assi (quod Boream
respicit)," and again on p. 178, line 3.

[14] PAGE 4, LINE 2. Page 4, line 2. _Melphitani._--The inhabitants of
Amalfi in the kingdom of Naples. The claim of the discovery or invention of
the mariners' compass in the year 1302 by one Joannes Goia, or Gioia, also
named as Flavio Goia, has been much disputed. In Guthrie's _New System of
Modern Geography_ (London, 1792, p. 1036), in the Chronology, is set down
for the year 1302:

"The mariner's compass invented, or improved by Givia, of Naples. The
flower de luce, the arms of the Duke of Anjou, then King of Naples, was
placed by him at the point of the needle, in compliment to that prince."

In 1808 an elaborate treatise was printed at Naples, by Flaminius Venanson
with the title, _De l'invention de la Boussole Nautique_. Venanson, who
cites many authorities, endeavours to prove that if Gioia did not discover
magnetic polarity he at least invented the compass, that is to say, he
pivotted the magnetic needle and placed it in a box, with a card affixed
above it divided into sixteen parts bearing the names of the sixteen
principal winds. He alleges in proof that the compass-card is emblazoned in
the armorial bearings of the city of Amalfi. This view was combatted in the
famous letter of Klaproth to Humboldt publisht in Paris in 1834. He shows
that the use of the magnetized needle was known in Europe toward the end of
the twelfth century; that the Chinese knew of it and used it for finding
the way on land still earlier; that there is no compass-card in the arms of
the city of Amalfi; but he concedes that Gioia may have improved the
compass in 1302 by adding the wind-rose card. The most recent contributions
to the question are a pamphlet by Signorelli, _Sull' invenzione della
Bussola nautica, ragionamento di Pietro Napoli Signorelli, segretario
perpetuo della Societa Pontaniana; letto nella seduta del 30 settembre
1860_; Matteo Camera's _Memorie Storico-diplomatiche dell' antica citta e
ducato di Amalfi_ (Salerno, 1876); and Admiral Luigi Fincati's work _Il
Magnete, la Calamita, e la Bussola_ (Roma, 1878). An older mention of Gioia
is to be found in Blundevile's _Exercises_ (3rd edition, 1606, pp.
257-258). See also Crescentio _della Nautica Mediterranea_, (Roma, 1607, p.
253), and Azuni, _Dissertazione sull' origine della bussola nautica_
(Venezia, 1797). {9}

There appears to be a slip in Gilbert's reference to Andrea Doria, as he
has confounded the town