USA > Maine > A history of the discovery of Maine > Part 13
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From the coasts of Africa and Spain to the west, stretch out several chains and groups of islands, as the Canaries, the Cape Verde, and the Azores, which had long been known to European navigators, and the greater number of which have the names inscribed, by which they are known to-day. The Azores stand out far to the west,-the last of them, "Insula de flores," nearly midway between Europe and Asia.
At the south-west of the Azores, we find the two famous and often mentioned islands, which, after the fourteenth century, were supposed to exist in the most western parts of the ocean, one called " Antilia," and the other "Saint Brandan."*
Of the first island Behaim says: "In the year 734, after the conquest of Spain by the Mahometans, this island, Antilia, was discovered and settled by an archbishop from Oporto in Portugal, who fled to it in ships with six other bishops and other Christian men and women. They built there seven towns, from which circuinstance it has also been called ' septemcitade' (the island of the seven cities). In the year 1414, a Spanish vessel came very near to it."
* The French geographer, M. D'Avezac, has written an excellent article "on the fabulous islands of the Atlantic Ocean in the middle ages." See his " Nouvelles An- nales des Voyages, tom. 1, 2. 1845.
متبل.
149
MAP OF BEHAIM, 1492.
Regarding the second island, Behaim adds the following: " After the birth of our Saviour, in the year 565, Saint Brandan, an Irish bishop, arrived with his vessel on this island; saw there most wonderful things, and returned afterwards to his country."
It is well known that these and similar stories of voyages and emi- grations, made to distant islands in the far west of the ocean, were often told in the middle ages. All these stories came from Portugal, Spain, Ireland, and Great Britain,-the European nations which were afterwards so prominent and active in the discovery and settlement of America. The islands of St. Brandan and Antilia were also depicted on charts of the fourteenth century. . Some time after the discovery of the West India Islands by Columbus, the old name "Antilia," which according to Humboldt is of Arabie origin, was applied to them. The island of St. Brandan was believed to exist a long time after the dis- covery of America by Columbus, and many expeditions were made even in the seventeenth century, from the Canaries and the Cape Verde Islands, for the purpose of finding it.
Some hundred leagues to the west of St. Brandan's Island, Behaim puts down the large island of " Cipangu," or Japan, of which Marco Polo, in the thirteenth century, had spoken, as being rich, and as lying not far from China to the east. Behaim gives to it about the latitude of Cuba and Hispaniola. Columbus, therefore, when he arrived at this latter island, thought it to be Japan.
Cipangu, or Japan, is surrounded by an ocean full of innumerable islands. The Arabs, probably ever since the time of Sindbad the Navi- gator, were somewhat acquainted with the innumerable islands of the Indian Archipelago and of the western half of the Pacific; and these Arabian traditions may have been depicted and alluded to here .*
The eastern coast of Asia is drawn on our map in the same manner, as we see it on many previous maps, according to the notions and re- ports of Marco Polo. It is the coast along which Columbus, and after him John and Sebastian Cabot, in the year 1497, and many other navi- gators thought they were sailing, whilst they were really sailing along the coast of America.
We find here indicated the great rivers of China, and the names, "India," "mangi," "Cathiaia," "thebet," "tataria," "bergi."
The name "India " was at once applied to the American discover- ies, believed to be a part of the continent of Asia; and the name is still
* On Sindbad, the Arabian navigator, and on the notions and information of the Arabs about the islands and waters at the east of Asia, a treatise has been written by Baron Walekenaer in Nouvelles Annales des voyages, tom. 1, p. 14 seq. 1832.
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150
MAP OF BEHAIM, 1492.
given to the central region, called the West Indies; and the aborigines are still called Indians.
" Mangi" is the name of a Chinese province spoken of by Marco Polo, and looked for by Columbus, when he was sailing along the coasts of Honduras and Central America.
"Cathaia " is the old name of Northern China, which for a long pe- riod was the object of very many expeditions for the discovery of a so- called North-western Passage.
The name " tataria," also placed on our map, often finds a place in the subsequent explorations of America. So long as America was thoughit to be a part of Asia, or connected with it, the North American Indians were thought to be Tartars.
Besides the names which I have put down on our copy, Behaim in his original had many others ; and also many decorative inscriptions and legends, nearly all of which were taken from the work of Marco Polo.
