The Discoveries of America to the Year 1525Weise, Arthur James
History
The Discoveries of America to the Year 1525
Weise, Arthur James
America -- Discovery and exploration
Of Verrazzano’s death, Ramusio gives this account: “In the last voyage
which he made, having gone on land with some of his men, he and they
were all put to death by the inhabitants, and in the presence of those
who were on board the ship were roasted and devoured. Such was the
terrible death of this valiant gentleman, who, had not this misfortune
happened him, would, by the great knowledge and experience which he had
of maritime affairs and of navigation, attended and favored by the large
liberality of King Francis, have discovered and made known to the world,
all that part of the earth up to the north pole, and would not have
been contented with only the exploration of the coast, but would have
attempted to penetrate far inland, and as far as he could go.
“Many who had known and conversed with him, have told me that he had
declared that it was his intention to persuade the most Christian king to
send from these parts a goodly number of people to settle in some places
of the new country which are of a temperate climate and very fertile
soil, with very beautiful rivers and harbors capable of holding any fleet.
“Settlers in these places would be the means of effecting many good
results, and among others that of bringing those barbarous and ignorant
tribes to know God and our most holy religion, showing them how to
cultivate the land, transporting some of the animals of Europe to those
vast plains; and finally, in time, discovering the inland parts, and
seeing whether or not among the many islands in that part of the world
any passage to the South Sea exists, or that the West Indies extend as
far north as the pole.
“This and so much has been related respecting the achievements and
efforts of this brave gentleman, and in order that his memory may not be
buried and his name pass into oblivion, we have desired to give to the
light the little information that has come into our hands.”[425]
Hakluyt, speaking of the map which Verrazzano had made and presented to
King Henry VIII. of England, which as late as the year 1584 was still
preserved by an English cartographer, says: “There is a mighty large
olde mappe in parchemente, made as yt shoulde seeme, by Verarsanus,
traced all alonge the coaste, from Florida to Cape Briton, with many
Italian names, which laieth oute the sea, makinge a little necke of
land in 40 degrees of latitude much like the streyte necke or istmus of
Dariena.” The English collector also refers to a globe which he believed
Verrazzano made: “There is an old excellent globe in the Queens privie
gallery at Westminster, which also semeth to be of Verarsanus makinge,
having the coaste in Italian, which laieth oute the very same straite
necke of lande in the latitude of 40 degrees, with the sea joyninge harde
on bothe sides, as it dothe on Panama and Nombre di Dios; which were
a matter of singular importance, yf it shoulde be true, as it is not
unlikely.”[426]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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