Here is an interesting bit of triva brought up on another forum A map of Africa from 1394 (amazing when you think of forming such a view of a whole continent in that day and age) <http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/2446907.stm> a Chinese map from 1421: <http://www.1421.tv/pages/maps/1418.htm> Early maps for Sailing the World <http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/showpost.php?p=176839&postcount=20>