CATALAN WORLD MAPS 47 



mingled with Polo's account. The Kingdoms of India as 

 enumerated by Polo are absent from the map, and there are 

 significant differences in the towns appearing in the two 

 documents. Conspicuous on the map is the 'Christian kingdom' 

 and city of 'Columbo', placed on the east coast. There is no 

 doubt however that this is Quilon, on the west coast. This 

 form of the name (it is rendered Coilum by Polo), and other 

 details, suggest that the compiler drew upon the writings of 

 Friar Jordanus, who was a missionary in this area, and whose 

 'Book of Marvels' was completed and in circulation by 1340. 

 In the area around the Gulf of Cambay, several towns are 

 shown which are mentioned by Jordanus but not by Polo, 

 e.g. Baroche and Gogo. There are other names, however, which 

 are not found in Jordanus; but the commercial importance of 

 Cambay (Canbetum, on the map), would account for the 

 relatively detailed information about this region. There is, 

 however, no indication of the great river Indus, a striking 

 omission also from Polo's narrative. This probably arose from 

 confusion between the Indus and the Ganges. 



For the portion of the Indian Ocean included in the map, 

 sources other than those embodied in Polo have been used. The 

 Persian Gulf, extending almost due west, has an outline similar 

 to that on the Dulcert map, but is otherwise superior to any 

 earlier map. In the Gulf, the 'island of Ormis' (Hormuz) is 

 shown, opposite the former settlement of the same name on 

 the mainland. The Southern Arabian coast has names differing 

 from those given by Polo, and in one of them 'Adramant' we 

 may recognize the modern Hadhramaut. The island of 'Scotra', 

 an important stage on the trade route from Aden to India, is 

 misplaced to the east, and appears to occupy the approximate 

 position of the Kuria Muria islands. 



For India and the ocean to the west, therefore, we may 

 conclude that charts were used which differed in detail from 

 Polo's account, though similar in general features. That such 

 charts existed we know from Polo's own statements. Possibly 

 additions were also made so that the map might serve as an 

 illustration to his narrative. 



The only complete Catalan world map other than that of 

 1375 which has survived is the Este map preserved at Modena. 



