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166 C&t&lina Yelculescu, V. Gtiruianu H

In fact, by the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th centuiy several versions were spread on "descoperirea a multor inp5.r5.tii.». care s-au aflat la portugali" (many empires belonging to the Portuguese) (ms. 3533 and 2004) and about “frumuse$ile istoriei a calatoriilor" (ms. Rom. B.A.R. 2573) (beauties of the history of travelling) copied probably in Mol-davia. In 1816, at Buda, the Romanian version of J. H. Kampe's Descopo-

rirea Ameńcii (Discovery of America) appeared with lists of prenumerants.

0 istorie a Ameńcii after W. Robertson (a copy dating from 1818— 1820) is preserved in the University Library Iassy ms III, 23.

Another description of a journey — the one madę by Joseph Delaporte on the Mediterranean Sea and the Eastern coasts — circulated in a Romanian version after a Russian intermediary text (ms. Rom. BAR 1376 of 1785; 3771 of 1788; 2992 of 1817).

Gherasim Clipa translated also from Delaporte Isłoria Ameńcii some-time in 1795—1800 (University Library Iassy, ms. IV, 17 and B.A.R. — Bu-charest, ms. Rom. 40) and A toata lumea caldtońe in 1785 (University Library Iassy, ms. IV, 18).

In a Gramałica a Fizicii (A Grammar of Naturę) copied about 1787 (Rom. ms. B.A.R. 1627) we find common knowledge with cosmographies; the contents of this Grammar of Naturę remind of the book called Filotera (ms. 1436, pg. 75—76^T) and Istoria omeneasca (Humań History; ms. 3104, pg. 19—21^T).

A remarkably modem book, Geografia noao (New Geography) in four tomes was copied in Moldavia for Iordache Darie Darmanescu in 1786 (ms. Rom. B.A.R. 2349 and ms. Rom. 121 in Arhivele Statului — Iassy).

Buffier's Geography was the source of Amfilohie Hotiniul's translation (printed in Iassy, in 1795) and it seems it inspired the version published in

Buda in 1814—1815. The contents of this geography book can also be found

in manuscripts dating from the beginning.of the 19th century (Rom. ms. B.A.R.

3593 ; 5275 ; 2771 — this latter belonged to Mihai Eminescu; B.C.U. Ia§i:

ms. I 8, III 2; Arh. St. łasi: ms. 121 — copied by Gherasim Clipa).

A closer examination is notewortliy for the manuscripts of the early years of the 19th century, such as Rom. ms. B.A.R. 3702, f. 58^v—62^v: ^l,Oa-recare pnpine adunatuń scoase din gheografie” (Few gatherings from Geography) containing data on Unicoms; also ms. 3922 (f. 121—123 — which contains only a fragment describing Asia; also ms. 5702, f. 55—60^v; 63—68) entitled Parole de mo$ie ce au dat Noe la fiii sai (The Lands Beąuenthed by Noah to His Sons) written in 1830 — 1835 (see Synopsis).

Another manuscript copied by 1802 is notable for the use of neologisms (Rom. ms. BAR 1152, f. 48—51^v) whereas in the few pages dated by the mid-dle of 19th century (rom. ms. 4725, f. 1—7) the tradition of very old cosmo-graphy (beginning with Asia and continuing with Africa and Europę) is strengthened.