Universitätsbibliothek Freiburg i. Br., J 4554,d
Ravenstein, Ernst Georg
Martin Behaim: his life and his globe
London
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Bibliographische Information
Startseite des Bandes
Alte Drucke und Autorensammlungen

  (z. B.: IV, 145, xii)



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— 88 —

Nekuran—(Necuveban).

Neueuocan Insula (J 24 s), neucuran of the legend,
Pipino's Necuran, the Necuveran of other versions, is
generally identified with one of the Nikobar Islands, and
is undoubtedly the Nicoveran of Odorico of Pordenone,
the inhabitants of which have dog-faces like those of
Marco Polo's Angaman. This identification I accept.
Prof. G. Schlegel (' Problemes Geographiques,' No. 16)
identifies it with Nakur of the Chinese, that is Sumatra,
the inhabitants of which are similarly described as having
dog-faces.

Islands op the Satyrs.

jm dritten buch von marco polo am
20 capittel Jindet man ge/chrieben daft
die/e Jnsel neucuran genant ligt bey
150 wel/che meil von der jn/el Java
maior und in derfelben jn/el wach/en
die mu/cati zimeth negel vajl nil auch
findt da/elb/l wdldt von lautter fandel-
hola und von allerlei specerey (J 10 s).

In the third book of Marco Polo
chapter 20, it is stated that this
island Neucuran is at a distance of
150 Italian miles from the Island
Java major, and that nutmegs,
cinnamon and cloves grow plentifully
in that island, and that there
are forests of sandal wood and of
various spices.

Pipino's version of Marco Polo is correctly quoted.

hie iji gefunden toorden zu Johan
de Mandavilla zeiten ein Jn/el mil
voile die allegleich hundtshaupt hetten
und da mag man den meerjlem der
bey uns grheiffen iji polut arcticus nit
/t hen di da faren auf dem moer die
muffen nach dem aftrolabio fegeln
dann der compaff nit zaigt (H 33 s).

Here was discovered in the time
of John de Mandavilla an island
inhabited by men having dogs'
heads, and there the Sea-star, called
Polus Arcticus by us, is not visible,
and those navigating the sea must do
so with the help of the astrolabe, for
the compass does not point (see p. 14).

Friar Odorico, c. 24, describes the inhabitants of
Nicoveran as having dogs' faces; Mandeville, c. 18,
improving upon this, gives them dogs' heads.

The second part of the legend refers to a superstition
of the Middle Ages, according to which the magnet failed
to point to the north as soon as the lodestar sank below
the horizon. Marco Polo (I 1) and Nicolo Conti merely
state that the compass is unknown to the sailors in the
Indian Ocean.

Angaman.

Angaman Insula (K 85 s), one of the Andaman
Islands.

ritroni (ridrani of Jom and Ghil).

Im lezten buch marco polo im 16
capitel findt man ge/chrieben daf» da/
volckh in diser jnsul angama genant
hab hundts haupt augen und zdhn
gleich vie die hundte und dag es va/i
unge/lalt leutt /alien /ein und wildt
wan /y va/l lieber men/chen flai/ch
e/sen dan ander flai/ch den rei/s e/sen
fy an brot Jlatt mil milch geJcocht /y
petten apgotter an und haben allerley
specerey faji nil die bey jnen teach/en
und frucht die den friichten in un/ern
landten va/l ungleich /alien /ein.

This information is taken from Ramusio's version,
III. 18.

In the last book of Marco Polo in
the 16th chapter it is written that
the people of this island Angama
have heads, eyes and teeth like
dogs, and are much mis-shapen,
and savage, for they prefer human
flesh to other flesh. They eat rice
cooked in milk instead of bread,
worship idols, and various kinds of
spices abound <. tb« island, and
fruits said to be very different from
the fruits of our country.

die in die/en Jn/eln wonen habe
fchwenz gleich die thier uiie ptholo-
meus /chreibt in der ailfften tafel von
a/ia (I 42 s).

Those who live in these islands
have tails like animals, as described
by Ptolemy on tab. XI. of Asia
(lib. VII., o. 2).

These are Ptolemy's " Satyrorum Insulae tres"
" quarum incolae caudas habere dicuntur," at the opening
of the Sinus Magnus (China Sea). They may be the
Anamba Islands.

Candvn.

Insula Candyn (L 25 s).

di/e jn/el candyn mit /ambt den
andern jn/ulen /o java minor und
angama und neucuran pentham seilan
mit sambt der hohenjndia Sant thomas
landt ligen /o va/l gegen mittag da/s
der polus articus da/elb/l mimmer mer
mag ge/ehen werden aber /y/ehen ein
ander gejlirn geheif/en aniarcticus,
da/s macht da/s da//elb landt ligt
rechtfu/s gegon fu/s gegen un/er landt
iiber und teen wir tag haben /o haben
/y nacht und /o uns die Son undergeht
/o haben /y jren tag, und das halb
thail des ge/lirns das under uns i/l
das wir nit /ehen das /ehen /y, da/s
macht da/s alles da/s die welt mit
/ambt dem wa//er von rondter formb
von Got ge/chafen i/l /o be/chreibt
Johannes de Mandavilla den lies in
/ein buck am dritten theil /einer
moerfahrt.

Candyn is usually identified with Odorico's Dondin or
Duarte Barbosa's Dandon (Andam). Dr. Hamy (' Etudes,'
p. 162) identifies this island with Ombira, S. of the
Moluccas; Romanet du Caillaud with the Philippine
Islands; and A. Gurame (' Le Dondin et les Philippines,'
Bare, 1897) with Ceylon or one of the Sunda Islands.
On the Genoese Pitti Palace Map (1457) we read that a
monster fish was taken in the Indian Ocean, at Candia,
and taken to Venice. May not this Candia be identified
with Candyn ?

The Magnetic Islands.

This island Candyn, together with
the other islands, Java minor,
Angama Neucuran, Pentham and
Seilan, together with High India,
the country of St. Thomas, are
situated so far to the south that the
Polus Arcticus is no longer visible.
They see, however, another star
called Antarcticus. This is because
this country lies foot against foot
with respect to our land, and when
it is day with us they have night,
and when the Sun sets with us they
have their day, and that half of the
stars, which are beneath us, and not
visible to us, are visible to them.
All this is because God has created
the world together with the water
of a round shape, as described by
Johannes de Mandavilla in the
third part of his voyage (C 17).

di/er jn/ell /indt zehen gehai/en
maniole da/elb/l mag Jcain/chifffaren
das ei/en an hat umb de/s magnet
willen der da/elb/l wech/l (K 5 s).

There are ten of these islands
called Maniole. No ship having
iron in it dare navigate near them
because of the magnet which is
found there.

Ptolemy (VII. 2) has " Maniolae insulae decim, quarum
incolae sunt anthropophagi, in his gignitur magnes."
These Magnet Islands of Ptolemy, however, are placed in
the Sinus Gangeticus, whilst Behaim's legend is shifted to
the east of the mainland.

On fabulous Magnet Rocks, to be dreaded by
mariners, because on approaching them the iron nails flew
out, and the ship fell to pieces, see Peschel's essay in
* Abhandlungen zur Erd- und Volkerkundes,' Leipzig, 1877,
p. 44.


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