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Terrestrial and celestial globes; their history and ... - 24grammata.com

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<strong>Terrestrial</strong> <strong>and</strong> Celestial Globes.<br />

e p este paderam se fazem todallas cartas as quaees faz di°<br />

Ribeiro e faz as agulhas quadrantes e esperas, porem no vay<br />

narmada nem qr mais q ganhar de <strong>com</strong>eer p seu engenho."<br />

"The course which it is said they are to take is straight to<br />

Cape Frio, Brazil remaining on <strong>their</strong> right h<strong>and</strong> until they<br />

reach the line of demarcation, thence they are to navigate to<br />

the west <strong>and</strong> west-northwest straight to Moluco, which l<strong>and</strong><br />

of Moluco I have seen laid down on the sphere <strong>and</strong> map<br />

which the son of Reynell made here which was not <strong>com</strong>plete<br />

when his father came here for him ; <strong>and</strong> his father finished it<br />

all, <strong>and</strong> placed these isl<strong>and</strong>s of Moluco; <strong>and</strong> after this pattern<br />

all the maps are made which Diego Ribeiro makes, <strong>and</strong><br />

he makes the <strong>com</strong>passes, quadrants <strong>and</strong> <strong>globes</strong>, but he does<br />

not go in the fleet, nor does he wish to do more than gain<br />

his living by his skill.'"'<br />

We find reference to a globe of this early period as be-<br />

longing to Juan Sebastian del Cano, the reference thereto<br />

being contained in his will made on board the Victoria,<br />

June 26, 1526, <strong>and</strong> reading "Una esfera poma del mondo."^^<br />

It probably was made of wood <strong>and</strong> painted, as there is good<br />

reason for believing that such as were carried by early navi-<br />

gators on <strong>their</strong> vessels were of this character. Harrisse thinks<br />

"this globe would probably prove to be one of the most<br />

interesting of all for that period, exhibiting, doubtless, the<br />

hypothesis of Magellan relative to the configuration of the<br />

southwest coast of South America north of 50 degrees south<br />

latitude.""" Although the will of Del Cano is dated 1526<br />

there is reason for thinking the globe was constructed prior<br />

to 1520.<br />

Among the globe makers of the early sixteenth century<br />

none merits greater distinction than Johann Schoner of<br />

Niirnberg (1477-1547) (Fig. 42), mathematician, astronomer,<br />

<strong>and</strong> geographer."^ He was born in Carlstadt, Franconia,<br />

held a church office for some years in Bamberg, <strong>and</strong><br />

in the year 1526, upon the advice of Melanchthon, became<br />

a professor of mathematics in the gymnasium of Niirnberg,<br />

[ 82 ]<br />

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