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:
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