Already, in the year 1474, the distinguished and learned Italian as- tronomer, Toscanelli, had sent to Columbus a map of the world con- structed by him. and a letter explaining this map. That interesting map has not been preserved; but we have the letter .* From the description of the map contained in this letter, it appears that it was very similar to the globe of Behaim; having the same islands, the same configuration of the coasts of Europe, Africa, and Asia, and about the same dimensions and proportions of the ocean. It is said that Columbus, on his first voyage, had Toscanelli's map on board, and sailed by it. He, probably, on one or more of the numerous maps which he composed, had followed the same principles and represented similar things. Of these maps of Columbus not a single one has been preserved. The globe which Behaim composed in Nuremburg is the only original map which has come down to us, giving us the notions of Toscanelli, of Christopher Columbus, of his brother, Bartholomew Columbus, and their fellow voyagers on the ocean between Europe and Asia.t The Cabots very probably had a similar map on board, when in 1497 they sailed to find the shortest course to Cathay. A copy of it should be added to every work treating on the discovery of America. . I have. therefore, given it a place at the end of my chapter on the first voyage of the Cabots.
* See it in Navarette, Collecion de los viages y descubrimientos, etc., tom. 2, p. 1. Madrid, 1523. Compare what Humboldt says on the map of Toscanelli in his Kritische Untersuchungen, 1, pp. 206-208.
t M. D'Avezac calls this globe " une copie ou une reminiscence de la carte de Tos- canelli " (a copy or reminiscence of the chart of Toscanelli). See D'Avezac, I. c. p. 52.
N.º.V
FrIslandu
Liña . Meridional
POD
S.Gregor
Cavo de Inglaterra
Cavo, En fastanatre
:tyron 55
Caro de 5.Johan
35 Nicolas
isla de la Trinidad.
citra
setemle
Argare
menifie Cavo de lyfarte
S. Luzia
Jusquei
o requilia
Cavo de S.Luzia
anfro
Cavo de E /S. Jorge
Cavo descubierto
Mar descubierto per
Ingleses
Mar Oceanus
La Española 00,2 0
Guanahani.
labac
0
en añode 1500
0
00
The East-Coast of North . America by Juan de la Cosa in the year 1500.
J.de los Acores as
Circulo Cancro
No longo Fonte"
151
MAP OF COSA, 1500.
.
2. ON THE MAP, NO. 5, OF THE EAST COAST OF NORTH AMERICA, BY JUAN DE LA COSA, IN THE YEAR 1500 .*
Juan de la Cosa was a celebrated Spanish navigator, and one of the first discoverers of the West Indies. He accompanied Columbus on his second voyage to the west, in the years 1493-1496. He after- wards commanded several exploring expeditions to America, and took his share in the discovery and conquest of the northern coast of South America, Venezuela and New Granada. He had so much experience of the west and of the ocean, that he boasted " that he knew more of them than the Admiral (Columbus) himself." The early historians of America speak of him with high esteem.
Cosa, like other explorers, probably drew several charts of the new countries he visited, which, like many other drafts, are lost to us. In the year 1500, he compiled a large map of the entire world, on which he laid down all that he knew of the Spanish and Portuguese discoveries in the new world. This map, of which probably several copies were made, appears, like its author, to have been highly es- teemed by the Spaniards. One of these copies was hung up in the study of the then minister of Marine, Juan de Fonseca. It was after- wards, like most of the old maps, neglected and forgotten.
In the year 1832, the great German scholar, Humboldt, being occu- pied with his researches on the history and geography of America, during the time of the cholera in Paris, found. in the excellent library of his friend, Baron Walckenaer, a large map of the world, which the learned owner thought to be an old Portuguese production. IIum- boldt, however, discovered on it the inscription, "Juan de la Cosa la fixo en el Puerto de Sta Maria en año de 1500" (Juan de la Cosa made it in the port of Saint Mary in the year 1500). There was no doubt, that the very first map, on which a great part of the western continent was depicted, had now been brought to light.t
The whole map, as well as parts of it, have been repeatedly copied and published. Lelewel gave a reduced copy in his Atlas, No. 41. Sagra, in his work on Cuba, and Humboldt, in his "Examen Critique," gave sections of it. He communicated also a reduced copy to Dr. Ghil- lany, who embodied it in his work on Martin Behaim. The map was
* See on this map, 1. J. Lelowel, Geographie du moyen age, tom. 2, p. 109 seg. Bruxelles, 1852. 2. A. Von Humboldt, in the work, "F. W. Ghillany, Geschichte des Seefahrers Martin Behaim," p. 1 seq. Nurnberg, 1853, and the work there quoted on Cuba by Sagra.
t See Humboldt's introductory remarks to Ghillany's work on Behaim, p. 1 seq.
