MAP MEMORIALS

In Atlantic Canada at least as much land has been lost to the ocean
as has been gained from it since the last great continental glacier
commenced its retreat. At that time it has been guessed that the mass of
the Laurentide ice sheet was approximately the same as that now held in
the Antarctic Polar Cap. There is evidence that the ice sheet pulled back
haltingly as the forces of solar radiation and rising sea-water began to
dominate the frozen water. There are also suggestions that the melting
went faster on the Atlantic coast that elsewhere, the process beginning
18,000 years ago.

At that time, the seas were much lower than at present, since the
Laurentide Ice was not the only continental glacier tying up a huge mass
of potential ocean-water. Douglas R. Grant has suggested that extensive
ice domes may have existed on the continental shelves and that the
maximum of glaciation may have seen ice standing very close to the
continental slope. At that, his map of the situation in Quaternary Geology
of the Atlantic Appalachian Region of Canada suggests that much of the
Newfoundland Banks would have been dry land, as was the case the fishing
banks east of Cape Cod.

If Dyke and Prest’s maps (1987) of the paleo-geography are more

nearly correct then that of Grant, the ice cover was less burdensome in
the year 16,000 B.C. Their version of the past shows the Gulf of Maine
filled with float-ice termed the Truxton Swell, but, excepting Labrador,
the remaining glaciation is seen as an attachment of the continent.
Anticosti Island is show free of ice by this date, as are portions of Prince
Edward Island, Cape Breton and the Avalon Peninsula in Newfoundland. The
first in their sequence of maps shows thirteen major islands (half larger
than Prince Edward Island) occupying the continental shelf. By 12,000 B.C.
they are not substantially diminished in size in spite of the fact that the
Gulf is shown free of all but marginal ice. By 11,000 B.C. all but two of
these islands were extant, the more south-westerly having been lost to
flooding, or subsidence, or some combination of the two. Archaeologists
say that the land was inhabited by this time, the caribou-hunters having
become well established at Debert, Nova Scotia. At that time, at least
four of the Atlantic sea-islands were larger in land area than present-day
Prince Edward Island. In the year 10,000 B.C. these same islands stood
practically unchanged in back of land where ice was now restricted to a
small centres in northwestern New Brunswick and the uplands and
highlands of southern Nova Scotia. Atlantis is supposed to have become
submerged at about this time, and it is in the next thousand years that we
see the beginning of the end for the sea islands. By the year 9.000 B.C., as
the thermal maximum approached only three islands rival Prince Edward
Island in size, the others, ranging downward to about the area of present
day Grand Manan. By the year 8,000 B.C. when the world’s climate was
extremely warm Sable Island is shown as the only remnant of the thirteen
places which once stood within the Labrador Current.

The fact that these map-makers fail to show Atlantic islands on

their subsequent maps does no imply that they all disappeared from the
world of men. The great fishing banks of the Scotian and Newfoundland
shelves at least represent their remains, and they may have continued as
very small islands (after the fashion of Sable) into historic times. We
think it significant that parts of the Grand Banks chart no deeper than
three metres in spite of the fact that they are eighty miles southwest of
the nearest land. The more westerly St. Pierre Banks have shoals that are
as close to the surface as seventeen metres

The first map of Atlantic Canada was penned by Juan de la Cosa in

1500 and supposedly represents the “Coast Discovered by the English,” as
reported in John Cabot’s voyage of 1497. The newly discovered American
coast was represented on that map as in the same parallels of longitude
as southern Ireland and Bordeaux, France. If so, the northern extreme of
the American map should be Newfoundland and the southern limit Cape
Cod. Five islands were shown within this stretch of coast, but only one
was flagged (indicating a landfall) and it was named Illa la Trenidat. Two
others in Newfoundland waters were identified as Y. Verde (Green Island)
and C. Grago (Graois Island). Disappointingly, the Isle of Brazil is not
located, but is often identified with the flagged point of land explicitly
named as Mar Descubierto par Ingleses, the “Wetlands Discovered by the
English.”

In the de Cosa map, the coast is show trending more definitely

westward than is actually the case, and it is almost featureless, the Gulf
of Saint Lawrence and the Gulf of Maine appearing as unnamed
indentations. The cartographer William Francis Ganong has identified the
other flagged landfalls (from east to west) as Cavo de S. Luzia, Cavo de S.
Iorge and Cavo de Yngalterra, which he identifies with the present day
Cape St. Mary, Cape Race and Cape Bauld. Y. Verde and C. Grago. are islands
that seem to be associated with this last point of land, and are probably
these places now known as Belle Isle and Groais (the last from the Anglo-
Saxon, “indented, serrated”).

