THE EVOLUTION OF THE MARINE CHART 31 



drawn) and the neighbouring coasts of western Europe. The 

 eight winds are named, and there is a scale. Two series of lines 

 radiate from centres of circles near Smyrna and west of Sar- 

 dinia. Areas outside the circles are enclosed in rectangles, and 

 divided into squares, by which doubtless sectional charts were 

 incorporated into the whole. England is not treated in this 

 fashion. The names, in red and black, are confined almost 

 entirely to the coasts, and there is little interior geography, 

 (ii) Atlas of Petrus Vesconte, 1318. This is simply divided into 

 nine sections, covering approximately the same area as (i), but 

 more carefully drawn, with a som^ewhat better outline of 

 southern England, (iii) Chart by Perrinus Vesconte, 1327. Its 

 general features resemble those of (ii), but the coastline of 

 southern England is much improved. A few vignettes of inland 

 cities have been added, (iv) Chart by Angellino de Dalorto, 

 c. 1325, very carefully drawn and finely coloured. It extends 

 from the Black Sea to the Baltic, but the outline of the latter 

 is extremely poor, and not based on a detailed survey. To the 

 characteristics of earlier charts have been added the Rhine, 

 Elbe, Danube and other rivers; mountain ranges in green, and 

 many cities. Owing to the severe contraction of the northerly 

 extent of Europe, the interior physical features are greatly 

 distorted. It is plainly a stage in the transition from a purely 

 marine chart to a world map. 



All these charts have scales, with the main divisions sub- 

 divided into fifths by dots. Curiously enough, the unit of length 

 is never stated. As a result of a number of measurements, 

 Professor Wagner concluded that two units were employed; in 

 the eastern Mediterranean, a mile of about 4,100 feet, or two- 

 thirds of a modern nautical mile. For the Atlantic coast he 

 obtained a value of 5,000 feet. As the result of this discrepancy 

 in scale, the Atlantic coastline is conspicuously restricted in 

 extent. 



These charts have several features in common. The area 

 they cover comprises the Mediterranean and Black Seas with a 

 portion of the Atlantic coasts of Europe. South of the Strait of 

 Gibraltar, the charted coast extends a short distance beyond 

 the termination of the Atlas Mountains: to the north, the 

 coasts of Spain, France, southern England and the Low 



