About twelve degrees west from Cuba the island of Zipangri is
placed; and at least twenty degrees east from Cathay or China. At sixteen
degrees east from the northern end of Cuba, a large island is placed in
the _Oceanus Magnus_ or Atlantic, called _Terra Cortesia_; which the
cosmographer seems to have intended to represent the kingdom of Mexico,
recently discovered by Cortez; though placed almost in lat. 50 deg. N.
Perhaps this may be an error for _Corterealis_, an early navigator, who
is said to have made discoveries on the eastern coast of North America.
In Africa there is an approximation towards its true shape; yet the
_Caput Viride_, or Cape Verd, is placed to the north of the river Senegal,
instead of between that river and the Gambia; and the sources of the Nile
are brought down to lat. 15 deg. S. at least twenty-two degrees too far to
the southwards.
Asia, with India and China, are too much distorted for criticism. Calicut
is placed in the peninsula of Cambaya or Guzerate. The _Aurea
Chersonesus_ and _Regnum Malacha_, or Malacca, are separated by a great
gulf, while the latter is placed so low as 30 deg. S. latitude. This much may
suffice for an account of the incorrect yet curious specimen of
cosmographical knowledge which had been acquired by the learned in Europe
about 300 years ago.
To these four letters we have added a short account of several curious
circumstances relative to the trade of the Europeans with India at the
commencement of the sixteenth century, or three hundred years ago; which,
though not very accurately expressed, contains some curious information.
[1] Novus Orbis Grynaei, p. 94-102.
[2] Bibl. Univ. des Voy. I. 55, and V. 486.
SECTION I.
_Letter from the Venetian Envoy in Portugal to the Republic_[1].
Most serene prince, &c. Believing that your highness has been already
informed by the most excellent legate, of all the memorable things which
have occurred in this place, and particularly respecting the fleet so
lately dispatched for India by the king of Portugal, which, by the
blessing of God, has now returned with the loss of seven ships; as it
originally consisted of fourteen sail, seven of which only have come home,
the other seven having been wrecked in the voyage. Their voyage was along
the coasts of Mauritania and Getulia to Cape Verd, anciently called
_Experias_; off which the islands called the _Hesperides_ are situated.
From thence they explored lower _Ethiopia_ towards the east, beyond which
the ancients never penetrated. They sailed along this _eastern_ coast of
Ethiopia to a line corresponding with the meridian of Sicily, about five
or six degrees _within_ the equinoctial, the gold mines belonging to the
king of Portugal being about the middle of that coast.[2] Beyond that
coast of the gold mines, and nine degrees to the south of the _winter
tropic_,[3] they came to a great promontory called the Cape of Good Hope,
which is almost 5000 miles distant from our country.
