Message #160345

[Autolocus]

LOCATION AND SHAPE 57

LOCATION AND SHAPE OF THE ISLAND

The circular form of Brazil and its location westward of
southern Ireland are affirmed by many maps, including Dalorto,
1325 (Fig. 4); Dulcert, I339; 17 Laurenziano-Gaddiano, 1351 ; 18
Pizigani, 1367 (Fig. 2) ; anonymous Weimar map, probably about
i48i; 19 Giraldi, i426; 20 Beccario, I426 21 and I435 22 (Fig. 20) ; Juan
da Napoli, perhaps 1430 ; 23 Bianco, 1436 and 1448 ; 24 Valsequa,
i439; 25 Pareto, I455 26 (Fig.2i);Roselli, 1468 ; 27 Benincasa, 1482"
(Fig. 22); Juan de la Cosa, 1500 ; 29 and numerous later maps.
Probably the persistent roundness is ascribable to a certain pref-
erence for geometrical regularity, which sowed these early maps
with circles, crescents, trilobed clover leaves, and other more
unusual but not less artificial island forms. The direction must
stand for the tradition of some old voyage or voyages.



" A. E. Nordenskiold, Periplus, PI. 8.

18 Theobald Fischer, Portfolio 5 (Facsimile del Portolano Laurenziano-Gaddiano
dell' anno 1351), PI. 5.

19 W. H. Babcock: Indications of Visits of White Men to America before Colum-
bus, Proc. igth Internatl. Congr. of Americanists, Held at Washington, Dec. 27-31,
1915 [Smithsonian Institution], Washington, D. C., 1917, pp. 469-478; map on p.
476.

20 Theobald Fischer, Portfolio 8 (Facsimile del Portolano di Giacomo Giraldi di
Venezia dell' anno 1426), PI. 5.

21 The section of which the author has a photograph (first published in the
Geogr. Rev., Vol. 8, 1919, opposite p. 40, and here reproduced, Fig. 3, somewhat
curtailed) does not extend far enough to show the island of Brazil.