Fig. 115. Terrestrial Globe of P. Vincenzo Coronelli, 1696.
Fig. 115a. Terrestrial Globe of P. Vincenzo Coronelli, 1693.
Fig. 115b. Celestial Globe of P. Vincenzo Coronelli, 1693.
In geographical names the map records are very full, these being given either in Italian, Spanish, Latin, Dutch, English, or in the native language of the country in which they appear. Curiously enough in many instances the author appears to give his own peculiar spelling, approaching therein, to the best of his ability, the spelling suggested by the pronunciation of the several names. Legends are exceedingly numerous, many of them recording incidents relating to certain expeditions or to certain discoveries, such as the expedition of Magellan; early expeditions along the west coast of North America, including reference to Cortes, Ulloa, Alarçon, Cabrillo, Guzman, Drake; expeditions to the East Indies, including that of Le Maire, Hoorn, Van Diemen, Chaumont, and others. Boundary lines of local regions, in both the Old and the New World are exceedingly numerous, which fact in itself gives a somewhat unique value to the map as of geographical and historical value. California appears as an island, and a great stretch of ocean appears between northwest North America and northeast Asia wherein is located land with indefinite outline marked, “Terra de Jesso ó Jeco, Yedco, Esso et Sesso Scoperta dagli Hollandesi l’anno 1643.” The map of North America is particularly of interest and value, especially for the region of the United States.
Pictures of ships sailing the ocean, those of the oriental peoples as well as those of the occidental are numerous, as are also pictures representing seal fishing, and pictures representing the methods of capturing polar bears and whales. It is interesting to note that loxodromic lines or sailing lines have disappeared from such maps, that the map and the chart are here seen to merge.
The celestial globe of this edition has practically the same dedication as the terrestrial, the word “Terraqueum” alone being changed to “Coelestem.” There is on this the following address: “Amico Lettore. Oltre ai molti Globi delineati dal P. Cosmografo Coronelli per Sovrani diversi di varie e vaste misure, ne ha ultimamente composti e stampati di cinque grandezze a pubblico beneficio, fra i quali i più comodi ed esatti sono i presenti. I numeri che accompagnano le stelle calcolate all’epoca del 1700; così l’altre notizie, ad uso dei medesimi Globi, vengono nel suo Epitome Cosmografico diffusamente spiegati.” “Dear reader. Besides the many globes delineated by the cosmographer P. Coronelli, for divers Sovereigns, he has recently composed and printed some in five sizes for the use of the public, among which the most convenient and exact are the present ones. The numbers that accompany the stars are calculated for the epoch 1700; moreover the other particulars for the use of these same globes are extensively developed in his Epitome Cosmografico.”