The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques, and Discoveries of The English Nation — Volume 12: America, Part IHakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques, and Discoveries of The English Nation — Volume 12: America, Part I
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
Also Aristotle in his booke De Mundo, and the learned Germaine Simon
Gryneus[29] in his annotations vpon the same, saith that the whole earth
(meaning thereby, as manifestly doth appeare, Asia, Africk and Europe,
being all the countreys then knowen) is but one Island, compassed about
with the reach of the sea Atlantine: which likewise prooueth America to be
an Island, and in no part adioyning to Asia, or the rest.
[Sidenote: Strabo lib. 15] Also many ancient writers, as Strabo and others,
called both the Ocean Sea, (which lieth East of India) Atlanticum pelagus,
and that sea also on the West coasts of Spaine and Africk, Mare Atlanticum:
the distance betweene the two coasts is almost halfe the compasse of the
earth.
[Sidenote: Valerius Anselmus[30] in Catalogo annorum et principum. fol. 6.
Gen. 9. 10.] So that it is incredible, as by Plato appeareth manifestly,
that the East Indian Sea had the name Atlanticum pelagus of the mountaine
Atlas in Africk, or yet the sea adioining to Africk, had the name Oceanus
Atlanticus of the same mountaine: but that those seas and the mountaine
Atlas were so called of this great Island Atlantis, and that the one and
the other had their names for a memorial of the mighty prince Atlas,
sometimes king thereof, who was Iaphet yongest sonne to Noah, in whose time
the whole earth was diuided between the three brethren, Sem, Cam, and
Iaphet.
Wherefore I am of opinion that America by the Northwest will be found
fauourable to this our enterprise, and am the rather imboldened to beleeue
the same, for that I finde it not onely confirmed by Plato, Aristotle, and
other ancient Phylosophers: but also by all the best moderne Geographers,
as Gemma Frisius, Munsterus, Appianus, Hunterus, Gastaldus,
Guyccardinus,[31] Michael Tramasinus, Franciscus Demongenitus, Bernardus
Puteanus, Andreas Vauasor, Tramontanus, Petrus Martyr, and also
Ortelius,[32] who doth coast out in his generall Mappe set out Anno 1569,
all the countreys and Capes, on the Northwest side of America, from
Hochalega to Cape de Paramantia: describing likewise the sea coastes of
Cataia and Gronland, towards any part of America, making both Gronland and
America, Islands disioyned by a great Sea, from any part of Asia.
All which learned men and paineful trauellers haue affirmed with one
consent and voice, that America was an Island: and that there lyeth a great
Sea betweene it, Cataia, and Grondland, by which any man of our countrey,
that will giue the attempt, may with small danger passe to Cataia, the
Molluccæ, India, and all other places in the East, in much shorter time,
than either the Spaniard, or Portugal doeth, or may doe, from the neerest
parte, of any of their countreys within Europe.
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