The Hindu-Arabic Numerals c11.45

c11.45

The ventures of the Poli were not long unique, however: the thirteenth century had not closed before Roman missionaries and the merchant Petrus de Lucolongo had penetrated China. Before 1350 the company of missionaries was large, converts were numerous, churches and Franciscan convents had been organized in the East, travelers were appealing for the truth of their accounts to the “many” persons in Venice who had been in China, Tsuan-chau-fu had a European merchant community, and Italian trade and travel to China was a thing that occupied two chapters of a commercial handbook.²