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jßlant, eißlandt, jßslandt (D 62).
jn eißlandt ißt ßchon weißs volkh vnd ßindt Chrißten daßselbßt ißt gewonheit daß man die hundt teler verkauft vnnd ire kindt geben ßy hinwegk den kaufleutten vmb gots willen auf daßs die andern brot haben (C 76).
jtem in jßslandt findt man menßschen võ 80 jaren die nie kain brott geßsen da wechßt kain korn vnd an brot ßtatt ißt man dürr fißch.
jn der Jnsel jßslandt fengt men den ßtock fißch den man im vnßer landt bringt (D 76).
In Iceland are handsome white people, and they are Christians. It is the custom there to sell dogs at a high price, but to give away the children to (foreign) merchants, for the sake of God, so that those remaining may have bread.
Item, in Iceland are to be found men eighty years of age who have never eaten bread, for corn does not grow there, and instead of bread they eat dried fish.
In the island of Iceland they catch the cod which is brought into our country.
The story of the Icelanders selling their dogs and giving away their children is a fable invented by English and Hanseatic pirates and merchants, who kidnapped children, and even adults, and sold them into slavery. As an instance may be mentioned the misdeeds of William Byggeman, the captain of the `Trinity,' who was prosecuted in England in 1445, for having committed this offence. (See Th. Thoroddsen, `Geschichte der isländischen Geographie,' Leipzig, 1897, I., pp. 87-89 Baasch, `Die Islandfahrten d. Deutschen,' in `Forsch. zur Hamburg. Handelsgesch.,' I., 1889 Andrew Borde's `Fyrst Boke' (1547), republished in 1870 for the English Text Society.
Scotlant (D 60).
Wildt ßcotlant (D 62) on the north coast, the "wilde Scotey" of Harding's chronicle, with a flag bearing the mysterious inscription Ioh. M\ Tratz, which Francis J. Grant, Esq., Lyon Clerk, suggests may stand for "Johny Groat's House," whilst the kneeling figure (only shown by Ghil. and Jom. and no longer traceable on the original) may refer to the Christian missionaries from Iona.
Orcanay (D 65) Orkneys. No islands visible on the original.
Lincoln (D 61) on mainland, which is omitted by Ghil. and for which Jom substitutes Saba! We should have expected to find Catenes (Caithness) in that position.
Edmundeburg (D 60), Edinburgh.
Tillf (D 59), the insula de til or tilf of Dulcert (1339), Andrea Benincasa (1476) and of others, off the Tay. This imaginary island is believed to be Thule. For a discussion of the question see Gough's edition of Camden's `Britannia,' III., 126,726.
The Western Isles of Hebrides (D 60) are shown, but the names attached to them, irgan, bea, dßeds (Ghil and Jom call them argat, tia or lia, and led), are evidently much corrupted. Among the islands named by Dulcert (1339) and A. Benincasa (1476) are Argate, bra and ledros, which Hamy (`Études,' p. 436) ventures to identify with Egach, Bara and Torosay.
Engelant (D 55) with the Royal Standard (the leopards of England quartered with the lilies of France).
Jork (D 58), given by Jom only, York.
huntingdon (D 57).
gloceßter (D 55).
brißtol (D 54).
Reymor (D 52), given by Jom only. It is A. Benincasa's Premua or Plymouth.
ßorlinge (D 56), the Scilly Islands.
portsmouth (D 53).
lambeth (D 54).
london (D 55).
cambridge (D 57).
Illa da man (D 56), the island Man.
Jrlant (D 55), Ireland with the Royal Standard, the Irish Harp quartered with the lilies of France.
wales (D 58), erroneously placed in Ireland, but may be intended for Galveu (Galway), with which Portugal had frequent intercourse (Barros, `Asia,' I., I., 126).
castell (D 52), the "VII Castelle" of Pareto (1445), now Castle rocks in Castle Haven, Co. Cork.
wexford (D 53).
St. Patrici fegfeuer (D 58), St. Patrick's Purgatory, a cavern filled with Devils, in Lough Derg, Donegal. For the legend connected with it see Th. Wright, `St. Patrick's Purgatory,' London, 1884; a flag charged with a black man, holding in one hand a burning torch, in the other a stick, rises from this place of pilgrimage, still visited by humble penitents. Sir A. E. Vicars, Ulster King of Arms, is "completely at a loss" as to the origin or meaning of this flag.
