The Importation Of This Gold, And The Establishment
Of The African Company In Portugal, To Continue The Remark Of The
Same
author, is the primary date, to which we may refer that turn for adventure
which sprung up in Europe,
Which pervaded all the ardent spirits in every
country for the two succeeding centuries, and which never ceased till it
had united the four quarters of the globe in commercial intercourse.
In 1445, the Portuguese reached Senegal, where they first saw Pagan
negroes: in 1448 and 1449, their discoveries extended to Cape Verd. The
islands of that name were discovered in 1456. The exact extent of their
discoveries from this time till 1463, when Prince Henry died, is not
certainly known. According to some, Cape Verd, or Rio Grande, was the
limit; according to others, one navigator reached as far as the coast of
Guinea, and Cape Mesanado: some extend the limit even as far south as the
equator. Assuming, however, Rio Grande as the limit of the discoveries made
in Prince Henry's time, Rio Grande is in latitude 11 north, and the straits
of Gibraltar in latitude 36 north; the Portuguese had therefore advanced 25
degrees to the south; that is 1500 geographical, or 1750 British miles,
which, with the circuit of the coast, may be estimated at 2000 miles.
For nearly 20 years after the death of Prince Henry, little progress was
made by the Portuguese in advancing to the south. At the time of the death
of Alonzo, in 1481, they had passed the equator, and reached Cape St.
Catherine; in latitude S. 2 deg. 30'. The island of St. Thomas under the line,
which was discovered in 1471, was immediately planted with sugar cane; and
a fort, which was built the same year on the gold coast, enabled them to
extend their knowledge of this part of Africa to a little distance inland.
Portugal now began to reap the fruits of her discoveries: bees' wax,
ostrich feathers, negro slaves, and particularly gold, were imported, on
all of which the profits were so great, that John II., who succeeded
Alonzo, immediately on his accession, sent out 12 ships to Guinea; and in
1483, two other vessels were sent, which in the following year reached
Congo, and penetrated to 22 deg. south. The river Zaire in this part of Africa
was discovered, and many of the inhabitants of the country through which it
flows embarked voluntarily for Portugal. Benin was discovered about the
same time; here they found a species of spice, which was imported in great
quantities into Europe, and sold as pepper: it was, however, nothing else
but grains of paradise. The inhabitants of Benin must have had considerable
traffic far into the interior of Africa, for from them the Portuguese first
received accounts of Abyssinia. By the discovery and conquest of Benin and
Congo, the Portuguese traffic in slaves was much extended, but at the same
time it took another character for a short time; for the love of gold being
stronger than the hope of gain they might derive from the sale of negroes,
(for which, indeed, till the discovery of the West Indies there was little
demand,) the Portuguese used to exchange the natives they captured for gold
with the Moors, till John II. put an end to this traffic, under the
pretence that by means of it, the opportunity of converting the negroes was
lost, as they were thus delivered into the hands of Infidels. About eighty
years after Prince Henry began his discoveries, John I. sent out Diaz with
three ships: this was in 1486, and in the following year Covilham was sent
by the same monarch in search of India, by the route of Egypt and the Red
Sea.
The king displayed great judgment in the selection of both these persons.
Diaz was of a family, several members of which had already signalized
themselves by the discoveries on the coast of Africa. His mode of
conducting the enterprize on which he was sent, proved at once his
confidence in himself, his courage, and his skill; after reaching 24 deg. south
latitude, 120 leagues beyond any former navigator, he stood right out to
sea, and never came within sight of the coast again, till he had reached 40
degrees to the eastward of the Cape, which, however, he was much too far
out at sea to discover. He persevered in stretching still farther east,
after he made land, till at length he reached the river Del Infante, six
degrees to the eastward of the most southern point of Africa, and almost a
degree beyond the Cape of Good Hope. He then resolved to return, for what
reason is not known; and on his return, he saw the Cape of Good Hope, to
which, on account of the storms he encountered on his passage round it, he
gave the appellation of Cabo Tormentoso. John II., however, augured so well
from the doubling of the extremity of Africa having been accomplished, that
he changed its name into that of the Cape of Good Hope.
As soon as John II. ascended the throne, he sent two friars and a layman to
Jerusalem, with instructions to gain whatever information they could
respecting India and Prester John from the pilgrims who resorted to that
city, and, if necessary, to proceed further to the east. As, however, none
of this party understood Arabic, they were of little use, and in fact did
not go beyond Jerusalem. In 1487, the king sent Covilham and Paayva on the
same mission: the former had served in Africa as a soldier, and was
intimately acquainted with Arabic. In order to facilitate this enterprise,
Covilham was entrusted with a map, drawn up by two Jews, which most
probably was a copy of the map of Mauro, of which we have already spoken.
On this map, a passage round the south of Africa was laid down as having
been actually accomplished, and Covilham was directed to reach Abyssinia,
if possible; and ascertain there or elsewhere, whether such a passage did
really exist.
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