III. Transactions during the Government of Martin Alfonso de Sousa, from
1542 to 1543.
IV. Government of India by Don Juan de Castro, from 1545 to 1548.
V. Transactions of the Portuguese in India, from 1545 to 1564, under
several Governors.
VI. Continuation of the Portuguese Transactions in India, from 1564 to
the year 1571.
VII. Portuguese Transactions in India from 1571 to 1576.
CHAP. IV. SECT. VIII. Transactions of the Portuguese in Monomotapa,
from 1569 to the end of that separate government.
IX. Continuation of the Portuguese Transactions in India, from 1576 to
1581; when the Crown of Portugal was usurped by Philip II. of Spain on
the Death of the Cardinal King Henry.
X. Transactions of the Portuguese in India, from 1581 to 1597.
XI. Continuation of the Portuguese Transactions in India, from 1597 to
1612.
XII. Continuation of the Portuguese Transactions, from 1512 to 1517.
A GENERAL HISTORY AND COLLECTION OF VOYAGES AND TRAVELS.
PART II. BOOK II. CONTINUED.
CHAPTER XI.
EARLY ENGLISH VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY TO AMERICA.
INTRODUCTION.
Although we have already, in the Introduction to the _Second_ Chapter of
this Book, Vol. III. p. 346. given some notices of the voyages of John
and Sebastian Cabot to America in the service of Henry VII. and VIII. it
appears proper on the present occasion to insert a full report of every
thing that is now known of these early navigations: As, although no
immediate fruits were derived from these voyages, England by their means
became second only to Spain in the discovery of America, and afterwards
became second likewise in point of colonization in the New World. The
establishments of the several English colonies will be resumed in a
subsequent division of our arrangement.
It has been already mentioned that Columbus, on leaving Portugal to
offer his services to Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain for the discovery
of the Indies by a western course through the Atlantic, sent his brother
Bartholomew to make a similar offer to Henry VII. King of England, lest
his proposals might not have been listened to by the court of Spain.
Bartholomew, as has been formerly related, was taken by pirates; and on
his arrival in England was forced to procure the means of living, and of
enabling himself to appear before the king, by the construction and sale
of sea-charts and maps, in which he had been instructed by his brother.
Owing to this long delay, when he at length presented himself to King
Henry, and had even procured the acceptance of his brothers proposals,
so much time had been lost that Isabella queen of Castille had already
entered into the views of his illustrious brother, who had sailed on his
second voyage to the West Indies, while Bartholomew was on his journey
through France to announce to him that Henry King of England had agreed
to his proposals.
