referred to is one of Hispaniola, in the same volume, and was undoubtedly taken from that of Nuno Garcia, in the possession of Peter Martyr.  It was therefore made in or before the year 1526, since Martyr died in that year.  The map of America, by the pilot of the emperor at Seville, was probably the anonymous map of 1527 before mentioned, as it appears not to have had the name of the author upon it.  These facts prove at least that the map of Ribero was in Italy in the year 1529, and that the map of 1527 may have been there before that year.

It was from the delineation of the coast on one or other of these two maps, which are in that respect almost identically the same, that the description of it in the Verrazzano letter was derived.  This will now be made manifest by the application of that description to the map of Ribero, so much of which as is necessary, is here reproduced for that purpose.

In making the proof thus proposed, it is to be borne in mind that the letter is positive and explicit as to the extent and limits of the discovery or exploration which it describes.  It fixes them by three different modes which prove each, other:  1.  By giving the latitude of the commencement and termination of the voyage along the coast; 2.  By a declaration in two different forms of the entire distance run, and 3.  By a statement of intermediate courses and distances, from point to point, between the landfall and the place of leaving the coast, separately, making in the aggregate the whole distance named.  There can be therefore no mistake as to the meaning of the writer in respect of the extent of the exploration.

As to its limits and extent, we have already had occasion to quote his language in impressing upon Francis the great length of the voyage; giving both at the same time:  “In the voyage,” he says, “which we made by order of your majesty, in addition to the 92 degrees which we ran towards the west from our point of departure, before we reached land in latitude 34, we have to count 300 leagues which we ran northeastwardly and 400 nearly east, along the coast, before we reached the 50th parallel of north latitude, the point where we turned our course from the shore towards home.”  This distance is also mentioned in the total at the end of the voyage, where he says:  “finding our provisions and naval stores nearly exhausted, we took in wood and water, and determined to return to France, having discovered 700 leagues of unknown lands.”

The several courses and distances run are described in the letter, from point to point, as follows:  [Footnote:  The translation of Dr. Cogswell, in N.Y.  Hist.  Collections, is here used, somewhat condensed.]

First.  “We perceived that it (the land) stretched to the south and L. coasted along in that direction in search of some port in which we might come to anchor, and examine into the nature of the country, but for fifty leagues we could find none in which we could lie 50 securely.”