75 deg., but which is in fact no other than Polo's
Pulisanghin![19] Immediately south of this is Tholomon Provincia
(Polo's again), and on the coast Tangut, Cathaya, the Rivers
Caramoran and Oman (a misreading of Polo's Quian), Quinsay and
Mangi.
[Sidenote: Gradual disappearance of Polo's nomenclature.]
86. The Maps of Mercator (1587) and Magini (1597) are similar in
character, but more elaborate, introducing China as a separate system.
Such indeed also is Blaeu's Map (1663) excepting that Ptolemy's
contributions are reduced to one or two.
In Sanson's Map (1659) the data of Polo and the mediaeval Travellers are
more cautiously handled, but a new element of confusion is introduced in
the form of numerous features derived from Edrisi.
It is scarcely worth while to follow the matter further. With the increase
of knowledge of Northern Asia from the Russian side, and that of China
from the Maps of Martini, followed by the surveys of the Jesuits, and with
the real science brought to bear on Asiatic Geography by such men as De
l'Isle and D'Anville, mere traditional nomenclature gradually disappeared.
And the task which the study of Polo has provided for the geographers of
later days has been chiefly that of determining the true localities that
his book describes under obsolete or corrupted names.
[My late illustrious friend, Baron A. E. Nordenskioeld, who has devoted
much time and labour to the study of Marco Polo (see his Periplus,
Stockholm, 1897), and published a facsimile edition of one of the French
MSS. kept in the Stockholm Royal Library (see vol. ii. Bibliography, p.
570), has given to The Geographical Journal for April, 1899, pp.
396-406, a paper on The Influence of the "Travels of Marco Polo" on Jacobo
Gastaldi's Maps of Asia. He writes (p. 398) that as far as he knows, none
"of the many learned men who have devoted their attention to the
discoveries of Marco Polo, have been able to refer to any maps in which all
or almost all those places mentioned by Marco Polo are given. All friends
of the history of geography will therefore be glad to hear that such an
atlas from the middle of the sixteenth century really does exist, viz.
Gastaldi's 'Prima, seconda e terza parte dell Asia.'" All the names of
places in Ramusio's Marco Polo are introduced in the maps of Asia of Jacobo
Gastaldi (1561). Cf. Periplus, liv., lv., and lvi.
I may refer to what both Yule and myself say supra of the Catalan
Map. - H. C.]
[Sidenote: Alleged introduction of Block-printed Books into Europe by
Marco Polo.]
87. Before concluding, it may be desirable to say a few words on the
subject of important knowledge other than geographical, which various
persons have supposed that Marco Polo must have introduced from Eastern
Asia to Europe.
Respecting the mariner's compass and gunpowder I shall say nothing, as no
one now, I believe, imagines Marco to have had anything to do with their
introduction. But from a highly respectable source in recent years we have
seen the introduction of Block-printing into Europe connected with the
name of our Traveller. The circumstances are stated as follows:[20]
"In the beginning of the 15th century a man named Pamphilo Castaldi, of
Feltre ... was employed by the Seignory or Government of the Republic,
to engross deeds and public edicts of various kinds ... the initial
letters at the commencement of the writing being usually ornamented with
red ink, or illuminated in gold and colours
"According to Sansovino, certain stamps or types had been invented some
time previously by Pietro di Natali, Bishop of Aquiloea.[21] These were
made at Murano of glass, and were used to stamp or print the outline of
the large initial letters of public documents, which were afterwards
filled up by hand.... Pamphilo Castaldi improved on these glass types,
by having others made of wood or metal, and having seen several Chinese
books which the famous traveller Marco Polo had brought from China, and
of which the entire text was printed with wooden blocks, he caused
moveable wooden types to be made, each type containing a single letter;
and with these he printed several broadsides and single leaves, at
Venice, in the year 1426. Some of these single sheets are said to be
preserved among the archives at Feltre....
"The tradition continues that John Faust, of Mayence ... became
acquainted with Castaldi, and passed some time with him, at his
Scriptorium,... at Feltre;"
and in short developed from the knowledge so acquired the great invention
of printing. Mr. Curzon goes on to say that Panfilo Castaldi was born in
1398, and died in 1490, and that he gives the story as he found it in an
article written by Dr. Jacopo Facen, of Feltre, in a (Venetian?) newspaper
called Il Gondoliere, No. 103, of 27th December, 1843.
In a later paper Mr. Curzon thus recurs to the subject:[22]
"Though none of the early block-books have dates affixed to them, many
of them are with reason supposed to be more ancient than any books
printed with moveable types. Their resemblance to Chinese block-books is
so exact, that they would almost seem to be copied from the books
commonly used in China. The impressions are taken off on one side of
the paper only, and in binding, both the Chinese, and ancient German, or
Dutch block-books, the blank sides of the pages are placed opposite each
other, and sometimes pasted together.... The impressions are not taken
off with printer's ink, but with a brown paint or colour, of a much
thinner description, more in the nature of Indian ink, as we call it,
which is used in printing Chinese books. Altogether the German and
Oriental block-books are so precisely alike, in almost every respect,
that ... we must suppose that the process of printing then must have
been copied from ancient Chinese specimens, brought from that country by
some early travellers, whose names have not been handed down to our
times."
The writer then refers to the tradition about Guttemberg (so it is
stated on this occasion, not Faust) having learned Castaldi's art, etc.,
mentioning a circumstance which he supposes to indicate that Guttemberg
had relations with Venice; and appears to assent to the probability of the
story of the art having been founded on specimens brought home by Marco
Polo.
![The Travels Of Marco Polo - Volume 1 Of 2 By Marco Polo And Rustichello Of Pisa
- Then following the
northern coast Balor Regio,[18] Judei Clausi, i.e. the Ten Tribes who
are constantly associated or - Page 100](../images/travel.jpg)
