Author: George Davidson

Publisher: Rarebooksclub.com

Published: 2013-09

Total Pages: 46

ISBN-13: 9781230018164

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1908 edition. Excerpt: ...plaque. Mr. Christy quotes differently in his foot note page 45. We note the following conditions on this Silver Map: The two hemispheres are on a stereographic projection on the plane of a meridian. The eastern hemisphere contains Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Netherlands Indies; so there is but little of the North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans thereon. The western hemisphere embraces North and South America with nearly all the Pacific Ocean, north and south. The engraver certainly had a special reason for this apportionment. The "Terra Australis Nvndvm cognita" occupies the southern one-third of each hemisphere. On the eastern hemisphere the prime meridian is evidently Ferro Island and the longitudes are reckoned and numbered on the Antarctic Circle eastwardly by ten degree meridians divided in half at the equator. This prime meridian is the western limit of the hemisphere. The western hemisphere therefore contains North and South America, and nearly all the Pacific, and the meridians 190 and 200 only are numbered. The parallels of latitude are given for each ten degrees, and subdivided to single degrees on the circumference, where they are of no use. "The plate bears no inscription or indication of any kind showing "the name of the maker or the date when it was made"; (page 2.) Nor is there any proof that it was prepared in commemoration of Drake's return from his famous voyage. This paper by Mr. Christy is based solely upon the assumption that the Silver Map was made for the purpose he has indicated. The only suggestion for such a hypothesis is that it_has part of the track of Drake represented by a dotted line, and that no other track is laid down; (page 14.) That of course is a marked feature and...