In the Oliveriana map of 1510 Labrador appears, but is represented

as Insula de labrador, an island rather than a part of the mainland. If this
whole map is rotated ninety degrees counter-clockwise it makes a little
more sense: Cavo de las pera then becomes Hare Bay and Croga’y the
Groais Island, mentioned above. Baiaventura, now called Bonavista is
located, properly, south of the long northern peninsula where the Long
Range Mountains are found.
 The so-called Lisbon map of approximately this date, treats the
southern half of Newfoundland and lands on the western side of the Gulf of
Saint Lawrence. Here the Avalon Peninsula is shown as an island separate
from Newfoundland rather than adjoined by a narrow peninsula. On it we
see C. Raffo, which is of course C. Rasso, the modern Cape Race which lies
near Mistaken Point. There is a Baia de ras , but it is beyong Cape Bauld
and is seemingly an unrelated place where there was also a swift passage
of water. It would be my guess that maracade , mar a cade , “where one
sinks in the wet,” might correspond with some part of mainland New
Brunswick, possibly the Mirimachi. There is no question that C. de bretois
is the lowland discovered the British, now entitled Cape Breton. The
enigmatic xozacade , or x onz a cade , “one hundred and ten sinkholes” fits
most of the landscape of Cape Breton. I. fagunata which is fortress
shaped and a little south west is obviously the place where one went for
“fagots.” This word had special reference to the fagus or English beech-
tree in ancient literature. It is hard to say anything of worth about the
two remaining Atlantic structures, except to note that looks as if they
were being artificially buttressed against the forces of the sea.
 Reinel’s map, dating from 1521 is marginally more satisfying. The
crest is that of Spain, and Tera Frigida, announces a cold land. The two
basic land markers C. Raso and c. dos bretoês. There is a fairly good
representation of Newfoundland on this map except that the Avalon
Peninsula is still an island and the northern parts are still attached to
Labrador. The remaining names on land are not easily attached to
anything currently in use, but the large bay west of Newfoundland is
obviously the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. Ri, gramde, the “Grand River,”
would probably be Fortune Bay which still has communities named Grand
Bank and Grand Beach. Po da cruz, the “River of the Cross,” seems to be
Placentia Bay. Of more mythic interest are two nearby places C: das XI
virgês , the “Cape of Eleven Virgins, “ and the island called Omze myll
virgês, the islands of Eleven Thousand Virgins.”

This last place has special connection with Saint Ursula, a fifth
century daughter of King Theonestus of Brittany. She was endowed with
great beauty but refused all suitors until Aggripus, King of England, sent
ambassadors to her court, asking that she consent to marriage with his
son Conon. Ursula said she would agree, but on condition that she be
allowed ten virgin handmaidens as companions. These ladies were to have
a thousand maidens as their helpers and the princess required an
additional thousand attendants to met her personal needs. She also
insisted that she should be allowed three years to visit the shrines of
various Christian saints and that all the English court should be converted
to the new religion.

These conditions were so extreme that Ursula believed they would

be rejected, but the English court gladly accepted all her demands. Eleven
thousand virgin females were gathered to form Ursula’s retinue, which
joined her on pilgrimage to Rome. On their return journey, Conon and
Ursula stopped at the German city of Cologne which was besieged by Huns
as they visited. These savage men made what use they could of the women
and then killed them. The leader of the rapists promised to spare Ursula if
she would marry him, but when she refused he drew his bow and put three
arrows through her heart. As it was considered that all good Christians
went west to the Lands of the Blessed, it was generally supposed that
travellers might find these females dwelling apart on islands in the
western Atlantic. Ursula was afterwards depicted as a crowned princess
carrying the arrows of her martyrdom, and holding the red cross of
England upon a pilgrim’s staff. She was illustrated as accompanied by at
least ten attendants and after her remains were recovered in 1155, her
relics inspired additional folklore. Ursula became the patron of the Order
of Saint Ursula (the Ursulines) a congregation of nuns dedicated to the
education of young women. In 1969 her feast day was reduced to a simple
observance.
 The maps of 1525 were all influenced by the “discovery” of what is
now New England by Estevâo Gomes. Alonso de Santa Cruz, Castiglioni and
Salviati all produced very similar maps in that year. Salviati’s map gives
Cape Cod more than its due, showing the admittedly extensive sand shoals
arcing northward as far as the Penobcot River in Maine. The Bay within
the hook was then Baya de s: xual rather than Cape Cod, and the place
named Sant Juan baptista may be near present-day Boston. The only place
easily matched with a modern day equivalent is C: de muchas yslas, “The
Cape of Many Islands,” generally taken as located in the lower reaches of
the Penobscot River, where there are, indeed, numerous islands.

