The Remainder Of This
Introduction Is From The Work Of Mr J. R, Forster, Extracted Partly From
Ramusio, And Partly Consisting Of An Ingenious Attempt To Explain And
Bolster Up The More Than Dubious Production Of Marcolini:
But these
observations are here considerably abridged; as an extended, grave, and
critical commentary on a narrative we believe fabulous, might appear
incongruous, though it did not seem proper to omit them altogether.
- E.
The family of Zeno, in Venice, was very ancient, and not only of the
highest rank of nobility, but celebrated for the performance of great
actions, and the highest offices of the state had been filled from time
immemorial by persons of the family. About the year 1200, Marin Zeno
assisted in the conquest of Constantinople, and he was Podesta, or governor
of that city, about 1205. He had a son named Pietro Zeno, who was father to
Rinieri Zeno, who was elected doge, or Duke of Venice, in 1282, and
governed the republic for seventeen years, during which period he waged a
successful war against the Genoese. he adopted Andrea, the son of his
brother Marco, who was afterwards raised to be captain-general of the
Venetian fleet, in the war against Genoa. Rinieri Zeno, the son of Andrea,
was the father of Pietro Zeno, who, in 1362, was captain-general of the
Venetian squadron in the allied fleet of the Christians against the Turks,
and had the surname of Dracone, from the figure of a dragon which he wore
on his shield. Pietro had three sons; Carlo Leone, the eldest, who was
procurator and captain-general of the fleet: of the republic, and; rescued,
her from imminent danger in a war in which, almost all Europe was leagued
for her destruction; the second, Nicolo, called likewise il Cavaliere, or
the night, shewed great valour in the last mentioned war of Chioggia
against the Genoese; Antonio was the youngest.
Francesco Marcolini, a learned Italia, extracted the whole of the ensuing
relation from the original letters of the two Zenos, Nicole and Antonio,
which is published in the collection of Ramusio; and declares that Antonio
laid down all the particulars of these voyages, and of the countries he and
his brother had visited, on a map, which he brought with him to Venice, and
which he hung up in his house as a sure pledge and incontestible proofs of
the truth of his relations, and which still remained as an incontrovertible
evidence in the time of Marcolini. Many have been inclined to reject the
whole of this narrative because the names which it assigns to several of
the countries are nowhere else to be found. After having carefully
examined, and made a translation of the whole, I am fully convinced that
the narrative is true, and that it contains internal proofs of its own
authenticity, and I hope fully to solve, in the course of this
dissertation, all the difficulties attending the names, which have been
strangely perverted by a vicious orthography.
It has been alleged that the whole narrative has the appearance of a mere
fable; and it may be asked where is Friesland and the other countries
which it mentions, to be found? Who has ever heard of a Zichmuni who
vanquished Kako, or Hakon, king of Norway, in 1369, or 1380? All this is
very plausible; but we think a good deal may be done for clearing away the
difficulties.
Marcolini extracted this relation from the original letters of the two
Zenos, who were of one of the most considerable families in Venice; a
family which could not be supposed to have boldly forged a story of this
kind. The truth could easily have been detected, whether these brothers
existed or not, and whether they ever made voyages to the north. Besides
this, the map, actually constructed by Antonio, and hung up in his house at
Venice, existed in the time of Marcolini, as a sure and incontestable proof
of the fidelity of the narrative. How then is it possible to harbour any
doubts? In this case, there must be an end of all faith in history.
I once held, that the countries described by the Zenos had been swallowed
up by an earthquake; but, reflecting that so great a revolution in nature
must have left some historical vestiges, or traditions, I examined the
matter over again, and found that the countries described, bore a strong
resemblance to the Orkneys, Shetland, Faro, and Western Islands, &c. The
Zenos having represented Porland as composed of a cluster of small
islands, I suspected the other names might likewise refer to collective
groups. Thus Estland appeared to resemble in name the Shetland, Zetland,
or Hitland Islands; and on comparing the names of Tolas, Broas, Iscant,
Trans, Mimant, Dambre, and Bres, with those of Yell, Zeal or Teal,
Burray or Bura, of which name there are two places, West Bura, and East
Bura, and when taken collectively the Buras, Unst, Tronda, Main-land,
Hamer, which is the name of a place in the mainland of Orkney, and Brassa,
or Bressa, the resemblance seemed so obvious, that I no longer harboured
any doubt. The land of Sorani, which lay over against Scotland, naturally
suggested the Suderoe, or southern islands of the Norwegians, now called
the Western Islands or Hebrides. Ledovo and Ilofe, are the Lewis and
Islay. Sanestol, the cluster of islands named Schants-oer. Bondendon,
Pondon, or Pondon-towny in Sky. Frisland, is Faira or Fera, also called
Faras-land. Grisland seems Grims-ay, an island to the North of Iceland:
though I would prefer Enkhuysan to the eastwards of Iceland, but as that
was probably nothing more than an island of ice, we are compelled to assume
Grims-ay, Engroneland is obviously Greenland. Estoitland must have been
Winland, the Newfoundland of the moderns; and the Latin books may have
been carried there by bishop Eric of Greenland, who went to Winland in
1121. Drogio lay much farther south, and the people of Florida, when
first discovered, had cities and temples, and possessed gold and silver.
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