THE 
National Geographic Magazine 
VoL. VII DECEMBER, 1896 No. 12 
THE GEOGRAPHY OF THE SOUTHERN PENINSULA 
OF THE UNITED STATES 
The Rev. John N. MacGonigle 
The study of the geography of the southern peninsula of the 
United States began about 400 years ago. Although the Great 
Admiral had not found the mainland of the ^Vestern Hemis- 
phere, he had planted the standard of Spain on its adjacent 
islands, and his reports had kindled the spirit of adventure and 
awakened the hope of greater discoveries. In 1498 an expedi- 
tion led b}'’ Pinzon and Solis entered the gulf of Mexico and 
made the harbor of Tampico, sailing thence around the whole 
of the Gulf coast, circumnavigating the southern jieninsula, 
and journeying northward as far perhaps as the capes of Chesa- 
peake bay. Of this successful vo\'age Ledesma and Americus 
Vespucius were the pilots, and it was doubtless from their charts 
that the first map of the peninsula was made. This map was 
made in Portugal, by some one unknown, for Allierto Cantino, 
who carried it to Italy to the Duke of Ferrara in the autumn of 
1502. The original may now be seen in Modena, where it has 
been since 1880. One recognizes at a glance its singular correct- 
ness, at least as to its general outlines. It shows the dee]) in- 
dentations of the west coast and hints at the characteristic 
lagoon on the east. Without much dillicult}'’ and with reason- 
able certainty we can make some identifications. The River of 
the Palms is the Apalachicola, the Cape of the End of A])ril is 
the southern [mint of the j)cninsula, the River of the Canoes is 
the Matanzas, and the River of the Alligators the *St. Johns. 
Both this and the Tnhula Terre Xovc of 1508 were supposed to 
exhil)it the new world, and therefore to include in Florida the 
25 