The situation a little further east is reflected in the Wolfenbuttel

map of 1525 where Cape Breton is represented, but not named, attention
being given instead to Tierra de los bretonos, “The Land of the Britons.”
Cap Rasso appears as usual at the south of Newfoundland. C. de S: palos
may be near St. Paul’s Inlet on the north western side of Newfoundland.
The only significant additional detail on this map is the appearance of Y.
des: Juhan, or “John’s Island,” a name later used to identify Prince Edward
Island.

In Maggiola’s drawing, made a couple of years later, the borders of

the land are similarly delineated with the Point of the Cross and the
Islands of the Hundred and Ten thousand Virgins inserted from earlier
maps. The only change here is the beautification of John, whose island is
moved a bit south and named Iâ de S. Joan. This is not an essential change
“Joan” being a feminization of “John.” Not shown on our insert is the
region just south of Boston which is referred to as Costa de S. Iorge, “
Coast of St. George,” the other extreme being C. de breton.
Notwithstanding these English references, Maggiolo planted the flag of
France midway between Cape Breton and Florida in the extreme south. On
his map the entire territory is entitled Francesca, or “Little France.”
 Weimar’s map, published in this same year, shows a continued
Spanish interest in New England which is shown as Tiera de Estrevam
Comez. A footnote explains that he was there in 1525. On this map, and
others of this date, Cape Cod is not named although its hook-like shape is
easily identified. Wolfenbuttel's map is virtually identical as is that of
Weimar. All identify the Penobscot as emptying north of the Cape of Many
Islands, but the former identifies the river as R: des: mazia Arenales, not
overly helpful since it suggests nothing more than a river near the
seashore. The required Land of the Britons appears at the right of most
maps of this date. The Ribero map of 1529 is, essentially, a copy of all
these others and the same may be said of the Agnes map of 1530. Viega’s
map centres on the region between Cape Breton and Cape Race but is, in
many respects, a cruder representation of the New World than some
earlier maps.
 By 1535 Giacomo Gestaldi has managed to separate Terra Nvova, the
“New Land” or Newfoundland from Labrador and La Nvova Francia, “New
France., but the island appears fragmented the Long Range portion being
represented as an entirely independent Iso La de De Moni, or “Isle of
Demons.” The headland of Bonne vista , now “Cape Bonavista,” is
similarly isolated as is the case with the familiar Cap de raz. Bacalaos or
“Cod” Island is similarly treated. There are numerous islets southwest of
the complex which represents Newfoundland and these include a new entry
Isola de Brertoni, possibly “The Island of the Brothers.” As we have
indicated elsewhere this may correspond with Saint Brendan’s Isle. On
this map C. Breton is represented as an island apart from the mainland of
New France, but C. de Breton,, now shown as a promontory of the island is
shown a number of miles westward along the coast. Terra De Nvrvmbega,
the “Northern Shaded Country,” is decidedly New Brunswick and a portion
of New England. The mythic island of Briso which has drifted ashore just
south of Le paradis may be Grand Manan which is decidedly the largest
island in these waters. The Saint Lawrence River is unnamed but
obviously confluent with at least two rivers including (we suspect) the
Penobscot (far left) a well-known Indian portage route. Historians have
long puzzled over the tongue-like ocean trails shown on maps from this
time forward. They have been interpreted as representing sea-trails
leading to buried treasure and as delineating the fishing banks (which
were always more extensive than this would suggest). This is, in fact, a
sea within the sea, indicating the flow of the Labrador Current, which
mariners could tag if they wanted a fast, but not necessarily safe, ride
south. Note the designation Levante, at the upper right. This word
indicates anything rising with the sun (in the east). It is the equivalent of
the word “east,” just as Ostra indicates “west.” It is well known that
this current divides about Sable Island and this place is indicated as Isola
délla Rena, the “Island of Backwaters.” It is also generally known that
the Current peters out in the Bay Of Fundy because of extreme tidal mixing
in this basin.