The imaginary Jnßula de prazil (D 52), to the west of Ireland, appears for the first time on Dulcert's chart (1339). Subsequently, in the Medicean Portolano Chart of 1351, it figures as one of the Azores, usually identified with Terçeira, a cape of which still bears the name of Morro do Brazil. Later charts, like that of Pizzigani (1367), contained three islands of the name, the one furthest north lying to the west of Ireland. It is this northern island which retained its place on the maps till late in the sixteenth century, and, together with the islands of St. Brandan and of the Septe citez it still appears on Mercator's chart of the world in 1587. It is this northern island which was searched for in vain between 1480 and 1499, and figures on Behaim's globe (see Hardiman, `O'Brazil, or the enchanted island,' London, 1675); O'Flaherty, `a chorographic description of the west of Connaught, 1684,' published by the Irish Archæol. Soc. in 1846).
Jnßula dos azores.... catharides (C 40).
Jnsula de Sãcta maria (C 37), ilha de S. Maria.
Jnßula de ßant michel (C 40). Ilha de S. Miguel, with the Portuguese flag. We are told nothing about the "burning mountain" and the great earthquake which happened in 1444.
Jnsula de Jeßu crißto (C 43), ilha de Jesus Christo, now Terçeira.
Jnßula de pico (B 40), ilha do Pico.
neu flandern, oder Inßula de faial (B 42), New Flanders or Ilha do Fayal. Two flags fly above the islands from the same flagstaff, the upper one with the arms of Nürnberg, the lower with those of Behaim. Two more flags are merely shown in outline and may have been intended for the arms of Portugal and Hurter. These skeleton flags are omitted on the Paris facsimile.
Jnßule de flores (C 44), ilha das Flores.
A sea-horse and four vessels sailing to the west are shown to the south of Flores.
The following legend to the north-east of the Azores has been added after Behaim's death :
Martinus pehaimus verschied zu lisibona anno domini 1506 im 29 juli (C 45).
nach crißti unßers lieben hern gepurt 1431 jar alßs regiert in portugal jnfante don pedro wurden nach notturft zugericht zway ßchiff auf 2 Jar geßpeißst von den hochgebornen Jnfanten don heinrichen deßs koniks außs portogalli bruder zu erfahren waßs do wer hinder ßanct Jacob fynis terre weliche ßchiff alßo gerüßt ßegelten alweg nach den untergang der ßonnen bey 500 teusche meilen zuletßt wurden ßy ains tags anßichtig diße 10 jnßeln und aufs landt trettendt funden nichts dann wildnußs und vögel die waren ßo zam daßs ßy vor niemandt flohen aber von leutten oder thieren mit vier füssen war von wegê der wildtnuss kains darkhumen zu wohnen um deßswillen die vögel nit ßcheuh waren alßo wurden ßy geheißßen inßulen dos azores das ißt auf teutsch ßo vil als der habichen jnßeln und umb welichs willen der könik von portugal das ander jar ßchikt 16 ßchiff mit allerley zamê thierê und ließs auf jede inßel ßein tail thun umb darzu multiplicieren (ABC 65).
dieobgeßchriebini jnßeln wurdê bewohnt anno 1466 wan der konik võ portugal diße inßeln võ vleißßiger bydte wegen ßi geßchenckt het der herzegin võ burgund ßeiner ßchwester mit namen frawen jßabella und waren in flandern dißsmals großs krieg und teurung, und ßchickte die vorgenant herzogin vil volks mañ und frawê allerley handwerk mit ßambt prießtern une was zum gottesdienßt gehört etwen vil ßchiff mit haußrath und was zu dem veldbau gehöert zu pauen aus flandern jn die jnßel lißs jedem in die zwai jar geben waßs ßy nottürffig ßein umb zu ewigen zeitten in allen meßßen jr zu gedenkhen jegliche person mit einim aue maria welcher perßonê bei 2,000 warê und mit denen die ßeiter jürlich darkumen ßindt und ßeiter darinê gewachßen di ßindt vil taußent worden anno 1493 do wontê in vil taußent per ßohnê noch da von teutsch und flaming angeßeßßen weliche unter dem edlen und geßtrengê ritter hern jobßsten võ hürtter hern zu mörkirchen aus flandern meinê lieben hern ßchweher dem diße jnßel von der vorgenanten herzogin von burgundt jme und ßeinê nachkhumen gegeben ißt jn welichen jnßeln der portugalißchel zucker wechßt und die frücht zwier im jar wan daßelbßt ni@ermehr winter ißt und alle leibs nahrung vaßt wolfeil ißt darumb kumen noch järlich vil volckhs da umb jr narung da zu ßuchen (B 20).
Martin Behaim died at Lisbon in the year of the Lord 1506 on the 29th July.
