IntheAgeofExplorationcartographywasasmuchartasscience.Themenwhosat
overparchmentanddraftedthepicturesoftheexpandingworldwereabletodoafairly
accuratejobofdrawingEuropeandeventheneighboringseas.Astheymovedwesttothe
NewWorld,however,totheregionsthatweresoinflamingpeople’simaginations,they
mademostlyguesses.Whatwasthere?Gold?Fountainsofyouth?Theendoftheearth?
Demons?Thesizeofdistantcontinentstheysketchedwouldswellandshrinkaccordingto
whichaudiencetheythoughtmightbepurchasingtheircharts.InthefarawayPacific,they
paintedseamonsters,dragons,orgiantwhalestofillinwhattheydidnotactuallyknow.
Themorefancifulandfrighteningtheirmonsters,themoreexoticthegoldminesand
Indianstheydepicted,themoretheirmapsmightsell,andthegreatertheirreputations
ascartographersmightgrow.Sensationmadeforpopularmaps,thoughtheywerepoor
guidesforexplorationorunderstanding.
Journalismisourmoderncartograp