| better spelling of Benzelstierna: I denna Skog finnes willda Kameler, that is to say: Wild camels live in this forest. There is no such forest and no legend about wild camels on the Mongol original of Renat's map; so he has added the information to his own copy. During his visit to Stockholm in the spring of 1913 I showed to Mr. BADDELEY, who was then studying Siberian maps at the Royal Library, Renat's map, and, amongst other things, the legend about wild camels. In a letter dated St. Petersburg, April 29th, Mr. Baddeley writes : »I am sorry to throw doubt on the Wild camel inscription on Renat's map, but I find on Witsen's map of 1687 about the same place 'Hier vallen veele Kamelen', = 'here occur many camels'. Of course Renat may have known of the wild camels and purposely made 'veele' into 'wille'; but he evidently knew of this field of information.» I have looked up the place on the reproduction, IV, 4 in Remarkable Mafts. The correct spelling is: Hier vallen veel Kameelen. Mr. Baddeley's supposition becomes the more likely as we read at a short distance further N.W.: Hier valt veel ceder hout, which may be supposed to be the forest of Renat. The great difference between Witsen and Renat is, however, that the former does not indicate wild camels, and does not write: Hier vallen veel wilde Kameelen, while Renat specially points out wild camels. Renat's map is, in its general topographical situation incomparably superior to Witsen's. But still he may easily have got his suggestion about the camels from Witsen, though, as he had heard of the existence of wild camels, which was unknown to Witsen, he improved the inscription in the right direction. |
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