The surface of the globe, and the new knowledge of the
Portuguese had introduced CHINA where the Catalan Map of the 14th century
had presented CATHAY, the latter country, with the whole of Polo's
nomenclature, was shoved away to the north, forming a separate system.[16]
Henceforward the influence of Polo's work on maps was simply injurious;
and when to his nomenclature was added a sprinkling of Ptolemy's, as was
usual throughout the 16th century, the result was a most extraordinary
hotch-potch, conveying no approximation to any consistent representation
of facts.
Thus, in a map of 1522,[17] running the eye along the north of Europe and
Asia from West to East, we find the following succession of names:
Groenlandia, or Greenland, as a great peninsula overlapping that of
Norvegia and Suecia; Livonia, Plescovia and Moscovia, Tartaria bounded on
the South by Scithia extra Imaum, and on the East, by the Rivers
Ochardes and Bautisis (out of Ptolemy), which are made to flow into
the Arctic Sea. South of these are Aureacithis and Asmirea (Ptolemy's
Auxacitis and Asmiraea), and Serica Regio. Then following the
northern coast Balor Regio,[18] Judei Clausi, i.e. the Ten Tribes who
are constantly associated or confounded with the Shut-up Nations of Gog
and Magog.
