Now that this study is completed and I wish to make due acknowledg ment to all those who have in any degree contributed towards its realization, my thoughts turn in the first place to the one to whom this book is dedicated. It is a great grief to me that he who took such an intense interest in my work has not lived to see its conclusion. It was he who in the beginning urged me to venture upon this course of study and whose encouragement helped me in moments of de spondency. The high standard which, with his keen and critical judgment, he set for his own work, was an example to me, and I shall strive to maintain it in my future studies. Not only did he help me to lay the foundation of my knowledge of archive science, but he was also my guide in a field new to me in many respects, that of Asian maritime trade. His wide knowledge of medieval European trade in the Baltic area led me to compare and contrast the two worlds of East and West and thus helped me to obtain a deeper insight into the differences and similarities between the various problems involved. I am greatly indebted to Prof. Dr. J. M. Romein, who has followed the progress of my studies with great interest all these years, and on whose help and support, sometimes in very difficult circumstances, I have always been able to rely.