The Rotz map of 1535 is similar to the Gastaldi in its partition of

Newfoundland. this map-maker appears to have had a better grasp of the
nature of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and the river beyond, and places C:
bretons on Cabo bretôs following modern convention.Rotz has managed to
squeeze four mythic isles into the space between Cape Breton and Cape
Race: Ille de berton, “Isle of the Brothers;” Ille Verte, “Green Island;” the
Isle of the Virgins; and I: santana,, “Island of Healthy People.”
 The Gemma Frisius globe of 1537 requires some translation and
guesswork: The top of the globe appears to have been mapped in the cold
months as the polar regions are shown as a single land mass, with
Greenland shown at the extreme top, right. The idea of a north-west
passage about the Americas dates from this time, the entry being marked
Fretum arcticum sive triusrarrû per quod lusitania orientem & ad Indos &
moluccas na vigare conati sunt. More simply: “The narrow Arctic strait
by which one attains Lusitania the orient & the Indies & the Moluccas by
effort of will.” At a guess we would identify Terra Corterrealis as
Baffin Island. The Terra per britannos invento, or “Land discovered by the
British” is decidedly Hudson’s Bay.

Notice the two designations Anorôbega and Anorombega , “Belonging to the

north shaded land,” within Baccalearvm Regio. the Region of Codfish, a
designation usually reserved for Newfoundland or Labrador. We are
suspicious that this map-maker has somehow confused Cape Breton with
the general promontory of southern Labrador as the designation
Promnotoriu agricule feu cabo del labrador, “Promontory of the
agriculturalists or Cape of the farmers,” is used elsewhere to identify a
part of Nova Scotia. Mercator's map, drawn in the following year, shows
two Norumbega following the models noted above but in the more northern
location the spelling has become A norumbega.. The southernly A
norombega appears to correspond with the earlier Penobscot once
identified as near the Cape of Many Islands.

The Vaz Dourado map of 1540 is interesting in that Cabo Bretao has
been extended to all the countryside from the Penobscot top Cape Breton.
On this map Sablon, or “Sable Island” makes an early appearance, but this
map is, in most respects, a retreat to earlier forms and information. A
new addition is the Baie dos Fumos, “the Bay of Smokes,” possibly modern
Cape Smoky on Cape Breton Island or Pictou Harbour, which had a
reputation for smoke issuing from burning underground tar-pits.
 The Desliens map, published in 1541 is a better representation of
eastern North America. Here all of the east has become terre des
bretrons, the “Land of the Britons.” Otherwise this map is not very
significant except for the unique spelling of Norumbega: Anoranbegue and
the first appearance of the R. grande, possibly the first notice taken of the
Bay of Fundy under this name.

The Santa Cruz map, which appeared in this same interval,

represents Nova Scotia as Isla de S. Ivan, “Isle of Saint John,” while
showing C. breton as a portion of the more northerly mainland. Here the
Tiera de Bretones appears to be in the vicinity of present-day Quebec. The
islands of virgins are still seen southwest of Plancentia Bay, but only one
additional mythic island is represented in the waters due south of
Newfoundland, and it now has a name formerly given to the Maritime
Provinces I de Juo Estevez.

In the Morgan Atlas of 1542 Nova Scotia has something of the look of
a peninsula but the Bay of Fundy is still absent, but possibly represented
in a minor indentation of the coast entitled R: de fundu. In this drawing
the mythic islands of St. Croix and de berton appear in linguistically
altered form and the isles of virgins seem to have become the I: de
plaisance or “Isles of pleasure.” The Santa Cruz map retains the old form
of showing the Penobscot as north the “Cape of many islands,” but the
river is now called R. d las gamas, “River of Whales.” The Ulpius Globe,
of this same date, is almost indecipherable because of its small scale, but
it does credit Verrazana as the founder of eastern North America, and
claims that the place should bear his name or that of Nova Gallia, roughly,
“New land of the Foreigners (i.e. French). This is one of the few maps to
omit Cape Breton although it does have Cavo de Brettoni in the traditional
location. This map shows the land, or place, called Flora , “Flowering
Place,”moved from an older location south of Cape Cod to what is now New
Brunswick.

