Compare a 16th century map with a contemporary map, and note similarities. By recognizing the ways in which they are the same, you can use your knowledge of geography to make sense of a partially accurate 16th century map.
Translate Latin on the old map using your knowledge of English, but avoid false assumptions. While the Latin "Terra Avstralis" sounds a lot like "Australia," for example, it actually means "southern land." On 16th century maps, it usually refers to the continent Antarctica.
Read most capital letters appearing on the map as if they were lowercase, except when they are the first letters of proper nouns.
Note that the letter "U" does not appear in Latin script. "V" replaces "U." For instance, read the word "svnt" as "sunt," which means "to be."
Ignore the legend "Hc Svnt Dracones," a Latin phrase meaning "Here be dragons." Sixteenth century cartographers did not literally believe in dragons or sea monsters. Rather, they revived "Hic Svnt Leones," a phrase found in Roman and medieval European maps that means "Here be lions." Cartographers used the phrases to show they lacked knowledge of a portion of their map.
