286 DEVELOPMENT OF THE CARTOGRAPHY OF AMERICA. 



furuished with tlie most accurate maps obtainable aud designed upon 

 uniform principles. 



The progress here .indicated was associated with the nomination of 

 Amerigo Vespucci in 1508 to be chief pilot in Spain. The plan was 

 then first conceived of drawing under his supervision an official gen- 

 eral map of the regions discovered (Navarr. Ill, p. 300). Juan Diaz 

 de Solis and Vinceucio Yanez Piuzon were associated with him. Of all 

 the charts then in existence that of Andres de Morales was declared 

 to be the best, and it was raised to the grade of an official chart, or 

 royal j)adrou. No mariner was permitted to have on board his ship, 

 under a penalty of 50 doubloons ($240), any other chart. But it was 

 more easy to issue than to enforce such an order. 



When Amerigo Vespucci died, on the 22d of February, 1512, Diaz 

 de Solis succeeded him as chief pilot. In the same year, the latter, 

 together with the nephew of Amerigo, Juan Vespucci, received a com- 

 mission to draw up an official chart. In consideration of this they 

 were each to receive the privilege of copying and selling the royal 

 padron. But other cartographers did not trouble themselves about 

 this i)rivilege. During subsequent years, and up to the i^eriod of Diaz 

 de Solis's death, we are informed of several convocations of a junta 

 through which the preparation of an official chart might be expedited, 

 but it seems that many impediments were encountered in its execution. 

 And, in fact, no trace has been preserved of any similarly authorized 

 charts. The question here was an exact determination of the longitude 

 of Cai)e St. Augustine, in Brazil, iiccording to which it was hoped that 

 the line of demarcation of the Portuguese claims in South America 

 might be definitely adjusted, for the Portuguese were determined to 

 imprison every Spaniard who overstepped the boundary. Incorrect 

 charts, moreover, exposed seamen to imminent peril in that locality. 



It has been supposed that Sheets IV and V in Kunstmann's Atlas 

 were promulgated as results of the junta of 1515 (Kohl, Generalkar- 

 ten, J). 30), for these charts must have appeared subsequent to 1513, 

 inasmuch as Balboa's South Sea is indicated upon them. But these 

 two charts represent two different standpoints. No. IV represents 

 the Portuguese claim in Brazil as proved by the line of demarcation 

 through that country and the long legend upon the Portuguese side, 

 while No. V defends Spanish pretensions, according to which the 

 boundary line recognizes as valid, in behalf of the claims of Portagal, 

 only the extreme projection of Brazil. The first chart employs the 

 medium of the Portuguese tongue : the second of the Italian. The 

 uncertainty as to a comprehensive idea of the new regions lasted only 

 a few years; that is to say, until the shores of the Mexican Gulf were 

 taken up by Pincdo or until Sebastian d'Elcano, of Magellan's squad- 

 ron, brought home the earliest charts of the southern extremity of 

 South America. Moreover, not until about 1522 «r 1523 was the Span- 

 ish coast line in America fully determined in the west, through their 