The Alfonso map of 1544 is of interest for the substitution of

Riviere de norumbergue in place of R. d las gamas. On this map the land is
generally called Terre de La franciscane, “land of the frenchmen.”
Sebsatian Cabot’s map is centred about his explorations in the Cabot
Strait and Gulf of Saint Lawrence. It also omits Cape Breton, but in its
place notes cryptically that this is prima tierra iusta., “the place properly
called the first landfall.” Three mythic islands appear on what is now
continental shelf, their spellings somewhat altered from previous
notations: I: cruz; del bertó and de Juansfnof.. Cortesao’s map, produced
in this same year, shows an additional Atlantic island. Both maps have
moved I: de S: Juan, or Prince Edward Island into its historic position, no
longer confusing it with the peninsular Nova Scotia.

In the Vallard map of 1547 the Cape of Many Islands has become cap
de la crois while Whale River has become Whale Bay.
 From the standpoint of mythology the Gestaldi map printed in the
next year, is more interesting since it has a full complement of strange
islands dotting the Oceanus Occidentale. This sea-chart harks back to
earlier days, representing a Brisa I as immediately south of P Real in the
land of Norumbega The Island of Brothers has become corrupted as
Breston I., but is in its traditional position due south of Newfoundland.
Notice that orbellande, the “beautiful golden” island is very much
displaced to the east as is the case with ye: verd and Maidas . The cluster
of islands, further south, in a parallel with Florida, appear to be islands
actually discovered off the coast of Africa.
 The fact that Cabot had charted Isle Saint John properly, due north
of Nova Scotia did not prevent map-makers from perpetuating the earlier
idea that Nova Scotia was this island, and it appears in the old location in
the Guilierrez map of 1550, where it is referred to as Ye de la Jn. The
northern mainland has Cape Breton represented on it as C brreton. Aside
from this there is a very interesting configuration of the Islands of
Virgins, which is represented as a, more or less, triangular atoll. These
islands are in approximately the same place on the “R.G.S.” map but are
called the Isles of Pleasure.
 On the Harleian map Cape Breton has become corrupted to read C.
berton, and this model is followed by Lopo Homem in 1554, where the
word becomes C dos bertois. Here, the mythic islands again appear as
sea-fortresses, one of which is now identified I de S brandon, or
“Brendan’s Isle.” The Rio canadaro map follows this form in its
architectural representations of four islands in the ocean.

The La Testu map of 1555 has north-eastern lands described as

Coste de La Flovride, “the Coast of Flowers.” The River of Whales has
become Baie des illes , “Bay of Islands,” on this map, which represents
Nova Scotia as the island called Ille sainct tehan . Cape Breton is now cap
a breton. The Burin Peninsula of Newfoundland is correctly show in
relation to the actual island of Sainct pierre, a place not previously
delineated. The Peninsula itself is called Sainct Lorens, “Saint
Lawrence,” another addition to local nomenclature. Of more interest is
Les Vierges, which are shown in intimate association with the Island of
Saint Pierre. There is nothing currently above water in this location
although the St, Pierre Bank is extremely shallow at just this place.
 The Pseudo Agnes map of 1556 is a move away from geographical
reality, and is reminiscent of drawings made twenty years earlier, but it
does better justice to the Saguenay F or S: lorenzo, which we now call the
“Saint Lawrence” River. Here we observe what is now Quebec and Ontario
represented as La Nova Francia, or “New France. Fortunately the marker
points of C. Breton and Capo de ras are in place, otherwise it would be
very difficult to make much of the islands scattered about in the eastern
ocean. The mainland of New England and Maritime Canada is reasonably
straight forward. The baya dell iysolot, is the somewhat disguised
Penobscot Bay, the “bay of many isles.” In this vicinity we see the name
arcadia.. As mentioned elsewhere this place-name conotates death,
treasure and danger On the Agnes map this new name is applied to the
land between the Penobscot and the Saint Croix rivers. The land beyond, in
New Brunswick, is called Angoulesme, reflecting the modern New England.
Not far offshore one finds the island of Brisa, with its numerous Celtic
connections in myth. Note that the Labrador Current leads directly to it,
suggesting that it may be Grand Manan, where this stream within the
ocean actually degenerates. As we have said the Island of Demons, in the
far north, is likely Baffin Island. It is noteworthy that this was also the
island which the Norse referred to as Helluland, a frontis for the very
dangerous Nifhelheim, or “Hel’s home.” Note that the modern Table Head
Point opposite the northernmost tip of Newfoundland was entitled capo de
grad. Seamen must have approached land from this quarter, for this
descriptive has the sense of “a step, an advance against an enemy,” the
first step towards the extension of an empire. The partitioned mass of
Newfoundland has places that can be attached to modern locales but Ye de
brion, the “Isle of brion, does not attach itself to any part of western
Newfoundland. This name is unquestionably Anglo-Saxon, the Gaelic form
being brionn, a lie or a dream. The closest word in English is brangle, now
largely obsolete; it has the same sense as wrangle, confusion (as in a
dream).

