The Region of Brazil had been originally styled Santa Cruz, and De Barros attributes the change of name to the suggestion of the Evil One, " as if the name of a wood for colouring cloth were of more moment than that of the Wood which imbues the Sacraments with the tincture of Salvation."
There may perhaps be a doubt if the Land of Brazil derived its name from the dye-wood. For the Isle of Brazil, long before the discovery of America, was a name applied to an imaginary Island in the Atlantic. This island appears in the map of Andrea Bianco and in many others, down at least to Coronelli's splendid Venetian Atlas (1696) ; the Irish used to fancy that they could see it from the Isles of Arran ; and the legend of this Island of Brazil still persisted among sailors in the last century."
t The story was no doubt the same as that of the green Island, or Island of Youth,
which Mr. Campbell tells us the Hebrideans see to the west of their own Islands. (See Pop. Tales of lest Highlands, IV. 163. For previous references, Della Deci,ua, III. 298, 361 ; IV. 6o ; I. B. IV. 99 ; Cathay, p. 77 ; Note by Dr. H. Gle;Jiorzz ; Marsh's ed. of Weds wood's Etym. Diet. I. 123 ; Southey, H. of Brazil, I. 22.)
NOTE 3.—This is the Colombine ginger which appears not unfrequently in mediceval writings. Pegolotti tells us that " ginger is of several sorts, to wit, Belledi, Colombino, and Mecchino. And these names are bestowed from the producing countries, at least this is the case with the Colombino and Mecchino, for the Belledi is produced in many districts of India. The Colombino grows in the Island of Colombo of India, and has a smooth, delicate, ash-coloured rind ; whilst the Mecchino comes from the districts about Mecca and is a small kind, hard to cut," etc. (Della Dec. III. 359.) A century later, in G. da Uzzano, we still find the Colombino and Belladi ginger (IV. III, 210, etc.). The Baladi is also mentioned by Rashiduddin as an export of Guzerat, and by Barbosa and others as one of Calicut in the beginning of the 16th century. The Mecchino too is mentioned again in that era by a Venetian traveller as grown in the Island of Camran in the Red Sea. Both Columbine (gigembre columbin) and Baladi ginger (gig. baladit) appear among the purchases for King John of France, during his captivity in England. And we gather from his accounts that the price of the former was 13d. a pound, and of the latter 12d., sums representing three times the amount of silver that they now indicate, with a higher value of silver also, and hence equivalent to about 4s. and 4s. 4d. a pound. The term Baladi (Ar. ), Indigenous or " Country " ginger, indicated ordinary qualities of no particular repute. The word Baladi seems to have become naturalised in Spanish with the meaning " of small value." We have noticed on a former occasion the decay of the demand for pepper in China. Ginger affords a similar example. This spice, so highly prized and so well known throughout Europe in the Middle Ages, I have found to be quite unknown by name and qualities to servants in Palermo of more than average intelligence. (Elliot, I. 67 ; Ramusio, I. f. 275, v. 323 ; Dozy and Engelm. pp. 232-233 ; Dona d'Arcq, p. 218 ; Philohiblon Soc. Miscellanies, vol. ii.
p. I16.)
NOTE 4.—In Bengal Indigo factories artificial heat is employed to promote the drying of the precipitated dye ; but this is not essential to the manufacture. Marco's account, though grotesque in its baldness, does describe the chief features of the manufacture of Indigo by fermentation. The branches are cut and placed stem upwards in the vat till it is three parts full ; they are loaded, and then the vat is filled with water. Fermentation soon begins and goes on till in 24 hours the contents of the vat are so hot that the hand cannot be retained in it. This is what Marco ascribes
* Indeed, Humboldt speaks of Brazil Isle as appearing to the west of Ireland in a modern English map—Purdy's; but I do not know its date. (`ee Examen, etc., II. 244-245 )
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