ANTIPODAL SOUTHERN CONTINENT. 461 



San Sebastiano has a synonym in the name Porto de San 

 Sebastiano apphed to Rio de Janeiro by Diego Ribero(1527) 

 and tlie autlior of the Hydrograplde. 



Let me recapitnlate. The Terra Aiistralis of Mereator 

 consists of the following elements : — 



(1.) The outline from about 130° E. of Boavista to 

 Cabo di bon Signale in 290° E. This portion includes 

 Nova Guinea, corresponds with the VVr. australis incognita 

 of Cornelis de Jode, and contains the Jave la Grande of the 

 French MS, charts. It is based upon charts of America 

 from the Gulf of Honduras to the Straits of Magellan. 



(2.) The outhne from C. di bon Signale to Ysole do 

 Cressalina and Golfo di San Sebastiano ; possibly another 

 misplaced portion of the American continent. 



(3.) The outline from Golfo di San Sebastiano to the 

 Promontorium Terrse Australis ; in part purely conjectural, 

 in part representing Vespucci's discovery of land bevond 

 52° S. 



(4.) The outline from the Promontoriuin Terrac Australis 

 to the point of commencement ; in part representing Cabral's 

 discovery of Brazil under the name Terra Psittacoruni, in 

 part purely conjectural. 



The results of the whole investigation may be thus sum- 

 marised : — The theory of an antipodal continent arose as a con- 

 sequence of a belief in the sphericity of the earth. It was 

 strengthened l)y the conceptions of Marinus and Ptolemy 

 regarding the configuration of the African continent, and in 

 this aspect held a place in the system of the Arabs. After a 

 long lapse of time, during which geography Avas not a science 

 but a body of dogmas, and the possibility of antipodeans 

 was scouted, the theory was revived amongst European 

 geographers, in consequence of the new discoveries of the 

 16th century ; and these were erroneously located in a 

 position analogous to that previously assigned to the anti- 

 podal continent. This is to be first observed on maps 

 ascribed to Leonardo da Vinci about 1514, on a mappe- 

 monde by La Salle, in La Salade nouvellement iinprimce, 

 1522, and, with evident reference to American discovery, 

 in the Mappemonde of Fine, 1531. Mereator finally for- 

 mulates the theory in 1569, having previously indicated 

 his opinions in his maj) of the w'orld of 1538 in the words 

 placed on the Antarctic continent to the south of Magel- 

 lan's Straits : — " Terras hue esse certum est, sed quantas 

 quibusq ; limitibus finitas incertum." The theory thus pro- 



