JAVE-LA-GRANDE.

THE FIRST MAP OF AUSTRALIA.
The maps that I am going to describe in this chapter are beautiful specimens of medieval work; they are, however, somewhat startling, for they reveal, in a most unexpected and sudden manner, nearly the whole of the coasts of Australia discovered, yet, without any narrative of voyage to prepare us for the fact.
They stand alone, therefore, as the most important documents hitherto come to light bearing on the early discovery and mapping of Australia.
They belong to a type of manuscript Lusitano-French, or Lusitano-Spanish planispheres, which is represented by several specimens, all of which are copies from a prototype which has either been destroyed or has not yet been found.
As the original model, or prototype, is of a date anterior to 1536, they may be considered collectively notwithstanding the apparent later date of some of them.* [* Desliens' bears the date 1566; see pages 70-71.] The Australian portion, or Jave-la-Grande, of the oldest one, given here first, is taken from a large chart of the world, on a plane scale, painted on vellum, 8ft.2in.by 3ft.10in., highly ornamented with figures, etc., and with the names in French.
At the upper corner, on the left hand, is a shield of the arms of France, with the collar of St.Michael; and on the right, another shield of France and Dauphiny, quarterly.

It was probably executed in the time of Francis I.of France, for his son, the Dauphin, afterwards Henry II.; hence, this chart has sometimes been called the "Dauphin Chart."* [* Another of these planispheres, belonging to the same French School of Cartography, was presented to Henry II.

of France.

About that time a movement was set on foot for the colonisation of the Great Southern Continent, or Jave-la-Grande.