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| The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.1 |
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Citation Information
POLO'S INFLUENCE ON GEOGRAPHY
133
t
existence, laid down with meridians and parallels ; whilst all of
their best known maps are on the old system of the circular disk.
This apparent incapacity for map-making appears to have acted
as a heavy drag and bar upon progress in Geography among the
Arabs, notwithstanding its early promise among them, and in
spite of the application to its furtherance of the great intellects
of some (such as Abu Rihán al-Biruni), and of the indefatigable
spirit of travel and omnivorous curiosity of others (such as
Mas'údi).
Some distinct trace of acquaintance with the Arabian
Geography is to be found in the World-Map of Marino Sanudo
the Elder, constructed between 1300 and 1320 ; and
Marino
this may be regarded as an exceptionally favourable Sanudo the
Elder.
specimen of the cosmography in vogue, for the author
was a diligent investigator and compiler, who evidently took a
considerable interest in geographical questions, and had a strong
enjoyment and appreciation of a map.* Nor is the map in
question without some result of these characteristics. His
representation of Europe, Northern Africa, Syria, Asia Minor,
Arabia and its two gulfs, is a fair approximation to general facts ;
his collected knowledge has enabled him to locate, with more or
less of general truth, Georgia, the Iron Gates, Cathay, the Plain
of Moghan, Euphrates and Tigris, Persia, Bagdad, Kais, Aden
(though on the wrong side of the Red Sea), Abyssinia (Habesh),
Zangibar (Zinn), Jidda (Zede), etc. But after all the traditional
forms are too strong for him. Jerusalem is still the centre of the
disk of the habitable earth, so that the distance is as great from
Syria to Gades in the extreme West, as from Syria to the India
Interior of Prester John which terminates the extreme East.
And Africa beyond the Arabian Gulf is carried, according to the
Arabian modification of Ptolemy's misconception, far to the east-
ward until it almost meets the prominent shores of India.
The first genuine medieval attempt at a geographical
construction that I know of, absolutely free from the traditional
idola, is the Map of the known World from the Portulano
IIis work, Liber Secretorum Fidelium Crucis, intended to stimulate a new Crusade, has three capital maps, besides that of the World, one of which, translated, but otherwise in facsimile, is given at p. 18 of this volume. But besides these maps, he gives, in a tabular form of parallel columns, the reigning sovereigns in Europe and Asia connected with his historical retrospect, just on the plan presented in Sir Harris Nicolas's Chronology of History.
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