The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-06-26
WAS COLUMBUS LATE
Strong Proof That the Portuguese Saw
the Brazil Coast About
1447.
Discovery Of An Old Map That Was Drawn
by Bianco in Library at
Milan

quite recently an English royal geog-
rapher unearthed an old map in the Am
brosian Library at Milan, drawn by one
Andrea Bianco, of Venice, in the year
144S Bianco is known as probably the
most famous photographer Of his time.
and the map is pronounced the clearest
and most accurately drawn of that CEN
fury, so far as the European and African
coasts are concerned. Carefully and dis
tinctly presented on its outer edge is
bit Of South American coast line, indi-
eating that some navigator must have
crossed the Atlantic As years before Col
umbus first sailed from Palos.
In England the discovery Of this map
has created excitement among scienti-
fic men. A paper setting forth argu-
ments in support Of a claim of a pre-COl-
umbian discovery of the New World,
read before the Royal Geographical So
ciety recently by II. Yule Oldham, M. A,
an eminent geographer, has been as
sailed by some and complimented by
others. but it is everywhere arousing in
terest. 1t asserts that in 1446 or 1447
some Portuguese ship, sailing for the re-
Gently discovered rich regions of Sem
eganmbia, must have been driven out OF
its course to the coast of Brazil; dis
lance from Senegambia of little more
than 800 miles, the narrowest portion of
the Atlantic Ocean. There is no other
ay,according to Mr.. Oldham to account
for the record Of the new land on the map
The land is indicated only by a tiny bit
OF black but an explanatory note written,
1t is declared by Bianco, reads: 'Ixola
otfnticha xe Tonga a ponente $500 mia"
meaning, Authentic land distant $500
miles to the West"
In the years from 1443 to 1850 Portu-
guese commerce was immense, and It was
"a nf a hr11io pf r1,1o mr. G. a pS-
man, Prince Henry, the navigator, the
fifth centenary of whose birth was cell
ebrated in the spring Of 1894. Portu-
gal was in the maritime power of South
ern Europe, if not indeed of the entire
continent. Her sailors were brave, keen
and hardy, and her ships explored oceans
that had been trackless. The question
of an all-sea passage to India was even
considered and attempted. Year by year
Portuguese merchantmen were creeping
further down the African coast. AS
early as 1920 Portugal had made import
ant discoveries in the Atlantic, and with
In few years Madeira and the Canaries
were hers, and she was well aware of the
existence of the Azores and the Cape
Verde Islands.
In about 1443 the southern edge of the
Desert of Sahara was rounded and in
habited regions were reached. Two years
later Cape Verde was touched, and the
fruitful and valuable region of the Gam
bia, now known as Senegambia, was
thrown open to Portuguese colonists and
placed under the Portuguese yoke.
When the reports of this rich land were
received there was wild enthusiasm
among the Portuguese. Fleets of as
many as 10 to IA ships were despatched
to open up the territory, and no great eff
tort is required to assume that some Of
them were driven out of their course
This Is the new English theory, and prov
en- history asserts that the Brazils were
discovered by the Portuguese in 1899,
that is, actually discovered and to some
extent explored and named.
The most essential and remarkable fea-
ture of Bianco's map is the complete OBJ
liberation of the Mediterranean. The rea-
BON that this great sea is not indicated is
that the map was intended simply as a
navfgatOrS chart. 1t shows with accu-
racy the entire coast of Europe and Afri-
ca from a northern point Of Scotland to
Cape Verde. Another navigators chart
by .Bianco was drawn in 1876. 1t presents
the same accuracy with the regard to the
European coast line, but lacks definite
Information in regard to Africa. The
map of 1448 is the earliest in existence
giving definite information in regard to
Africa. On 1t are the results of Portu-
gese discoveries in the region Of Gambia.
The rediscovered Azores are shown for
the first time in their proper place, and
the tabled island Of Antilia, marked on
previous maps, is left out, as the Portu-
gese had proved that it did not exist The
Canary Islands are also shown. and Cape
Bojador, now named Bojador, Cape
Blanco and Cape Verde.
Beside this are roughly indicated in the
position that the Cape Verde island actu-
ally occupy, two conventionally drawn
islands with the vague title Of Dos erm-
anes tow brothers, At this period the
Cape Verde islands had not been discov-
cred, and 1t was only rumored that there
were two islands to the westward in
about the locality shown. Probably these
two islands had been seen from the mast
head of some Portuguese ship, and it is an
Interesting commentary on the accuracy
OF Biancos 1448 map that before Cada,-
mosto was driven on the Cape Verde ISL
ands in 1456, two were conspicuous at
some distance. and on landing the others
were seen from mountain top.
What gives Bianco'S map weight
among geographerS Of England is that
scientific rules have shown that it is alb
eolutely correct. 1t would seem strange
II, being accurate in all other respects,
1t should err in the authentic island
distant 1900 miles to the vest Owing
to a lack of room in the parchment on
which the map was drawn, only a corner
OF the new land is shown on the lower
edge. Taking the scale of the map, this
land Is actually much closer to Cape
Verde than Brazil really is. 1t was prob
ably the object of preventing any mis-
conception that Blanca added under the
words "ixOla Otincha," authentic island
the qualifying statement IKE Tonga a
ponente $500 mai distant 1900 miles to
the west.
The arguments of the opponents of this
theory are many and varied. One of
them Is that this land shown on the map
as the authentic island" represented the
Cape Verde Isles, as. seen by hasty
glance of an early explorer. There are,
however. two objections to this. The
Cape Verde islands are provided for un-
der the name DOS Ermanes," and the
or the southwest of Cape Verde, but d.
rectly to the west. The authentic ISL
and" is depicted as to the southwest,
which is the position of Brazil from Cape
Verde.
"In this year, also, 1447," says Galvao
ut happened that there came a Portugal
ship through the straits of Giberaltar
and being taken with great tempest
was forced to runne westward more than
came to an island The boatswaine OF
the ship brought home a little of the sand
and sold it unto a goldsmith, of Lisbon,
out of which he had good quantitie OF
gold''
Galvao goes on to relate that the island
had seven cities and the the people spoke
the Portuguese tongue, demanding if the
Moors did yet trouble Spain, and saying
they had fled from that country upon the
death of the King Roderigo AS that
would have made each of the inhabitants
of the island 700 years old it is quite ev-
identity a sailors yarn, variation of the
old Portuguese tradition of an unknown
land in the West, where seven cities were
founded in eighth century by an arch
bishop and six bishops who fed from Eu.
rope before the invading Moors. Another
frod nf ho tod Sc oJco