On maps from the latter half of the i 5th century Ptolemy's geography is paramount. The sources of the Indus and Ganges are always on the southern side of the Himalaya, so for instance on the World Map of BUONDELMONTE, before 1481, and on that of MARTELLUS GERMANUS, which is based on Portuguese data from the end of the 15th century. On this map we find a range of mountains with ramifications going through the whole of Asia, and provided with the classical names Paropanisus, Imaus mons, Emodi montes, and Serice montes. The westernmost feeder of the Indus is just opposite the Fons Oxi. The Fons Gangis is specially marked.'
different countries, and between them is Tebet. Serica is also marked as a separate country. Fl. Amu, Amu-darya, comes from opposite the sources of the Indus. I do not know in how far P. Gothan has anything to do with Odoric's Gota, the only name that is mentioned from Tibet by the old Friar.
I A. E. Nordenskiöld, Periplus, An Essay on the early History of Charts and Sailing-directions. Stockholm 1897, p. III and 123. To the proofs, from the interior of the continent, that Fra Mauro has used Marco Polo's material, Nordenskiöld adds the following from the seas : »That Marco Polo's account of his travels formed one of the sources of Fra Mauro's drawing of East Asia, is shown by the large islands Zimpangu and Java major marked on the eastern border of the planisphere, as well as by several of the long legends. It is also clear that numerous observations of other Asiatic travellers were at the disposal of the learned Calmadolensian, though the way in which he used this material as, for instance, in drawing the coast-line of Asia between the Red Sea and the Ganges, does not say much for his ability as a map-draughtsman.» Ibidem p. 141.
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