80 CONCEPTIONS OF COLUMBUS 



1 513 and even as late as 1540, that the new lands 

 were part of Asia. It was years, in fact, before 

 this idea was entirely abandoned. If that be true, 

 something more than a surmise will be necessary 

 to permit us to set aside the direct evidence that 

 Columbus regarded himself as being on the coast of 

 Asia in 1502. 



Again, Harrisse says:^^ 



The notions of Columbus concerning the form of the 

 east coast of Asia must have been very clear and positive 

 in his mind, but such only as we find it depicted in all 

 globes and maps, from Ptolemy's to Behaim's. Had he 

 therefore continued to believe that the new lands formed 

 part of the Asiatic continent, his efforts would all have 

 been directed so as to follow simply, northward or south- 

 ward, the coast of regions which, theoretically at least, 

 were known by every cosmographer. Nor, when Colum- 

 bus expressed the intention of returning to Spain by way 

 of the East, could he have thought of any other route 

 than the rounding of the Malacca peninsula. 



The latter part of this argument has already been 

 dealt with : to go south along the Asiatic coast to In- 

 dia was exactly what Columbus attempted, as will be 

 seen by reference to the map (PL II). As for the first 

 part, it is surprising that Harrisse should make such 

 a statement. Anyone who has ever looked at the map 

 of Ptolemy (Fig. 3) knows that he represented land, 

 and not ocean, beyond his farthest known world. Be- 

 sides, all the early maps of eastern Asia are not alike. 



39 Harrisse, op. ciL, p. 105. 



