Page:Legendaryislands00babcuoft.djvu/200

 182 BUSS ISLAND AND OTHERS another way by their Italian names, for Daculi seems capable of that derivation, "culla" being "cradle" in that language, plural "culli," easily modified to "culi" by careless speech or writing. The introductory preposition "da" in one use has an especial relation to nativity; thus Zuan da Napoli means John born at Naples, that is John of Naples in this sense. The blending of preposition and noun in one word, "Daculi," is no more than sometimes hap- pened on the maps to the article and noun "Li Conigi," the Rabbit Island, making it "Liconigi," now long known as Flores. This explanation would interpret Daculi as the "Island of the Cradles," or "Cradle Island." Some other derivation may indeed possibly be as defensible; but it should be borne in mind that Italian traders ranged very early up and down the Irish coast, and that name would curiously coincide with the tradition at least after- ward current concerning the island. To review a few later but still very early maps : Dulcert, I339, 16 shows some irrelevant changes farther north and east; but his Hebridean islands repeat very nearly the form given them by Dalorto (believed by many to be the same man), and there is no significant change in Bra or Daculi, though the first syllable of the latter becomes Di. The Atlante Mediceo, of I35I, 17 makes more changes than Dul- cert among these islands and leaves unnamed the one which by position seems meant for Bra, or Barra. Daculi is largely ex- panded and named Insul Dach indistinctly. The Pizigani map of I367 18 (Fig. 2) modifies many names. Daculi becomes Insuldacr in one word; but its place remains nearly as in Dalorto's map, though most of the other islands are drawn closer to Ireland, so that Bra is nearly stranded thereon. A line of inscription seems to relate to Bra "Ich sont ysula qu [possibly pronominal abbreviation] abitabi hono quo morit may." Perhaps Nordenskiold, Periplus, PI. 8. 17 Theobald Fischer: Sammlung mittelalterlicher Welt- und Seekarten italieni- schen Ursprungs, i vol. of text and 17 portfolios containing photographs of maps, Venice, 1877-86; reference in Portfolio 5 (Facsimile del Portolano Laurenziano- Gaddiano dell' anno 1351), PI. 4. 18 [E. F.] Jomard: Les monuments de la geographic, ou recueil d'ancicnntb cartes europeennes et orientales. . . . Paris, [1842-62], PI. X, i.