1431 years after the birth of our dear Lord, when there reigned in Portugal the Infante Don Pedro, the infant Don Henry, the King of Portugal's brother, had fitted out two vessels and found with all that was needed for two years, in order to find out what was beyond the St. James' Cape of Finisterra. The ships thus provided sailed continuously to the westward for 500 German miles, and in the end they sighted these ten islands. On landing they found nothing but a wilderness and birds, which were so tame that they fled no one. But of men or of four-footed animals none had come to live there because of the wilderness, and this accounts for the birds not having been shy. On this ground the islands were called dos azores, that is Hawk islands, and in the year after the King of Portugal sent 16 ships with various tame animals, part of whom were put on each island there to multiply.
The above islands were first settled in the year 1466, the King of Portugal having presented them to his sister Donna Isabella, Duchess of Burgundy, who had urgently begged for them. There was at the time a great war and dearth in Flanders. The Duchess then despatched several vessels with men and women, mechanics and priests, together with utensils, for divine service, also domestic furniture and what is needed for agriculture. And each person was supplied with what was needed during two years on condition of remembering her for all time in all masses, each person saying one Ave Maria. Of these persons there were 2,000, and adding those who have come since that time every year, and the annual increase of population, there are now many thousands. In the year 1490 many thousand persons had settled there, Germans and Flemings, under the noble and worshipful Sir Jobst von Hürter, lord of Moerkerken in Flanders, my dear father-in-law, to whom and his descendants the said duchess gave this island. In these islands grows the sugar of Portugal, and the fruits ripen twice annually, for it is never winter there, and food of all kinds is very cheap, on account of which many people still go there every year in search of a living.
Behaim's bald and unsatisfactory account of the Azores is all the more surprising if it be borne in mind that he resided for years upon one of the islands, and enjoyed exceptional facilities for gaining a knowledge of their geography and the history of the colonization. The shortcomings of Behaim as a cartographer have already been pointed out by me (see pp. 58, 68).
Behaim's statement that the "sugar of Portugal" grows in the Azores is not borne out by other authorities, for Madeira was well known as the great sugar island of the Lusitanian Kingdom which yielded the King a splendid revenue. Val. Ferdinand in 1507 mentions woad, orseille (brazil) and wheat as the principal exports, and says nothing about sugar.
Jnßula de madera (C 33), with the flag of Portugal; south of it a sea-horse.
canarie (C 28), Ilhas Canarias, with the banner of Leon and Castile.
lãzaron (C 28), Lanzarote, named after Lanzaroto Marocello, a Genoese.
forteventura (C 26).
gran canaria (C 26).
teneriffa (C 25), otherwise called Insula del Inferno, because of its volcano, but already known as "Tenerifa " to the Spanish Friar (1345) and to Azurara.
palma (C 27).
offera (C 25), Hiero, vulgo Ferro.
gomera (C 26).
cabo verde .... fortunata (C 20).
insule de cabo verde oder jnsula fortunata sind gefund und bewont võ portugaleßen anno 1472.
Cape Verde Islands or Fortunatae Insulae, discovered and settled by the Portuguese in 1472.
Jnsula ßall (C 11), Ilha do Sal (1462), originally (1460) called ilha de lana ("wool island").
bona (C 14). The Ilha da boavista of Cadamosto, called Christovão in 1460 and 1462.
Jnsula de majo (C 16), Ilha do Maio, called Ilha das majaes, "Daisy-island," in 1460.
It is obvious that the position of these three islands should be reversed.
Jnßula de Sctõ Jacomo (C 13), Ilha de São Thiago.
sant phillippo (C 13), S. Felippe, soon after its discovery known as Ilha do Fogo, because of its volcano.
Jnßula brava (C 12), Savage Island.
San nicolo (C 15), Ilha de S. Nicolau.
San vicenti (C 15), Ilha de S. Vincente.
Sata lucia (C 16), Ilha de S. Luzia.
Sãt antonio (C 17), I. de. S. Antão.
A merman and a mermaid are sporting to the south; a Portuguese standard flies above the islands.
In identifying the Cape Verdes with Ptolemy's Fortunatae Behaim errs in good company, for Barros (`Asia,' Dec. I., liv. II., c. 1) committed the same mistake.
The legend looks like an abridgment of a similar legend on an Italian chart, for on Waldseemüller's map of the world (1517), which has certainly borrowed nothing from Behaim's globe, we read: "Insule Portugalensium invente tempore henrici Infantis anno 1472." The date is obviously wrong, for Prince Henry the Navigator died on November 13, 1460. At that time the five eastern islands had most certainly been discovered. The official discoverer was Antonio de Nolli, with whom may have been associated Usodimare and Cadamosto (as supercargo on one of the vessels), and perhaps also Diogo Gomez. This discovery happened in 1456. The seven western islands, to judge by the names they bear, were discovered between December 6, 1461, and January 22, 1462, by Diogo Affonso, a gentleman in the household of D. Fernando, the King's brother, who is credited by Barros with the discovery of Cabo branco and mentioned by Azurara (cc. 32-36). They were granted to D. Fernando by a decree of September 12, 1462.(1)
Insula antilia-septe ritade (B 22). Antilia-sete cidades.
