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On the Beginnings of the Oldest Descriptions and Sea-charts by Seamen from North-West Europe

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 December 2011

A. Lang
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Extract

Sailing directions are one of the oldest aids to navigation that we know of in Europe [1]. Starting from the earliest, primitive descriptions of the courses (Octhere ca 800), the oldest sailing directions to Iceland/Greenland [2], and a brief description of the Bremen-Portulan fragment, from Jutland to the Holy Land (about 1200) [3], a long period covers the history of those descriptions of the courses, and information about routes for shipping in our latitudes.

Type
Research Article
Information
Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Section B: Biological Sciences , Volume 73: Challenger Expedition Centenary Proceedings 2 , 1972 , pp. 53 - 58
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Society of Edinburgh 1972

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References

Notes And References To Literature

[1]Gernez, D., 1947–1949. Les ‘peoples’ des anciens Grecs et leurs Rapports avec les Livres d'Instructions nautiques. Meded. Akad. Mar. Belg., 4.Google Scholar
[2] Taylor, E. G. R., 1956. The Haven-finding Art, 65. London.Google Scholar
[3] Magistri Adam. Bremensis Gesta Hammaburg. eccles. pontificum (Edit. III, cur. B. Schmeidler), 229. Hannover and Leipzig, 1917. See Also WATERS, D. W., 1958. The Art of Navigation in England in Elizabethan and early Stuart Times. London.Google Scholar
[4]Kretschmer, K., 1909. The Italian Portolane of the Middle Ages.Berlin. Motzo, B. R. (Ed.), 1937. II Compasso da Navigare. Cagliari.Google Scholar
[5]Comparisons thereto and following: Lang, A., 1955. Traces of Lost North European seacharts of the 15th Century. Imago Mundi, 12.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
[6]Koppmann, K., 1876. Das Seebuch. Bremen.Google Scholar
[7]Waters, D. W., 1967. The Rutters of the Sea, 185. New Haven and London.Google Scholar
[8]The 1521 publication is reprinted in facsimile by Waters [7]. He suggests (p. 3) that perhaps an even older print of Garde's work existed. The so-called Portolano Rizo was published in Venice in 1490.Google Scholar
[9]Knudsen, J. (Ed.), 1914. De Kaert vander Zee, XXIV/8 Cabo Prior. Kopenhagen/Den Haag.Google Scholar
[10]Rogge, H. C. (Ed.), 1885. Dit is die Caerte van der Zee. Leiden (reimpression).Google Scholar
[11]The first edition (1528) was lost; also the later editions, as such, from 1555, have no coast profiles (Waters, Rutters, 31).Google Scholar
[12]The fragment was found a few years ago by Dr Noordhoff in Rijksarchief Groningen, Holland. It was edited by B. van't Hoff, ‘Jan van Hoirne's map of The Netherlands and the Oosterscher zee’, printed in Antwerp in 1526. Imago Mundi, 11, 1954.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
[13]Compare with the presentation of the chart (from Roselli). In Lang, Traces, fig. 4.Google Scholar
[14]Keuning, J., 1952. Sixteenth century cartography in The Netherlands. Imago Mundi, 9, p. 42, note 4.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
[15]Keuning, J., 1950. Cornelius Anthonisz. Imago Mundi, 7, and Tijdschr. K. Ned. Aardrijksk. Genoot., 67 (6), 687. The Caerte van Oostlant was 96 x 69 cm and produced original size in A. W. Lang (1969), Historical Sea-chart Work of the German Bight, 1, Neumunster.Google Scholar
[16]Keuning, J., 1950. Cornelius Anthonisz, Tijdschr, K. Ned. Aardrijksk. Genoot., 67 (6), 693.Google Scholar
[17] As, for example, Helgoland and Öland.Google Scholar
[18] Entrances/Gateways.Google Scholar
[19]Gernez, D., 1937. L'influence Portugais sur la Cartographie nautique Néerlandaise du XVI’ siecle. Annls Geogr., 46,1; and Koeman, C, 1964. The History of Lucas Janszoon Waghenaer and his ‘Spieghel der Zeevaert’, 38. Lausanne.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
[20] Gerritsz, A., 1588. De Zeevaert ende onderwysinge der gantscher Oostersche ende Westersche Zeevaerwater, fol. 34b. Amsterdam.Google Scholar
[21] Ibid., fol. 25a. The sickle form of the buoyage south of the ‘Neuen Grunde’ allows a more or less correct dating of the sketch in that the buoys to the north of the ‘Neuen Grunde’ must have been laid in 1558.Google Scholar
[22] Including a tower, erected in 1310, on the island of Neuwerk, one of the oldest existing landmarks of Europe. Compare with A. W. Lang (1968), Seacharts of the Southern, North and Baltic Sea Coasts. Their development from the beginnings and to the end of the 18th century. Bonn.Google Scholar
[23] Their preservation may be due, in the first instance, to the fact that no other Detail Chart of the Elbe mouth existed. In spite of their age it is possible they were then, for lack of something better, put into a sailing handbook. No other critical reprinting appeared for many years after the death of their author.Google Scholar
[24] Denuce, J and Gernez, D., 1936. Het Zeeboek (Antwerp Stedelyke Boekery, MS B 29 166 and Brussels, Bibliothèque Royale, MS Nr 21 758).Google Scholar
[25] Ibid., Tab. XXI.Google Scholar
[26] Brussels, Bibliothèque Royale. MS Nr 21 758. In the drawing is an important note that the channel sketch was executed in December 1549.Google Scholar
[27]Compare Also With WATERS, D. W., 1958, The Art of Navigation in England in Elizabethan and Early Stuart Times (London: Hollis), special pp. 168 and 322; Gernez, D., 1950. Esquisse de I'histoire de I'evolution des livres d'instructions nautiques. Meded. Akad. Mar. Belg., 5; And LANG, A. W., 1968. Seacharts, 25–48.Google Scholar