PORTUGUESE DISCOVERIES 



thinks, as mentioned above (p. 369), that the prototype of 

 the Greenland on the Oliveriana map was Gaspar Cortereal's own 

 admiral's chart of his voyage of 1500. It seems to me possible 

 that Bjornbo may be right, in so far as the representation may 

 be derived from the Portuguese expedition which sighted Green- 

 land in 1500; but, from what has been advanced above, this was 

 not commanded by Cortereal, but more probably by Joao Fer- 

 nandez. As the Newfoundland of the map has so little resem- 

 blance to reality and to the usual Portuguese representations 

 [cf. also Bjornbo, 1910, p. 315], it is improbable that the prototype 



Northern portion of an anonymous Italian chart, a little later than 1503. 

 In the Oliveriana Library at Pesaro. Compass-lines omitted. 



of the map was due to Gaspar Cortereal. Moreover, one can- 

 not imagine that mythical islands such as " Insula de labardor," 

 "Insula stille," etc., were drawn by him; in such a case they 

 would have to be explained as later additions from another 



We saw from the letters of the two Italian ministers that 

 King Manuel was very well satisfied with the discoveries of Gas- 

 par Cortereal, and expected great advantages therefrom, both 

 on account of the trees for masts and of the slaves, etc. ; he there- 

 fore awaited his return with impatience. But he waited in vain. 

 Gaspar Cortereal never returned. Whether he fell fighting with 

 the natives on an unknovm coast, or whether he plunged into the 



375 



