On examining this chart it will at once be seen that the author—not the Italian copyist, whose name alone appears upon it—drew very largely upon native information. Still, he has not ventured to disassociate himself altogether from Ptolemy. He has, however, made some use of Marco Polo, though he puts the names taken from him—such as Murfulu, Var and Coilu—in the wrong places. The island in the middle of the Indian ocean—Y. rana—is not one of the Mascarenhas, as might be supposed, but the Illa Iaua of the Catalan map, that is, Java. The legend tells us that “In this island is much benjoim, and silk and porcelain.” Still further south there are three islands, representing the Mascarenhas, then known by Malabari names.
A few words remain to be said about the Portuguese maps published in the Strassburg edition of Ptolemy, in 1513. The originals upon which these maps are based were sent to Duke Renée II of Lorraine (died 1508), from Portugal. Uebelin and Essler, the editors of Ptolemy, state that they were drawn by an “admiral” of King Ferdinand. But Lelewel[471] points out that the king meant must be D. Manuel of Portugal. They may have been forwarded together with the French translation of Vespucci’s Four Voyages, 1504, and Vespucci may even have had something to do with their compilation, even though not the actual compiler. But however this may be, and whatever the date of actual publication, there can be no doubt that they are identical in all essentials with Canerio’s chart, and must be referred to the same date, that is 1502.[472]
On placing side by side some of the above charts it almost looks as if they were not merely based upon the same original authorities, but had actually been slavishly copied one from the other, or from some common prototype. On a closer examination, however, this opinion is not sustainable, for the latitudes and longitudes assigned by the authors to the leading points will be found to differ very considerably. The following little table show this as regards the latitudes:—
—— True Lat. Cosa. Hamy. Cantino. Canerio. Strassburg
Ptolemy.Congo 6° 5´ S. 5° 30´ S. 7° 50´ S. 6° S. 10° S. 10° S. Cape of Good Hope 34° 22´ S. 29° S. 30° 40´ S. 32° 45´ S. 34° S. 33° 40´ S. Malindi 3° 20´ S. — 3° N. 3° 25´ S. 1° S. 1° N. Calecut 11° 50´ N. 18° N. 13° N. 10° N. 13° 20´ N. 17° 30´ N. Malacca 2° 13´ N. — 2° 30´ N. 14° S. 12° 30´ N. 8° S. The latitudes from Dr. Hamy’s chart are referred to the Western Equator.
| —— | True Lat. | Cosa. | Hamy. | Cantino. | Canerio. | Strassburg Ptolemy. |
| Congo | 6° 5´ S. | 5° 30´ S. | 7° 50´ S. | 6° S. | 10° S. | 10° S. |
| Cape of Good Hope | 34° 22´ S. | 29° S. | 30° 40´ S. | 32° 45´ S. | 34° S. | 33° 40´ S. |
| Malindi | 3° 20´ S. | — | 3° N. | 3° 25´ S. | 1° S. | 1° N. |
| Calecut | 11° 50´ N. | 18° N. | 13° N. | 10° N. | 13° 20´ N. | 17° 30´ N. |
| Malacca | 2° 13´ N. | — | 2° 30´ N. | 14° S. | 12° 30´ N. | 8° S. |
I now append the legends to be found in Canerio’s chart, together with a translation. The spelling is that of the original. A few legends from the Cantino chart, not to be found in Canerio’s, have been added. The bold Roman Capitals are references to Map vii. The printer is not responsible for the mistakes of the original copyist.
A. Aqui he amina douro emque dia multra abondancia de la mais que em outro.
(Here is the gold mine yielding greater abundance than any other.)
B. Aqui ha laquar et panos finos de toda sortes et figuos pasados et ubas et ensenso et almizquer et ambre et aljofar que tud bem de demtro pello a sertam da careto [cidade].
(Here are to be found lac, fine cloth of all kinds, corn, food-stuffs, grapes, incense, perfumes, ambergris and seed-pearls, all of which come to this city from the interior.)
(Here is the gold mine yielding greater abundance than any other.)
(Here are to be found lac, fine cloth of all kinds, corn, food-stuffs, grapes, incense, perfumes, ambergris and seed-pearls, all of which come to this city from the interior.)
C. Aqui he Caliqut he multo noble cidade descoberta pel el muy escarrado prip. Rey dom Manoel Rey de Portugall aqui ay molto menxas [benjoim] desua naturea [de fina natura] e pimenta et outras muitas mercedarias que vem de multas partes, & canella gengiber cravo emcenso sandalos et tode sortes de especiaria pedras de grande vallor et perlas de grande vallor et aliofar.