This is the oldest map of America, drawn by the Turkish Admiral Piri Reis in 1513. This site offers a an interesting look at the man, an Ottoman-era seaman who "was not content to secure for his country more powers and victories but left written works on the science of navigation, which have survived to this day." The guy was quite prolific and made stunning voyages, most of which have obviously been overshadowed by the more westernized mythos of European domination of the sixteenth-century seas. The site suffers a bit in the translation but it fascinating otherwise. From Reis' observations:
I. There is a kind of red dye called vakami, that you do not observe at first, because it is at a distance . . . the mountains contain rich ores. . . . There some of the sheep have silken wool. II. This country is inhabited. The entire population goes naked. III. This region is known as the vilayet of Antilia. It is on the side where the sun sets. They say that there are four kinds of parrots, white, red, green and black. The people eat the flesh of parrots and their headdress is made entirely of parrots' feathers. There is a stone here. It resembles black touchstone. The people use it instead of the ax. That it is very hard . . . [illegible]. jPe saw that stone.