Murr already read "ritade" and translated "septem reticulae."
als man zelt nach crißti gepurt 734 jor als ganz hißpania von dê heiden auß affrica gewonen wurdt do wurdt bewont di obgeßchriben Jnßula antilia genant Septe ritade von einem erzbißchoff von porto portigal mit ßechs andern bißchoffê und andern crißten man vnd frawen dj zu ßchiff von hißpanie dar geflohen ko@en mit Jrem vieh hab und gut anno 1414 ißt ein ßchiff aus hißpania vngefert darbei geweßt am negßten.
In the year 734 of Christ, when the whole of Spain had been won by the heathen (Moors) of Africa, the above island Antilia, called Septe citade (Seven cities), was inhabited by an archbishop from Porto in Portugal, with six other bishops, and other Christians, men and women, who had fled thither from Spain, by ship, together with their cattle, belongings and goods. 1414 a ship from Spain got nighest it without being endangered.
An imaginary island of Antilia has found a place upon the charts since the fourteenth century and was at an early date identified by the Portuguese with the equally imaginary Ilha de sete cidades, the island of the seven cities,(2) whither the Archbishop of Oporto with his six bishops is imagined to have fled after the final defeat of King Roderick of the Visigoths on the Guadalete (711) and the capture of Merida (712) by the Arabs.
Galvão(3) reports that in 1447 a Portuguese vessel, driven westward by a storm, actually arrived at the island, the inhabitants of which still spoke the Portuguese tongue; other voyages to this island in the time of Prince Henry are referred to in the `Historie' of Fernand Colombo. These voyages, however, are purely imaginary, or, at all events, led to no actual discoveries. It is certain, however, that Fernão Telles, in 1475, and Fernão Dulmo, in 1486, were authorized to sail in search of this imaginary island.(4)
Antilia 0n the ancient maps is a huge island, quadrangular in shape, resembling in all respects the Cipangu of Behaim's globe.(5) The "Antilia" of the globe, on the other hand, includes two islands, which seem to represent the "ciertas islas" depicted on Columbus's chart, but vainly searched for on September 25, whilst Cuba, on October 23, is identified with Zipangu.(6)
Jnßula de ßant brandan (A 7), St. Brandan's Island.
nach crißt gepurt 565 kam S. brandon mit ßeinen ßchiff auf diße Jnßul der doßelbst vil wunder besah und über ßiben Jar darnoch wider in ßein land zeg.
In the year 565 after Christ, St. Brandon in his ship came to this island where he witnessed many marvels, and seven years afterwards he returned to his country.
The legend of the Irish abbot St. Brandan, who, after a seven years' peregrination over a sea of darkness, penetrated to an Island of Saints-a terra repromissionis sanctorum-was very popular during the Middle Ages. A German version of the legend-`Sant Brandon's buch' -was printed by A. Sorg at Augsburg in 1476, and St. Brandon's Island retained a place upon the maps, notwithstanding Vincent of Beauvais' disbelief in the legend, until the days of Ortelius (1570) and Mercator; and as recently as 1721 the Governor of the Canaries sent out a vessel to search for this imaginary island. St. Brandan's Island is generally associated with the Canaries, as on the Hereford map (1280), but Dulcert's "Insulla Scti Brandani sive puellarum" (1339) lies further north, whilst Pizzigani's "San Brandany y ysole Pouzel" lie far to the west (1367).(7)
(1) `Alguns Documentos,' pp. 22, 27, 31, 90. The latest work dealing with the disputed history of the Cape Verde Islands, by Senna Barcellus, was published at Lisbon in 1899-1900. Prof. H. Yule Oldham, in his proposed work on Cadamosto, will no doubt deal fully with this question. back
(2) For instance, on the chart of Gratiosus Benincasa, in 1483. See also Las Casas, `Historia,' liv. I., c. 13. back
(3) `The Discovery of the World.' London, 1862, p. 72. back
(4) `Alguns Documentos,' pp. 41, 58, 62. back
(5) See inset on Map 2, giving Antilia according to Graciosus Benincasa (1482) and Cipangu according to Behaim. back
(6) See Markham's translation, London, 1893, pp. 28-56. back
(7) On St. Brandan see De Goeje, `La légende de Saint Brandon,' Leiden, 1890; A. Jubinal, `La légende latine de S. Brandan,' Paris, 1836 ; Kretschmer, `Die Entdeckung Amerikas,' Berlin, 1892, p. 186. back
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