ABSTRACT
The century lying between 1245 and 1345 is of unique importance in the history of medieval travel, because for a brief period it brought into contact the East and the West, the two centres of the civilized world ; for during the Middle Ages it is true enough to say that the world had two centres, each of which thought that it was the only one, the great civilizations of India and China, proud and immemorially old, and the budding civilization of Christendom, then in all the vigour of its lusty youth.
