The voyage of Verrazzano : $b a chapter in the early history of maritime discovery in AmericaMurphy, Henry Cruse
History
The voyage of Verrazzano : $b a chapter in the early history of maritime discovery in America
Murphy, Henry Cruse
America -- Discovery and exploration -- French; Verrazzano, Giovanni da, 1485-1528
represents not only the state of geographical knowledge in France at
that time, but also all the knowledge possessed by Francis of this
coast. Mr. Kohl expresses the opinion that it "is not only one of
the most brilliant, but also one of the most exact and trustworthy
pictures of the world which we have in the first part of the
sixteenth century. It gives accurately all that was known of the
world in 1543, especially of the ocean, and the outlines of the
coasts of different countries." He adds, "the author of the map must
have been a well instructed, intelligent and conscientious man.
Where the coasts of a country are not known to him, he so designates
them. For his representations of countries recently discovered and
already known, he had before him the best models and originals."
[Footnote: Discovery of Maine, 351-4.] Yet notwithstanding the
thorough knowledge of the subject displayed by this cartographer,
his French nationality, and the contemporariness of his labors with
the reign of Francis, "no evidence," as Mr. K. further observes,"
appears that the report or chart of the French commander,
Verrazzano, had been used in constructing this chart." On the
contrary, the line of coast from Cape St. Roman in South Carolina to
Cape Breton is copied from the Spanish map of Ribero, with the
Spanish names translated into French. [Footnote: Thus R. del
principe, R. del espiritu santo, B. de Santa Maria (the Chesapeake)
Playa, C. de S. Juan, R. de St. Iago, C. de Arenas (Cape Henlopen),
B. de S. Christoval (the Delaware), B. de S. Antonio (the Hudson),
R. de buena Madre, S. Juan Baptista, Arcipelago de Estevan Gomez,
Montanas, and R. de la buelta, on the map of Ribero, become on the
French map, R. du Prince, R. du St. Esprit, B. de Sa. Marie, Les
playnes, C. St. Jean, St. Jacques, C. des Sablons, G. de St.
Christofle, R. de St. Anthoine, R. de bonne Mere, Baye de St. Jean
Baptiste, Arcipel de Estienne Gomez, Les Montaignes and R. de
Volte.] Many other names occur within the same distance, which are
found on other Spanish charts since that time, and some which were
probably taken from Spanish charts not now known. [Footnote: Of this
class are the R. de Canoes, R. Seche, Playne, Coste de Dieu, R.
d'Arbres, which, on the map XII, of the Munich Atlas, said to have
been taken from the map of the Spanish cosmographer, Alonzo de Santa
Cruz, are given, R. de Canoas, R. Seco, Terra Ilana, Costa de Diego,
R. d'Arvoredos.] Thus within the limits mentioned, embracing the
exploration of Gomez no designation occurs connecting the coast with
Verrazzano. [Footnote: The name of Avorobagra, on the west side of
the great bay, is found in place of C. de Muchas illas of the Ribero
map. This is supposed to have been intended for Norumbega.] From
Cape Breton easterly and northerly along the coast of Newfoundland
the discoveries of the Normand and Bretons and the Portuguese, and
in the river and gulf of St. Lawrence, those of Jacques Cartier, are
shown by the names.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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