Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 6.djvu/507

 ii s. vi. NOV. 23, 1912.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

419

Mr. Hasleden some years ago in his ' Memorials of Smarden ' published tran- scriptions of all the inscriptions in the church and churchyard of Smarden, co. Kent. R. VAUGHAX GOWER.

Ferndale Lodge, Tunbridge Wells.

Jlofcs on 1B00ks,

Book of the Knowledge of all the Kingdoms, Lands and Lordships that are in the World. Written by a Spanish Franciscan in the Middle of the Fourteenth Century. Translated and edited by Sir Clements Markham. (Hakluyt Society.)

THIS curious work first published in 1877, edited by Marcos Jimenez. de la Espada is to be found at Madrid, in three manuscript codices of which the best is in the National Library. The date must be about 1360 or not later ; for the flag of Majorca is given with the bars differenced from the bars of Aragon, which indicates that the annexation of Majorca by Aragon (1375) had not yet taken place. The work is quoted in a book of information concerning the coast of Africa compiled for Bethencourt the explorer in 1404. Was the good friar a traveller, or merely a com- piler ? The latter has been by many scholars rather hastily assumed to be the case ; but recently, upon a closer examination of the ques- tion, What could be compile from ? a more favourable opinion of him has grown up. His own work is itself one of the very earliest on geography : and even where his accounts are difficult to follow the information they contain seems clearly first-hand. The present work is principally a translation of that of Espada, who made many researches with the object of finding out the author's name without success.

The journey starts from Castille, and of every kingdom, principality, or city that possesses one, the friar to the number of 94 in all notes and depicts the flag. By " Bayona " across the Pyrenees to " Tolosa," he fares through France into Flanders and Germany, taking there a devious course, now northwards to the "kingdom Dacia of the Danes," now south-eastwards into Bohemia and Poland, then back again to Sweden and Norway. From Tille (Telemarken) " we came to the island of Escocia, and found in it four [sic] cities, one called Donfres (Dumfries), another Eneruic (Edinburgh), another Veruic (Berwick). The King of this Escocia has for his device a red flag with three long lions of gold." This, as the English editor remarks, is substituting the arms of England for those of Scotland ; perhaps i because the traveller chanced to see on a flag the arms of King David's English queen. " I departed," the friar continues, " from the land of Escocia and came to the kingdom of Ingla-
 * terra. Know that it is a very well populated

I country, and that it contains eleven great cities. ' The largest, where they crown their King, is called I Londres, and another Gunsa (? Windsor )where there iampton), others Bristol, Artamua (? Dartmouth), jPremua (Plymouth), and Miraforda (Milford). I In a province they call Gales there is a great city [called Dirgales which is a lordship of Inglaterra.
 * are the general studies, another Antona (South-

The King of those lands has for his arms on a flag quarterly, in two quarters fleurs de lys gold on a field azure, because the King is of the house of France, and in the other two quarters in each one on a field gules three ounces gold. I left Inglaterra in a boat and reached the island of Irlanda, which is a short crossing of a mile. They say that formerly it was called Ibernia. Know that it is a well peopled island with a good climate, and that there are three [sic] great cities in it. The chief one, where they crown the kings, is Estan- forda, the others Ymeria (Limerick), Cataforda, Rois, and Donbelin. In this island there is a great lake, and they say that the lake brings good fortune, because many enchantments were made on its banks in ancient times. ..."

Next he goes to Iceland (which a copyist confuses with Ireland), and then "so far over the western sea " that he comes back to Spain again, and thence to the south of France and Italy. From yenice he penetrates into Hungary and all the neighbouring parts, and then to Greece the Morea and outlying island states and to Turkey. Next comes the turn of the lands round the eastern head of the Mediterranean. He passes through Syria and visits Jerusalem with- out any expression of emotion going southwards to Egypt, and westwards from city to city/jf North Africa. Here he becomes adventurous, and we enter upon the really important part of his work : he journeys " over the Zahara " and down to Senegal, where he tells us of the Rio del Oro with the " Kingdom of Guynoa " upon its banks the Senegal. He seems to have stayed some time in Sierra Leone, and then to have crossed into the Sudan and Senegambia, describing this region as a place of many delights. Thi was breaking new ground as far as European geography was concerned. Next coming upon the Nile, he takes it for the Euphrates, and finds out the Christians of Nubia and Ethiopia and Prester John. He makes inquiry for the terres- trial paradise, thought to be not far off, consisting, he is told, of mountains so high they come near to reach the moon, which has never been seen but of three men, and of no man ever ascended ; and men see it now in one quarter and now in another. Here they tell him of the four rivers- which come out of the very deep seas which sur- round the mountains of Paradise rivers whose rushing is so loud that it can be heard at a distance of twe days' journey, and makes the inhabitants of the country deaf.

Soon after we find our friar in Asia, travelling; with merchants " for a very great distance " to- Delhi whence he arrives at a province called India the sandy (Sind and Rajputana), where there are " wise people with good memories,, and learned in all kinds of knowledge." By Oxanap (? Burmah) and Armalec (? Bengal) he comes to the empire of Catayo which is "the end of the face of the earth in the line of Spain " ; and the land of the " Grand Can, lord of the East." What follows is by far the most interesting part of the itinerary, but we must forbear to quote it here. It is, of course,, impossible to distinguish what the searcher has- seen with his own eyes from what he accepted on hearsay ; he tells tales like some of those in Herodotus of strange beings dwelling in strange parts of the earth ; and he professes to have stayed in the castle of Magog. There is little or