So
Early As The Year 1250, The Portuguese Had Succeeded In Driving The Moors
Out Of Their Country; And, In
Order to prevent them from again disturbing
them, they in their turn invaded Fez and Morocco, and having conquered
Ceuta
In 1415, fortified it, and several harbours near it, on the shores of
the Atlantic. So zealous were the Portuguese in their enterprizes against
the Moors, that the ladies of Lisbon partook in the general enthusiasm, and
refused to bestow their hand on any man who had not signalized his courage
on the coast of Africa, The spirit of the nation was largely participated
by Prince Henry, the fifth son of John I., king of Portugal, who took up
his residence near Cape St. Vincent, in the year 1406. The sole passion and
object of his mind was to further the advancement of his country in
navigation and discovery: his regard for religion led him to endeavour to
destroy or diminish the power of the Mahometans; and his patriotism to
acquire for Portugal that Indian commerce, which had enriched the maritime
states of Italy. He sought every means and opportunity by which he could
increase or render more accurate his information respecting the western
coast, and the interior of Africa: and it is probable that the relations of
certain Jews and Arabs, respecting the gold mines of Guinea, weighed
strongly with him in the enterprizes which he planned, encouraged, and
accomplished.
It is not true, however, that he was the inventor of the astrolobe and the
compass, or the first that put these instruments into the hands of
navigators, though he undoubtedly was an excellent mathematician, and
procured the best charts and instruments of the age:
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 521 of 1007
Words from 142377 to 142662
of 273188
