ABSTRACT
Few of the maps drawn by explorers have come down to us from the Great Age of Discovery. The earliest Portuguese chart of the discoveries is dated conjecturally about 1471, after the return of Joao de Santarem and Pedro de Escobar, who had reached the Gold Coast. The oceanic discoveries were mapped by men who had learnt their craft in drawing pilot-charts of the Mediterranean and European coasts. The 15th century saw the emergence of the weatherly ship, in which oceanic voyages could be attempted with hope of return, greater knowledge of Atlantic winds and currents, and the application of navigational methods which enabled the pilot to determine his position. These technical developments, in which the Portuguese took the lead, enriched the content of maps by new discoveries and enabled cartographers to lay down positions and outlines with greater precision. Most of these cartographers were Venetians or worked at Venice.
