Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-03-22
A QUEER OLD MAP.
Peculiar Notions of the Geography of
North America

Toronto tCafada) Globe, March 2.
Among The most recent acquisitions to
the collection OF ancient and curious
works in the Legislative Library at the
Ontario Parliament Building is an atlas
printed III London somewhere just before
the beginning OF the last century. The
title page calls it "a new sett of MAPS
both OF AntIent and Present GEOGRA-
Pay, wherein not only the LATITUDE and
LONGITUDE OF many places are Corrected
according 10 the latest Observations; but
also the most remarkable Differences Of
ANTIENT and PRESENT GEOGRAPHY may
be quickly dlscernGd by "a bare inspection
or comparing of correspondent MAPS;
which seems to be the most natural and
easy method TO lead young students (for
whose use the Work is principally In
tended unto competent knowledge OF
the geographical SCIENCE" by Edward
Wells, ID D., some time student of Christ
Church, OXon., and late Rector Of Cctes-
bach in Leicestershire. Each of the Al
maps bears a dedication TO Ibis Highness
William Duke of Gloucester, the young
son OF Princess Anne OF Denmark, after
ward Queen Anne" who died in the year
l70O, ana as he was only II years OF age
at that time, the work could only have
been prepared very few years preVi-
ously. All the maps IN the collection are
curious, TO say the least, but the most
DCN0AAbA aiO lAOoC lCldtAuS W 0LICl1O6s
The map of North America has been laid
out according to MercatOr's projection, as
far as latitude is concerned, but lOngI-
t, dinally this is changed TO the regular
method, giving the map an even more
distorted appearance than it naturally
would have with the errors which have
been made.
Among the plumbers are the placing of
the eastern extremity, Newfoundland, in
tho Az hpnrna nf I4ffrTIdO inafAQH nf tho
80 degree, and Cape Charles, the eastern
point Of Labrador, Is placed in the same
As degree. instead of the 56 degree. Ice
land is represented as a long narrow ISL
land extending from degrees to the 2lst
degree west longitude, instead of from 10
to % degrees, but these are comparatively
small matters. The extreme eastern
point of the continent is at the 45th de-
gree; the western is unknown, but must
have extended almost back to Europe as
Cape San EugeniO in Lower California is
given at the 145th degree, or 80 degrees
west OF its proper location. The source
of the Meschaslpi or Mississippi river is
given in longitude west from Greenwich
125 degrees so as to throw the western
Duul Diary of Ontario from Cape Beale, in
Vancouver Island, north, thus taking in
nearly half the island. Illinois Lake, or
Lake Michigan, is apparently by far the
largest of the great lakes, with an eX-
treme breadth of over 500 miles. TRACT or
Upper Lake, as Lake Superior is called,
is SHOWN as being the same SIZE as Lakes
Huron and Erie, and Lake Ontario is given
as about One-tOurth the size OF the latter.
Lake TImagaming is shown as the source
of the Saguenay and of the Rupert rivers.
The Ottawa river on the map receives the
waters of Hudson Bay and OF Lake Huron
to carry to the st. Lawrence, and there
was apparently no knowledge of Niagara
Falls.
Five towns only appear to have been
settled in what Is now Canada, Port Royal
and %Ouquemet, the latter now called
Yarmouth, in Nova Scotia, then called
New Scotland; Brest, at the extreme
eastern point of Labra or; TadOusac and
Quebec. The errors which are observable
IN the northern are reproduced IN the
southern part of the map. Baltimore
town Is given as being some distance
north Of Philadelphia, and Plymouth is
much nearer to Boston than is Charles
town. the Appalachian Mountains run
nearly due east and west on the map,
through what are now the States of Ohio,
Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, thence across
tue Mississippi, and trending southwark
into New Mexico. Lower California is
an island and the upper part OF the island
10 called New ALBION. New Orleans
would appear TO have just been founded,
as there is an island shown at the mouth
of the Mississippi called New French Set
Element, but the mouth OF the river is no
nearer being in its right position than the
source, it being shown at the extreme
northwestern corner of the 'tGOlf of Mex
lcO." One more reference to the north
may be allowed. "Frobisher's" Straits
are given as being south of ''Green Land, ;"
aud James Ba is divided into two parts,
one of which is called James and tie other
Hudson Bay. Carolina is credited with
possessing a lake as large as Ontario, and
the Susquehanna river Is represented as
running due north and in an exactly
straight line. Many of the towns in Mex
leo are located toll rably accurately, but
the lay o, the country is terribly out OF
proportion. Other maps in the atlas are
equally interesting to lovers of the curl
GUS, and will we'll repay comparison by
those VINO have time and Opportunity.