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WHERE ON LATITUDE 15* 15**?
If you haven't already
done so download the chart from this link Skeleton
Island Right click on the link and choose open in new
window. You will need this to refer to.
As you can see the
chart has Lat. d. md written in the bottom left corner, charts
of the period, also use small case Roman numerals, these however
are normally preceded by figures to denote latitude. The chart
does have soundings, these, curiously, are in normal numeric,
leading me to believe that the latitude is written in a code!
How? Simple logic really! "d" in Roman numerals represents
500, there is no such latitude. So "d" must mean something
else. Using a small magnifying glass I scanned the letters
"d.md". A number of differences were evident.
The first "d" was
a little larger than the second, the curl of this "d" also
failed to touch the vertical stem of the letter. Whereas the
second and smaller "d" appeared normal, could the first "d"
possibly represent "cl" Assuming this to be so, then the latitude
now reads 150. 1500. Again there is no such latitude. But
wait a minute, which number is never shown, only inferred
in Roman. The zero. The latitude could now be interpreted
as 15. 15. That is 15 degrees 15 minutes, possibly. Assuming
latitude 15*15**, where? North, South, East or West..
Maybe the compass
can throw a little light on the problem, although it appears
to be drawn rather strangely! The pictures show what happens
when lines are drawn from the southern most point, touching
the East West axis, this forms a segment of 15 degrees.
I believe one
method of fixing latitude in the period, related to the angle
of the sun to the horizon, there was also mention of the Tropics
where 1 hour is linked to 15 degrees (curious). The picture
you see here clearly shows that when a true 90 degree angle
is made with the East -West axis, the original pointer shows
slightly West of true North. Strange! Perhaps what we are
looking at is a magnetic
compass bearing. This deflection, when measured, reveals
a deflection of 1.25 degrees West of North. Please bear this
in mind. The compass in its drawn position, gives the impression
that the island lays mostly to the North East of it, being
the East West axis, with a direction from the South. This
could mean that the island was situated North East of the
equator. It could also mean nothing. I needed another fixed
point. The top left of the chart, bear the words "MAR DEL",
this is also common on charts of the period and relates
to almost any ocean! I need another fixed point.
Top left of the chart are the
words, "Cayse Blanco", these letters are drawn in line on
an acute angle, as if to infer direction! There are a number
of places named, "Cayse Blanco scattered around the planet.
One in particular caught my interest as it is a point on
the Northwest coast of Africa! A point well known to any
navigator, who sailed on the nations of Europe's East Indiamen,
in fact most ocean going navigators of the period were aware
of its position. Click the thumbnail above for the exact
position of Cayse Blanco.
The possibilities
so far: The island may lay on latitude 15* 15**, this could
be north east of the equator, in, "MAR DEL NORTE" the north
east sea or ocean showing a magnetic compass variation of
1.25 degrees in the year 1669.The only island group laying
on latitude 15* 15** in the northeast Atlantic are the Cape
Verdis. The islands in the group, which lay on 15* 15** are
Santiago and Maio. Coincidently when a line is drawn from
Cayse Blanco, to the Northeast tip of Maio, the angle of the
letters on the chart match it exactly.
More convincing
is the fact that I contacted the geomagnetic centre, based
in Edinburgh, asking if it would be possible to work out the
magnetic variation for the Cape Verdi group in the year 1669.
I was informed that until as late as 1970, it would be very
difficult if not impossible, to calculate that far back, adding
that when the chart first surfaced in Wilkins' book in 1935,
it would have been almost impossible to calculate. The Geomagnetic
office got back to me with the information, "the magnetic
compass variation for 1669 for the Cape Verdi group was 1.25
degrees west of north". The coincidences between the chart
and Cape Verdi were growing
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