Preface from Matteo Ricci’s world map for passage to North Sea
By Mr. Lam Yee Din.
The following is to back up your information regarding passage to North Sea. This may be helpful for interpretation of 1418 world map.
There is a preface from Matteo Ricci’s world map as shown in the following internet address:
http://www2.library.tohoku.ac.jp/kano/ezu/kon/kon_frm_43.html
The preface is located beneath the arctic cycle line and just to west of Anian channal.( or below the yellow colour region. Inside the square between the bottom 2 lattitudes and the second and third longitudes from the left side. )
The same image( black and white colour only) can also be available from the following web address:
http://ddb.libnet.kulib.kyoto-u.ac.jp/exhibit/maps/map001/image/1/n1028004.html
Translated into English, the preface would be as follows:
” This location was said in ancient time as connected for two border lands. In present time it had been verified to be a great sea isolating from North Sea and navigatable to North Sea. ”
European explorers initially considered America and Asia were connected as Columbia misinterpreted America as part of Asia but they should not know where the location was connected.
Even thought some European historians mentioned that Dutch explorers had navigated this surrounding area in around as early as 1596, but it is just about 6 years before this Matteo Ricci’s world map was published, so it would not be quite possible for Matteo Ricci to acquire the knowledge from European source on the passage to North Sea.
For this reason, the above preface would suggest that Matteo Ricci had investigated some other sources, probably from Chinese ancient maps or documents for further knowledge on his world map.
