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
respect.] The special map here referred to is one of Hispaniola, in
the same volume, and was undoubtedly taken from that of Nuno Garcia,
in the possession of Peter Martyr. It was therefore made in or
before the year 1526, since Martyr died in that year. The map of
America, by the pilot of the emperor at Seville, was probably the
anonymous map of 1527 before mentioned, as it appears not to have
had the name of the author upon it. These facts prove at least that
the map of Ribero was in Italy in the year 1529, and that the map of
1527 may have been there before that year.
It was from the delineation of the coast on one or other of these
two maps, which are in that respect almost identically the same,
that the description of it in the Verrazzano letter was derived.
This will now be made manifest by the application of that
description to the map of Ribero, so much of which as is necessary,
is here reproduced for that purpose.
In making the proof thus proposed, it is to be borne in mind that
the letter is positive and explicit as to the extent and limits of
the discovery or exploration which it describes. It fixes them by
three different modes which prove each, other: 1. By giving the
latitude of the commencement and termination of the voyage along the
coast; 2. By a declaration in two different forms of the entire
distance run, and 3. By a statement of intermediate courses and
distances, from point to point, between the landfall and the place
of leaving the coast, separately, making in the aggregate the whole
distance named. There can be therefore no mistake as to the meaning
of the writer in respect of the extent of the exploration.
As to its limits and extent, we have already had occasion to quote
his language in impressing upon Francis the great length of the
voyage; giving both at the same time: "In the voyage," he says,
"which we made by order of your majesty, in addition to the 92
degrees which we ran towards the west from our point of departure,
before we reached land in latitude 34, we have to count 300 leagues
which we ran northeastwardly and 400 nearly east, along the coast,
before we reached the 50th parallel of north latitude, the point
where we turned our course from the shore towards home." This
distance is also mentioned in the total at the end of the voyage,
where he says: "finding our provisions and naval stores nearly
exhausted, we took in wood and water, and determined to return to
France, having discovered 700 leagues of unknown lands."
The several courses and distances run are described in the letter,
from point to point, as follows: [Footnote: The translation of Dr.
Cogswell, in N.Y. Hist. Collections, is here used, somewhat
condensed.]
First. "We perceived that it (the land) stretched to the SOUTH and L.
coasted along in that direction in search of some port in which we
might come to anchor, and examine into the nature of the country,
but for FIFTY LEAGUES we could find none in which we could lie 50
securely."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account