Lequeo Pequeno與Formosa──十六世紀歐洲繪製地圖對臺灣海域的描繪及其轉變

Abstract

本文討論十六世紀歐洲人繪製的地圖如何描繪臺灣島？以及臺灣島與Lequeo Peque?o（小琉球）、Formosa這兩個地名概念的關係。透過分析十六世紀歐洲繪製地圖，對於臺灣周遭海域的描繪方式及命名異同，本文認為在1540年代以前，歐洲人逐漸認知Lequeo（琉球）群島的存在，這是他們對臺灣附近海域認識的開始；到了1540年代以後，他們認為此一海域有大、小琉球島群，但對這些島群的分布、相對位置、島嶼大小和名稱，各有不同的看法，略可區分為四種類型：Mercator型、Homem型、Ortelius型、Dourado型地圖。其次，探討這些地圖中，有關Lequeo Peque?o、Formosa這兩個地名概念意涵的前後變化。本文指出，十六、十七世紀歐洲繪製地圖對臺灣海域的認識，存在階段性的不同，十六世紀屬於「模糊多島」的地理概念；到了十七世紀時，因新的海權力量介入，才轉為「單一大島」的認識。上述變化顯現了葡萄牙王國在東亞海域勢力的建立與消退，以及十七世紀荷蘭聯合東印度公司在東亞海域擴張，對東亞局部地理知識建構的影響。

This paper examines how Europeans depicted Taiwanese waters in maps and charts in the sixteenth century and early seventeenth century. Those maps and charts constitute important record of European knowledge about East Asia in the sixteenth century. In this paper, the author focuses on two toponyms: "Lequeo Peque?o" and "Formosa", explaining the origins and usage of the two terms. By analyzing the toponyms and the respective drawing styles, we can categorize these European maps and charts into four groups: Mercator type, Homem type, Ortelius type, and Dourado type. While these charts reflected contemporary ideas and new discoveries of the sixteenth century, European perceptions of Taiwanese waters, e.g., the location of "Lequeo Peque?o" and "Formosa", were obscure and confused. The diversity of European "local knowledge" and charts didn't change until the Dutch East India Company (VOC) entered Taiwanese waters in 1620s. They then conducted a survey and mapped of Taiwanese waters, in the process of which the VOC only discovered one big island which they named "Formosa" or "Pacan". Such a discovery turned out to be a striking advance in European map-making. Furthermore, it signaled the end of Portuguese marine activities, with the VOC emerging as the new force to define seventeenth-century geography of the waters surrounding Taiwan, and East Asia in general.