The existence of a Verrazano map in some form or other, as early as 1537, seems to be established by a letter of the commendatory, Annibal Caro, written in that year.  Caro, who became distinguished among his countrymen for his polite learning, was, in early life, secretary to the cardinal, M. de Gaddi, a Florentine, residing in Rome.  While thus engaged, he accompanied his patron on a journey to the mines of Sicily, and there, from Castro, addressed a playful letter to the members generally of the cardinal’s household, remaining at Rome.  In this letter, which is dated the 13th of October in that year, he writes to them:  “I will address sometimes one and sometimes another of you, as matters come into my mind.  To you, Verrazzano, a seeker of new Worlds and their marvels, I cannot yet say anything worthy of your map, because we have not passed through any country which has not been discovered by you or your brother.” [Footnote:  “De le lettre familiari des commendatore Annibal Caro,” vol. 1.  P. 6-7.  Venetia, 1581.] This passage was supposed by Tiraboschi to have been addressed to the navigator, and as proving that he was alive at the time the letter was written.  But we now know that Verrazzano had then been dead ten years; besides, it is not probable, inasmuch as the person addressed was one of the servants of the prelate, that the navigator would have occupied that position.  M. Arcangeli suggests that the name is used by Caro merely as a nom de guerre; [Footnote:  “Discorso sopra Giovanni da Verrazzano,” p. 27, in “Archivio Storico Italiano,” Appendice vol.  IX.] but in either case, whether borrowed or not, the remark plainly enough refers to a Verrazzano map, which may possibly have been the map of Hieronimo.

Hakluyt furnishes testimony which, if correct, shows the probable existence of this map before 1529, but not in its present form.  In the dedication to Phillip Sydney of his “Divers voyages touching the discoveries of America, &c.,” printed in 1582, he refers to the probabilities of the existence of a northwest passage, and remarks that, “Master John Verarzanus which had been THRISE on that coast in an olde excellent mappe, which he gave to King Henry the eight, and is yet in custodie of Master Locke, doth so lay it out as is to bee seene in the mappe annexed to the end of this boke, being made according to Verarzanus plat.”  Hakluyt thus positively affirms that the old map to which he refers was given by Verrazzano himself to the king.  What evidence he had of that fact he does not mention, but he speaks of the map as if it had been seen by him, and probably that was his authority.  The map he declares of his own knowledge was transferred, so far as regards the western strait, to the map of Lok, which he himself publishes.  Lok’s map represents the northwest passage as attempted by Frobisher in his several voyages,