xiilJ 
MALDONADO’S FICTITIOUS VOYAGE. 
215 
compass free from variation, and with the question, very difficult 
in his time, of finding a method of determining the longitude 
at sea (see the work of Amoretti quoted below, p. 38). Of his 
imaginary voyage he has written a long narrative, of which a 
Spanish copy with some drawings and maps was found jin a. 
library at Milan. The narrative was published in Italian and 
French translations by the superintendent of the library, Chevalier 
Carlo Amoretti,^ who besides added to the work a number of 
his own learned notes, which however do not give evidence of 
experience in Arctic waters. The same narrative has since been 
published in English by J. Barrow {A Chronological History of 
Voyages into the Arctic Regions, &c., London, 1818. App. p. 24.) 
The greater part of Maldonado’s report consists of a detailed 
plan as to the way in which the new sea route vfould be used and 
fortified by the Spanish-Portuguese government.^ The voyage 
itself is referred to merely in passing. Maldonado says that in 
the beginning of March he sailed from Newfoundland along the 
north coast of America in a westward direction. Cold, storm, 
and darkness, were at first very inconvenient for navigation, but 
at all events he reached without difficulty “ Anian Sound,” which 
separates Asia from America. This is described in detail. Here 
various ships were met with prepared to sail through the sound, 
laden with Chinese goods. The crews appeared to be Russian 
or Hanseatic. Conversation was carried on with them in Latin. 
They stated that they came from a very large town, situated a 
little more than a hundred leagues from the sound. In the 
middle of June Maldonado returned by the way he came to the 
Atlantic, and on this occasion too the voyage was performed 
without the least difficulty. The heat at sea during the return 
journey was as great as when it is greatest in Spain, and 
1 Amoretti, Viaggio del mare Atlantico al Paslfico per la via del Nord- 
Ovest, &c. Fatto del capitano Lorenzo Ferrer Maldonado, Vanno mdlxxxv.iii. 
Milano, 1811. 
^ At the date of Maldonado’s voyage Spain and Portugal were united. 