152
MAP OF COSA, 1500.
again copied by the great French geographer, M. Jomard, who pub- lished a perfect fac-simile of it in his " Monuments de Géographie." So the map has now become well known, and is generally ackuowl- edged to be one of the most interesting and important documents for the geographical history of America.
Our reduced copy of that part of Cosa's map which represents the northern half of the new world, was principally made after Humboldt's copy. I have, however, added a few names which Humboldt omitted, and which I find in Jomard's fac-simile."
The map has no indication of the degrees of latitude. It has, how- ever, the equator and the "circulo cancro" (the tropic of cancer 23}º N.), which enables us to recognize the latitudes of the several objects represented on the map.
Cosa draws the entire east coast of North America, from the neigh- borhood of Cuba to the highi northern regions, in about 70º N., with a continuous line, uninterrupted by water. He appears to have thought, that there was a large continental part of the world, back of the West India Islands discovered by Columbus and his contemporaries.
Before the year 1500, no Spanish navigator had been along that coast. The only exploring expeditions made to it, were those of the English under John and Sebastian Cabot in 1497 and 1408; and Cosa must have had his information for this part of his map from English origi- nals. He indicates this himself by the broad inscription running along the coast: "Mar descubierto por Ingleses" (Sea discovered by the English).
The true general trending of the east coast of North America, from Florida to Newfoundland, is from south-east to north-west. Cosa, on his map, makes it nearly in the same direction; but he extends it more east and west, which is a consequence of the projection of his map being a plane chart, having the degrees of longitude uniform throughi- out.
Cosa's coast-line in the higher latitudes, opposite "Frislanda " (Ice- land), has some similarity with the coast-line on the recently discovered map (see map No. 20), said to have been made by Sebastian Cabot in the year 1544. This is a remarkable circumstance. For it would seem to prove, that Sebastian Cabot had seen those arctic regions in 1498, and not at a later date, in 1517, as Mr. Biddle and some others have sup- posed. The easternmost point and peninsula of Newfoundland is easily recognized on Cosa's map, and agrees with the true configura- tion of this coast-line. He has also given a pretty long list of names upon the southern coast of the island.
These circumstances convince me, that Cosa made his chart of our
1
153
MAP OF COSA, 1500.
east coast, not in a fanciful and rough manner from general reports of sailors or the companions of the Cabots, as they may have been current in the harbors of Spain, after Cabot's voyage; but that in drawing his line, he must have had before him some copy of the chart, made by the Cabots themselves .*
There is no difficulty in supposing, that a copy of the chart of Cabot may have been seen by Cosa in 1500. Some of the companions of the Cabots may have been Spaniards, and have returned before 1500, to the ports of their native country, carrying with them, not only reports, but also charts of the voyage. The Spanish Envoy then at the Eng- lish court, Don Pedro de Ayala, in a letter to his king, dated July 25, 1498, also tells us, that he saw the chart, made by Juan Cabot on his first voyage, and that he intended to send a copy of it to his Spanish Majesty.t
This Spanish envoy may also have been careful to send to Spain afterwards, a copy of the chart of the second Cabotian expedition, on which the southern section of our east coast was discovered; and this copy may have been used by Cosa for his map.
This proves that the headlands, bays, peninsulas, and other objects represented on the map, are not made at random, but are sketches of such projections of the coast as the Cabots supposed themselves to have seen, and attempted to delineate, and are therefore worthy of a critical examination.
The best starting-point is given at the eastern cape of the coast, called "Cavo de Ynglaterra" (Cape of England), in about 50º N. Though this is not exactly the latitude of Cape Race, which stands in about 461º N., still there can be scarcely a doubt, that this cape is meant. The latitudes on our map, including those of the West India Islands, are much too high.
The configuration given to "the Cape of England" and its vicinity, has a striking resemblance to the configuration of Cape Race and the entire south-eastern section, or triangle, of Newfoundland; and I may add, that on all subsequent maps, this region has always been repre- sented in great harmony with nature. Newfoundland, and more espe- cially Cape Race, which was usually the first point of America seen by the early European navigators, and the part best known to them, and
. See Lelewel, 1. c., tom. 2, p. 110, who says with respect to this map: "One sees from Cosa's map, that he was not a mere copyist, but a compositor, and a distinguished compositor and draftsman, who worked with great exactness."
t See this letter printed in the " Calendar of the Spanish Archives," edited by Ber- genroth, vol. 1, p. 177; and also in Proceedings of the American Antiquarian Society. at the annual meeting held in Worcester, Oct. 21, 1865, p. 25.
