John Gould (1804-1881), Phaethornis Intermedius. Artists_John James Audubon Ascension described the land as

Ascension described the land as an island and around 1620 sketched maps to that effect

one of the most influential works of the 17th Century

It stretched from the Caspian Sea and the Ural Mountains all the way east to the northern Pacific Ocean

He married a rich widow but then became ensnared in expensive lawsuits

John Gould (1804-1881), Phaethornis Intermedius. Artists_John James Audubon Ascension described the land asJohn Gould (1804 1881) Phaethornis Intermedius (Middle sized Hermit) From A Monograph of the Trochilidae, or Family of Hummingbirds Published: London, 1849 61 (supplement printed 1880 87) Hand colored lithographs Paper size: approx. 21 x 14