Aloysius Cesanis

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      Signor Aloysius Cesanis, an Italian cartographer, drafted this map in 1574. He based it on the work of Portuguese map makers for the western portion of the map. The eastern part from the Red Sea to the southern tip of India is mostly hypothesis.
     The design for the stamp was adapted from a German copy of the original titled Carte S. Aloysius Cesanis 1574 nach dem original Tafel XXVIII Biblio Natl Paris. Cesanis is best known for his manuscript sea-atlas of the Mediterranean produced in 1581.
     Vasco Da Gama sighted the Seychelles on his second voyage to India and is credited with being the first European discoverer of the islands. The Portuguese called them As Sete Irmas, the Seven Sisters. Major islands on the map are S. Laurent, Madagascar, and Taprabana, Java. The small landmass in the lower right hand corner was meant to represent the northwestern corner of Australia. Senhor Jaime Cortesão claimed that Portuguese navigators had landed on Australia in 1522.

SCN 270

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