154
MAP OF COSA, 1500.
whose light-house is still the first object sighted by our steamers as they approach the coast, is also, as it were, the regulating light for the examination of all old maps of the east coast.
From this map it appears probable, that the Cabots, on their discove- ries, gave to this remarkable point the name of " the Cape of England; " and they probably did this from the circumstance, that it is the nearest point of America toward England. For a similar reason, we may suppose, that on subsequent maps of the Portuguese, probably drawn by the Cortereals, it is named " the Cape of Portugal," as being the nearest point to that country.
From "Cavo de Ynglaterra " (Cape Race), the map represents the coast-line as running for a long way east and west, which I consider to be the south coast of Newfoundland, which runs in the same direc- tion .* Here the map is embellished with several English flags, and has names, which Cosa probably found on his English copy, and which he translated into Spanish, as "Cavo de lisarte " (Cape Lizard), "Cavo de S. Johann" (Cape St. John), etc. Some of these names are found on subsequent maps; but, as they relate to Newfoundland, do not require particular examination here.
The list of names ends in the west with a flag-staff, and near to it " Cavo de S. Jorge " (S. George's Cape), and "Cavo descubierto" (the discovered cape). To the west of "Cavo descubierto" comes a broad gulf, though, instead of such a gulf, we should expect to find the far projecting peninsula of Nova Scotia. For several hundred miles to the west, the coast-line of Cosa's map offers no resemblance whatever to the coast-line of our present maps.
But soon after the inscription, " Mar descubierto por Yngleses," and to the west of it, Cosa draws a bay, which looks very much like the Gulf of Maine. It has about the same size and semicircular shape, and is surrounded in the south by a projecting promontory, offering the form of a horn, by which, I think, Cape Cod is intended, for the follow- ing reasons :
* Baron Humboldt (in Ghillany's work on Behaim, p. 2) thinks, to my great aston- ishment, that here, the northern coast of the Gulf of St. Lawrence is meant, and that " the Cape of England," consequently, is not Cape Race, but some headland near the Strait of Belle Isle. The small island, called on our map (after Jomard's copy) "S. Gregor," to which Humboldt gives the name " Isla verde," he thinks is Newfound- land. This view is too much in opposition to all that I have stated above. And, moreover, I have never found one of the names given on our map, ou any of the old maps of the northern coast of the Gulf of St. Lawrence; while several of them, for instance that of "St. John," occur again on many maps of the south coast of New- foundland.
1
155
MAP OF COSA, 1500.
Cape Cod is the most prominent and characteristic point on the entire east coast, from Nova Scotia to Florida. Between Cape Race and Florida it has nearly a central position. It has the longitude of St. Domingo ("La Española"), and the latitude of about 42º N. It has a horn-like shape, and makes the figure of a ship's nose, and was therefore called, by the Northmen, "Kialarnes" (Cape Ship-nose). This description applies as well to the nameless cape, which we are here considering; and in which, I think, I have discovered the first indication, ever given on a modern map, of the Gulf of Maine, of Cape Cod, and the peninsula of New England.
Cape Cod could hardly have escaped the observation of Sebastian: Cabot, during his sail along our coast in 1498. His only predecessors here were the Northmen in former centuries, who, like Cabot, sailing along the coast into the Gulf of Maine from the north-east, by New- foundland and Nova Scotia, to their Vinland, were also arrested by this conspicuous cape.
That the distance from Cape Race to the supposed Cape Cod, on our map, appears much longer than the distance from this to Cuba, is easily explained by two circumstances :
1. Cabot, in 1498, did not come very much to the south of Cape Cod. If he was not stopped by this cape altogether, and turned away by Nantucket Shoals and the Gulf-stream, he did not, at all events, pass beyond the latitude of 36° or 38º N. There, he thought himself to be very near the Spanish possessions. The distance which he actually traversed may have appeared to him greater than the rest of the coast, from a constant expectation of finding an end to it. The remainder of the continental coast on the north and west of Cuba not having been actually surveyed by Cabot, its representation on the map may have been put down by Cabot or Cosa on conjecture.
