The Isle of the Amazons: A Marvel of Travellers

Abstract

His design left its impression upon his contemporaries. It was still used in 1631 by the prolific publisher, Matthias Merian, as an illustration of Johann Ludwig Gottfried's account of the New World (Historia Antipodum oder newe Welt, p. 243). But its influence was not restricted to this sort of exploration and history book. It found its way even into a treatise of the Linn6 of the sixteenth century, the Ornithologia of Ulisse Aldrovandi (Pl. 33b). It is true, Aldrovandi classes the roc under the 'Fabulous Birds' without rejecting altogether the possibility of the bird's existence. He accepts tale quale the design of Stradanus and bases on it his ornithological criterion: "rostrum columbinum potius, quam Aquilinum ostendit".1 In Stradanus's engraving allegorical relations, mythology, and marvels are in the foreground although we could show that he intends to illustrate faithfully Pigafetta's report. It is this mediaeval passion for miracles and prodigies whichcaused him to depict the roc ; for actually the bird has no part in the idea of the engraving : the illustration of the discovery of the east-west straits. Of course, the roc has a number of other characteristics besides his power to overcome the elephant. The most remarkable of these features which adhere to him wherever he is mentioned from China to Greece is perhaps the report that the sun is darkened when he appears. This leads into old and deeply rooted ideas about the significance of shade, ideas which we find still alive in Christian shape in the fourteenth century. Fazio degli Ubertis in speaking of Jerusalem, says : Dove fu in croce il nostro Pelicano, Quel di che obscur6 il sol con li altri lumi.