Westropp — Early Italian Maps of Ireland from 1800-1600. 363 



features that we can hardly doubt their derivation from the same exemplar. 

 The Pisan Map and that of Petrus Yesconte do not give Ireland ; and the first 

 has a very inaccurate figure of England ; but it and Ireland in Carignano's 

 map, though nearly illegible from stains, are recognizable in outline, more so 

 even than in Dulcert. I have been unable to find any attempt at proportion 

 in the early maps of Ireland, though scales and measuring slips appear in 

 some. The chief ports, as well as towns and islands, are shown up the east 

 coast and round to the Bann, and roimd the south and west coasts up to 

 Teelin, with considerable fuUness and correct succession ; but Donegal seems 

 to be almost unknown, as if trade barely reached its opposite borders from 

 opposite directions. Outside all Ke the mythical Brasil and Dathuli, which 

 learned men denied to be real, but which the foreign trader (like the Irish 

 coast-dweller) held in firm belief till the time foretold by Seneca came, and "the 

 ocean relaxed its bonds, and a vast continent lay open." The men who made 

 these maps should be gratefully remembered in our nation (that has so far 

 ignored them) as the " unsung heroes " of commerce and peace. They, or their 

 informants, faced the vast dangers of the sea without compass or science, in 

 little coasting vessels ; and the dangers were all the greater for being unknown. 

 The traders from 1200 broke down more and more the walls of prejudice 

 between nation and nation, and were the true founders of new colonies and 

 empires greater than those of Greece, Carthage, and Eome. It is only by 

 close study that we can even begin to appraise their worth, and the extent 

 of our debt of gratitude to these men. 



1. The Poetolax JIaps : theie Peoblems. 



A number of problems arise in connexion with the study of the Portolan 

 ^Maps ; each deserves specialist study ; none can be adequately treated here. 

 I merely give enough to show their extent and bearing on the main subject. 

 Of these, the most important are the rise and extension of the foreign trade 

 with Ireland; the question whether the Italians derived their infonnation 

 directly from their own mariners, or whether the native Irish, the Norse, the 

 Flemings, or the Normans supplied it ; why some of the greater ports, like 

 Gal way, are passed over, while little insignificant harbours appear ; why certain 

 islands assume such importance and others (larger and, to oiu' ideas, of equal 

 importancej are omitted : why Limerick and New Eoss, alone of the inland 

 towns, were given; and a number of other problems which I need not 

 enumerate, but will endeavour to solve in the course of the paper. 



The first question we must study at some length, for all turns upon it. 

 The second can be more briefly dealt with as being partly answered by our 



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