2. From the fact, that the chart of Cosa is a plane chart, with an old- fashioned projection, according to which the coasts in northern lati- tudes are drawn out much more from west to east, it becomes evident, that on our map the more northern half of the east coast, from Cape Cod to Cape Race, must appear much larger and longer than the south- ern half, from Cape Cod to the West India Islands. The island seen on our map off the horn-like cape, may be Nantucket Island, though this lies a little more to the south of Cape Cod.
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156
CHART OF RUYSCH, 1508.
3. CHART, No. 6, OF THE NEW WORLD, BY JOHANN RUYSCH, 1508.
The map, of which we here give that portion relating to the present work, was composed by a distinguished German traveler and geogra- pher " Johann Ruysch."* It was published in the edition of Ptolemy's geography, printed at Rome in 1508. The text and explanatory notes, added to this map in that work, were composed by Marco Beneven- tura, an Italian monk.
It is the first engrated map on which any parts of the new world, particularly of North America, were depicted. The supposed latitudes and longitudes from Ferro are accurately expressed.
The map represents parts of Asia, North America, the West India Islands, and South America; all scattered around the ocean in large and small insular or peninsular tracts of country. In accordance with the views prevailing soon after the discovery by Columbus, several parts of North America (of which the magnitude was as yet generally unknown, although it had been exhibited by Cabot and Cosa) are here represented as sections of Eastern Asia.
South America, whose broad extent was first recognized, is here treated by itself, as a large independent continent. Itis called "Terra Sanctæ Crucis, sive mundus novus " (the country of the Holy Cross :+ or, the New World).
I omit here what the author, Ruysch, observes on this new world (South America). He gives its northern coast as far as the Isthmus of Panama, and from there he has open water. Of the west coast of this same "country of the Holy Cross," he confesses, in his inscription, that he knows nothing: "Huc usque nauta Hispani venerunt," etc. (so far came the Spanish navigators). On the north of South America, some of the West India Islands are laid down, and, more particularly, "Spagnola " (S. Domingo). It is well known that Columbus, when he discovered this large and beautiful island, thought it to be the far-famed Zipangu (Japan), mentioned and highly praised by the Venetian, Marco Polo. On this point, the author of our map has a long Latin inscrip- tion on the coast of China, beginning with: "Dicit Marcus Paulus;" namely, Marco Polo states, that "here should be placed the island of ' Zipangu' (Japan); but that he (Ruysch) omitted it, because he
* He is called by a contemporary. "Geographorum peritissimus ac in pingendo orbi diligentissimus" (the most expert geographer and very skillful in depicting the globe). Kunstmann, Die Entdeckung America's, p. 137, says, that he accompanied some exploring expeditions undertaken from England to the North.
t A name given by Cabral, 1499, to the coast of Brazil.
N.º. VI.
10
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Circulus Aquinochalin
320
190
miner
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200
310
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300
220
230
280
270
210
250
260
TERRA SANCTA CRUCIS Mod. S.Vincenti
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290
A Chart of the New World by Johann Ruvfch. 1508.
Plisaqus Staus
Cancri
157.
CHART OF RUYSCH, 1508.
thought the island of Spañola (S. Domingo), discovered by the Span- iards, was the old 'Zipangu.'"
The island of Cuba, west of Spañola, is the part of our map the most misrepresented. It is not described as an island, but as a peninsula projecting from a larger country, apparently North America. It is well known that Columbus, in 1494, sailed along the southern coast of Cuba; but before reaching its western end, became discouraged and retraced his course, affirming that Cuba was not an island, but a part of a larger country. And, though others were of a different opinion, and though Juan de la Cosa, in 1500, had already depicted Cuba as an island, yet our author, Ruysch, adhered to the view of Columbus ; and represents Cuba, like Florida, as a part of a large northern country ; which, however, he thinks to be near to China. The west of this coun- try, he says, was unknown to the Spaniards, as was the west of South America. He states this in an inscription, beginning with " Huc usque naves," etc. (so far the vessels).
On the west of Cuba a large gulf is depicted, extending to the north of Asia, and named "Plisacus Sinus;" of which I do not know what to think.
In the high north, we find Greenlandt (Greenland), and at the south- ern end of it, Cape Farewell, under its true latitude, 60º N. The con- figuration of Greenland, as a long, broad, triangular peninsula, is also well represented. Greenland and Cape Farewell are, as I have already noticed, on all the former maps among the best-defined localities. The old northern descriptions and maps of this country had been, since the middle ages, in the hands of many geographers; and though it was sometimes attached to Europe, and sometimes, as on our map, to Asia, we consider it as the first, and best known, and best drawn sec- tion of America.
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