corundum, history.1, India.12, gems

Van Linschoten’s Itinerario is one of the most important early European accounts of the Portuguese maritime empire and Asian trade. Based largely on his residence at Goa from 1583 to 1588 and his travels and observations in the East, it describes the countries, peoples, ports, navigation, commerce, and commodities of the Portuguese Indies and adjoining regions. Of particular interest are references to the trade in precious stones and pearls, including diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, spinels, and other gems encountered in India and the wider Asian trading network. Linschoten records contemporary information on their sources, markets, qualities, and values, making the work an important primary source for the history of the gemstone trade in the late sixteenth century. This 1910 edition presents the Dutch text of Linschoten’s account of his voyage and experiences during 1579–1592.