88 MAPS AND THEIR MAKERS 



of almost half the circumference of the globe. The chart might 

 be said to predict the existence of the Pacific Ocean. The fact 

 that the cartographer has a legend on the discoveries in the 

 north-east American shores stating that they were thought to 

 be part of Asia does not controvert this. For the Portuguese, 

 theoretical and practical considerations happily coincided in 

 this instance; when the question of sovereignty over the 

 Moluccas arose, it was to their interest to reduce the longitudinal 

 extent of Asia in order to bring the coveted islands within 

 their sphere. 



Another world chart, slightly later than the Cantino, but 

 derived from a very similar source, has also survived. This is 

 a copy made by an Italian draughtsman, Nicolay de Canerio 

 of Genoa, and assigned to the year 1505 or 1506 on the evidence 

 of its portrayal of the Brazilian coast. The interest of this chart 

 lies in the fact that it is the basis of Waldseemiiller's wood-cut 

 world map of 1507. In general it is less accurate than the 

 Cantino chart, particularly in its representation of Africa and 

 India, although it places the Cape of Good Hope in the very 

 accurate latitude of 34° S. (for 34° 22' S.). Off the mainland of 

 north-east Asia is an island 'Chingirina' with the legend "This 

 island is very rich, and they are Christians; thence comes the 

 porcelain to Mallacca. Here there is benzoin, aloes, and musk." 

 It has been suggested that this is a reference to Japan. 



These world charts are evidence of the great interest taken 

 in Italy in the Portuguese progress eastwards; had not these 

 copies been demanded by Italian patrons, much valuable 

 cartographic evidence would be lost to us. They further show 

 that much knowledge of the east had filtered through to the 

 Portuguese before they reached Malacca. 



In addition to these world charts, there are from the first 

 decade of the sixteenth century a few charts of smaller areas. 

 Three of these are of special interest: a chart of the North 

 Atlantic, c. 1502, signed by Pedro Reinel; a chart of the 

 North and South Atlantic, f. 1506 (generally referred to as 

 Kunstmann III); and a chart of the Indian Ocean of about 

 1510. 



The Pedro Reinel chart, the earliest signed work of a 

 Portuguese cartographer, introduces the feature of the 'oblique 



