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used) differing by 24 o from the prime Greenwich degree (internationally
in use since 1884). French geographers sometimes chose paris as the 0 o
meridian; it differs by 27 o from hijero. 53 It seems that Cantemir’s estimated
lengths were more accurate than theirs. 54
3. Scholars also failed to analyse other – external – data the three
Dutch and French single maps of Moldavia offer – such as emblematics,
frames and title lines, cartouches and their imprints. It is well known that
cartographers, by their own declaration 55 , did not change these additional
embellishments at random. they had personal (e.g. hiding their sources) as
well as commercial reasons in doing so. Imaginary or fancy coats of arms
made maps look more attractive. 56 using an outstanding person’s name –
as is the case of a ruling “prince” 57 – would draw special attention to the
new product on the market.
4. Guillaume Delisle and J.-B. d’Anville are known to mark the
turning point towards a more scientific conception in mapping. they also
are well known for using auxiliary data from reports of natural scientists,
missionaries and other travellers to enrich the contents of their maps. 58
Couldn’t Descriptio Moldaviae (circulating in manuscript copies) have
been intended as a source for mapping Moldavia anew in the 1730ies,
based on Cantemir’s text? – nobody has asked, or looked into this yet.
5. And lastly, what exactly is meant by the term ‘to copy’ in Guillaume
Delisle’s letter to Schumacher of 1721 (“des Cartes […] d’en avoir copié”) 59
and d’Anville’s reference quoted above – “to integrally copy the Map” 60 ?
today the meaning of this term is ambiguous, as will best be understood by
studying map production as a historical process.
53 Cantemir in Descriptio Moldaviae established the meridians for Moldavia at
45 o ,39’to 53 o ,22’ (see the edition Bucharest 1973, 59); d’Anville positionned Moldavia
between 47 o to 54 o (1737) and le rouge (1770) inbetween 43 o and 49 o , see maps in
Appendix no. 1, 2, 4.
54 According to the Greenwich meridian, Moldavia is at approx. 26 o to 30 o .
55 See quote from Willem Blaeu’s preface of 1631 to Atlantis Appendi and Johannes
Janssonius (1633) below.
56 See the Amsterdam 1737 and the anonymous Frankfurt 1769/70 maps as good
examples.
57 MÜLLER calls cantemir „der hohe Verfasser“ and „ehemaligen Fürsten und
hospodar von der Moldau“, Vorrede 2, 25.
58 BAGROW – SKELTON: Meister der Kartographie, 204 f.; HARLEY, J. B. –
WOODWARD, D.: the Map and the Development of the history of Cartography. In: the
history of Cartography. 2 vol. Chicago, london 1987–1998. Vol. 1, 9 f.
59 See note 26 above.
60 See note 11 above.