The Sun.
London, England, 1803-04-15 00:00:00

DI.V.'OI-ERY OF AMERIC.I.

MEMOIR ON TI!! lILAND ANTILI.I.A. AND TIIE DIS.%
COVER'!" OF .IMERICA. ET CITIZEN 131JACHE,

OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE.
Hitherto it has been supposed that the discovery
of America was due to CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS.
It was one of those points of history on which all
authors were agreed, and as one which might be con.
sihred the most certain. However, doblits have
lately been raised upon this sublea ; doubts, which
to many learned men have appeared to have 'some
foundation ; doubts
,which they have judged'at least
worthy their attention. Among the papers which
remain in the Library of St. Marc, at Venice, is a
chart of ANDRE BIANCHI, Made in 1436; in which
there is described a large island, called Antillia,
situated in the west of the A.Zore Islands, which
proves, say they, that America vias known before
the discovery of it by CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS.
It is added, that the learned MORELLI, Librarian
of St: Marc, intends to publish this chart. Thii
intention has induced Citizen BUACHE again to
examine the chart of BIANCHI, which was known
since 1783, by the edition and commentaries on it,
given by FoRMALEONS, in the appendix of his work
entitled, " Saggio. sulla Nautica antica ,de Ve.
neziana."
The first idea which presents itself at the sight of
this chart, where in fart we find the ;large island ,
named Antillia, placed in the west of the Azores,
and the beginning bl 'another Island, situated to the
north of Antillia, and called Ysola de la Man Sata.
naxio, is, that these two islands, are parts of Arne.
rica, or some of the islands at present known under
the name of the Antilles, since there exists no
other land in the whole'space comprised between the
Azores and America. The chart of BIANCHI
having been made in 1436, it appears then natural
to conclude, that America, or some parts of it,
were known before the voyages of CHRISTOPHER
COLUMBUS. It is also the opinion which has been
adopted by Fo RMAL EON E ; but this opinion cannot
be supported after a serious examination of the chart.
of Ili ANCIII, and compared with other monuments
equally authentic, which he his thought it neces.
sary to consult.
`!"here exists a Letter * 'of the learned Paola)
TOSCANELLI, author Of the Gnomon de Sainte
Marie tie Florence, dated 25`th inne 1474, in which
mention is made of the Island-of Antillia, This
Letter was first addressed to FERDINAND() MAR.
TINE Z, Canon of Lisbon, who had consulted Tos.
CANE LLI, on the part of the KING of PORTUGAL,
as to the potsibility 'of finding the Indies. It was
afterwards sent to CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS, in
answer to a Letter that he had written to Tosca.
NELL'? relative to the voyage he proposed to un-
dertake. The Letter of TOSCANELLI, refers only
to what appeared to him to be the shortest course
to the Indies, and those parts of the Indies
which he thought the richest and the most worthy
of being explored. The shortest course, in his
opinion, was, on leaving Lisbon;. to,go directly to
the West, across the Atlantic Ocean, and to pro-
ceed in the same direction, or on.the parallel of
Lisbon, nearly a third of the circumference of that
parallel ; at that distance they would find, said lie,
the city. of Giiisay or Quinsey, the capital of China,
in the time of Maitc.Paun ; they would also. find
the Island of Cipango (now Japan) extretnclYfettile
in gold, pearl, and precious stones ; it was iFi this
Course he placed the Island of Antillia, when he
said, And. of the Island of Antillia, whichyou know,
and uhieh you call SETTE.CITII, to the • famous
Island of Cipangoi there are ten spacer (which
make 2500 miles, or 225 leagues. It results
from this passage, that at the epoch of 1474,
the Island of Antillia was known at least to
the KING 'of PORTUGAL, for whom the letter of
TOSCANELLI was written, and that' it passed for,
one of the richest countries in the world.' It
further results, that lb the opinion of 'Tosca.
riaLLI, it was situated in the eastern 'parts of the
Indies, which were then the countries ofthe most
preCious and wonderful productions. It is probable,
that it was from the idea of l'oscAtauw,.,that
CHRISTOPIIBIC COLUMBUS gave the name of An.
tillias to thoie Islands of America, ''which he found
in his first voyage, and %Otits he supposed to be the
eastern part of the Indies. It• was from the charts
of his time,. that Toscattit ti made his calculations
respeaing the course he pointed out ; and the An.
tillia bf the shart of Braaccatti can be no other than
the Antillia mentioned in the Letter of Tosc ANIL-
; it therefore can represent no part of America.
.To dissipate 'entirely the doubts founded on.this
chart of Bt ANCIIIO it would have been satisfactory to
have‘tliscovered. in the ancient Continent the.names
of Antillia and De la Man Satanaxitio, which this
chart presents. Citizen Iltractig has made every
.possible research on this subjett ; he first examined,
after the opinion of Tosc aNst.t.t, at the Islands of
the Archipelago; of the Indies, but without success ;
considering then, that the Islands of •Antillia were.
known to the Portuguese, according to `1 oscasrzL.
which', could not be said of the Indian Islands
at that epoch considering also that the KING of
Poarticat. had paid no attention to the information
of TosCANEI.I.I,or to the proposition of CH R ISTO-
mew COLUMBUS, and several autluirs.'had. con.
fimded• the Island, of Antillia with that of the
fatuous San Borandon, or . Brandon, which. was
supposed co be near the Ciinaries ; Ci4en
BUACHE direffed his attention to the. Western
Coasts of Africa, which the Portuguese were then
occupied in discovering ; after a variety of informa.
Lion furnished him by the itinerary Mundi of Peristol;
from .a Manuscript chart of the National Li.
brary of 1346, and another of the Library of
the Dwelt of PARMA, 1367, he- thought he had
ascertained that the names of Antillia, and De la
Man Saranaxio, were the result of the first ac.
quaintance the Europeans liad with the rich coun.
tries of the interior of Africa, or of the country
of the blacks, which the Arabs named Sudan ; the
name 'Sudan, appeared to' him to have. some refe-
. rence to that of Satanaxio, the name of Sette.Cita,

* This Letter may he found in a work of the iesuit Xi-
manes, entitled, '• Del Veqchio e nuoyo Gnottione Fioten.
tint)," and in a,Letter from M. 13.005, to the author of the
jownal des Savans, January,