The “Remarkable Italian Map” of 1562 is noteworthy for its retreat

from geographic detail, but it does have some interesting name-changes.
At the extreme left one finds C. de arenas , the “Cape of Weirs”, now Cape
Cod, and at the right, C. Breton. Looking westward we see, once again,
the C. de molte isole. “the Cape of many islands,” here detached from the
R. Gamas, or “River of Whales,” which is further along the coast. Note
that the adjacent R. de S. Antonio terminates near the site of a township
labelled lepedra . Unfortunately this name tells us little about the place
except that it is “charming, agreeable,” or “pleasant.” The R. Fondo is
often associated with the Bay of Fundy, but this chart seems to represent
it as Golfo Quadrante. Lago, the “Lake,” possibly thias ispresent-day
Grand Lake, New Brunswick, is shown accessed through the Rio grande, the
latter, perhaps, the Saint John River. This being the case, all of Arcadie
is within New Brunswick. In this version of geo-history the mythic
Bressa is in southern Nova Scotian waters.

For even more confusion note the Ortelius map from the year 1564:
Canada is represented here as an island in a vast northern sea. Terra de
Norvmbega corresponds very roughly with modern New England, which is
separated from Canada proper by the much enlarged Golfo des Games.
There are little clues suggesting that this island is New Brunswick,
another “Canada” being represented northwest of this land. The Rio
grande is likely the Bay of Fundy, and we know that Terra Nvova is not
Newfoundland but Cape Breton, for it bears C. Bretois in the southeast,
while Cape Race is one more island toward the east. To create greater
trouble some New Brunswick place names have unaccountably slid down
the coastline into Cape Breton. The mythic islands are fairly well
represented, but widespread. The Y. fagunda may be seen south of Terra
Nvova with Y. di S. Brandas a bit southeast of this place, as is Y da grasa
(Green Island)? Brions Island is north of Cape Breton as is the very real
Sable Island.
 The Luis map drawn and published about the year 1563 shows
several mythic islands, but on our copy the only one named is Y. alvez, far
to the southeast of Newfoundland.

The Zalterius map of 1565 is very like maps of the year 1562, but
here the Rio grande has become the R. S. Lorenzo , the “Saint Lawrence
River,” which is also seen as an unnamed northern river of huge
dimensions. In this classic case of confusion the St. Lawrence lies within
Larcadia which is directly attached Terra de Baccalos , Quebec, and Terra
Della Labrador. Uncertain where Cape Breton lay, Zalterius represented it
as south of Cape Despair. He scattered the mythic isles about Grand,
which appears to represent Newfoundland, in the north he named Y. di
Demoni, in the south Y de Orlando, Verde, Maida, and Brazil. He was less
certain about the location of Cape Race and represented it as an island
south of the Land of Codfish.

