First knowledge of an eastern ocean beyond Cathay 278

The data were thus prepared for Columbus; but as yet nobody
reasoned from these data to a practical conclusion 279

The Polo brothers 280

Kublai Khan's message to the Pope 281

Marco Polo and his travels in Asia 281, 282

First recorded voyage of Europeans around the Indo-Chinese
peninsula 282

Return of the Polos to Venice 283

Marco Polo's book, written in prison at Genoa, 1299;
its great contributions to geographical knowledge 284, 285

Prester John 285

Griffins and Arimaspians 286

The Catalan map, 1375 288, 289

Other visits to China 287-291

Overthrow of the Mongol dynasty, and shutting up of China 291

First rumours of the Molucca islands and Japan 292

The accustomed routes of Oriental trade were cut off in the
fifteenth century by the Ottoman Turks 293

Necessity for finding an "outside route to the Indies" 294

CHAPTER IV.

THE SEARCH FOR THE INDIES.

_EASTWARD OR PORTUGUESE ROUTE._

Question as to whether Asia could be reached by sailing
around Africa 295

Views of Eratosthenes 296

Opposing theory of Ptolemy 297

Story of the Phoenician voyage in the time of Necho 298-300

Voyage of Hanno 300, 301

Voyages of Sataspes and Eudoxus 302

Wild exaggerations 303

Views of Pomponius Mela 304, 305

Ancient theory of the five zones 306, 307

The Inhabited World, or Oecumene, and the Antipodes 308

Curious notions about Taprobane (Ceylon) 309

Question as to the possibility of crossing the torrid zone 309

Notions about sailing "up and down hill"