The Mercator map of 1569 represents the first step towards realism
in map-making but mythic places remain: On this map notice the village
of Norombega in the countryside of Norombega. It is no longer on the Bay
of Many Isles but on the r. grande, which is later associated with the Bay
of Fundy rather than the Penobscot River. In this map the island called
Briso is shown further east than before very close to the island and the
cape named Breton. The mythic islands are three, in the ocean south of
Newfoundland. Do breton is familiar, as is Y: de Juan estevêz, but
arredonda is new to the scene. I think this last descriptive has the sense
of a steep-faced “plump”island. The Ortelius map of 1570 is close in
configuration to the Mercator map but it pushes Norvumbega a little
further in the direction of Cape Breton and omits the island of Juan
Estevan (John Stephen). This map shows Estoitiland, on Hudson’s Bay
with one of the Fortunate Isles and the Island of Demons in close
proximity. A map of Novia Francia from this same series reinstates As
Virgines and brings back the old convention of representing the ocean-
islands as fortresses. The Ilha da Fortuna is still in place south of
Estotiland but the Isle of Demons has been transmutated into I
d”Arnoredos , “Isle of Northern Refuge.” The southern continental shelf is
dominated by the island of St. Brandon, the isle S. Cruz and the Faguna al
de Jan Alvarez, The Ortelius map of 1570 is very similar but Estoitilant
has a Middle English spelling and is close by Y das demonias and the
additional Drageo, Island of “Dragons.” Noróbaga is still in its traditional
place as are the three islands of Arredoda, Dobretan and Juan. Due south
are the islands of Santana and the Sept cites, the latter supposedly
discovered a full century earlier. The same holds for Brasile, shown here
in its old location not far west of Irlant. In mid-ocean note the much
displaced island of S. Brâdam, which modern map-makers position off the
east coast of Newfoundland. An even later map, designed by Martines in
1578, also places Islant Brazille in Old World waters.

Lok tried to rationalize the discoveries of Verrazano, Cartier, Cabot

and Corte Real with a map-offering in 1582, but sadly his effort was
retrogressive: He thought that Norombega was an island, the south of
which was discovered by J. Cabot in 1497. He notes that the north was
“recovered” by Jac. Cartier in 1535. Fortunately things took a better turn
with the Vaulx map of 1584 but the Bay of Fundy was, surprisingly, still
lost to men, perhaps represented in a minor indentation named the b. des
ballaynes, or “bay of whales.” The earlier Spanish form R. de games,
literally the “River of the pods (of whales),” may be seen a little further
south.. The Wytfliet map of 1587 was not well drawn, and transposed the
Y. fagundas to the position once reserved for the Virgins.

In 1592 the Mollineux Globe began to suggested the Bay of Fundy in R.

Menan, but unfortunately mislocated it at the Strait of Canso. A
traditionalist he called the northeast Norombega and located a city
bearing that name at the headwaters of the R. Granda.. Following an old,
and incorrect model, he located I. S. Ioan south of Nova Scotia. The mythic
islands of Aredona, Dobretan, S. Cruz and Jan are show stung out like
beads across the sea south west of C. de Breton. In this same year Panicus
managed to get a better hold on the shape and position of the Bay of Fundy,
and transposed Penobscot Bay into the R. Grande Norombega. In so doing,
he dragged Norombega proper as far west as the R. de Bar or Petitcodiac.
Planicus managed to represent Brendon’s Island as S. Bardam, but had less
trouble spelling S. Cruz.
 This did spell the end of misrepresentations: The Thomas Hood map
issued in 1592 failed to notice the Bay of Fundy, placed Y de. S Jua back in
waters south of Nova Scotia, sited Prince Edward Island as the island of
Alizai, and named a nearby island Briani. This cartographer also
recognized the resilient Virgines, which he seems to have equated with
Cape Breton Island. By 1597 Wytfliet had pretty well tidied up the Sinus
S. Laurenty region but continued to show the mythic islands of fortuna,
Demomas and fagundes, the latter replacing the Islands of the Virgins. Y
breton is still in place, but the land of Brize has ceased to drift and
become part of mainland Nova Scotia at what is now Canso (misnamed C.
de Breton on this map). The continuing state of chaos is illustrated in the
Hakluyt map of 1599 and the Langren, of 1601. Fortunately Champlain,
Lescarbot and company went to work soon after that and for a short time,
the Grand Bay de Norumbega became la Baie françoise On Marc Lescarbot
map, dated 1606, Norumbega has become the name for the present-day
Penobscot, but the mythic isles have not been relocated, and all are swept
away. Lescarbot’s map is a bit out of proportion, and Cape Breton Island
is named Bacaillos, while Prince Edward Island seemingly remains
undiscovered.

By 1524, with the change in land ownership Mallebarre is seen

renamed Cape Cod while C. Breton is reinstated as C. Brittan. Sir William
Alexander renamed Norumbega, or Acadia, New Scotlande and recognized
the Grand Baie de Menane or the Baie françoise, as Argyals Bay. While
the mythic islands are absent from Alexander’s map it will be noted that
his cartographer recognized the various shoals which are known to be the
remains of the ancient islands of this coast.