Including The Voyages Of Cada Mosto And Pedro De Cintra, Which Have Been
Already Detailed, As Possibly Within The Period
Which elapsed between the
death of Don Henry in 1463, and King Alphonzo, which latter event took
place on the
28th August 1481, and the detached fragments of discovery
related in the present Section, we have been only able to trace a faint
outline of the uncertain progress of Portuguese discovery during that
period of eighteen years, extending, as already mentioned, to Cape St
Catherine and the island of Annobon. A considerable advance, therefore,
had been made since the lamented death of the illustrious Don Henry;
which comprehended the whole coast of Guinea, with its two gulfs, usually
named the _Bights_ of Benin and Biafra, with the adjacent islands, and
extending to the northern frontier of the kingdom of Congo[4]. If the
following assertion of de Barros could be relied on, we might conclude
that some nameless Portuguese navigators had crossed the line even before
the death of Don Henry; but the high probability is, that the naval
pupils of that illustrious prince continued to use his impress upon their
discoveries, long after his decease, and that the limits of discovery in
his time was confined to Cape Vergas. Some Castilians, sailing under the
command of Garcia de Loaysa, a knight of Malta, landed in 1525 on the
island of St Matthew, in two degrees of southern latitude[5]. They here
observed that it had been formerly visited by the Portuguese, as they
found an inscription on the bark of a tree, implying that they had been
there eighty-seven years before[6]. It also bore the usual motto of
that prince, _talent de bien faire_.
In the paucity of authentic information respecting these discoveries, it
seems proper to insert the following abstract of the journal of a
Portuguese pilot to the island of St Thomas, as inserted by Ramusio,
previous to the voyage of Vasco de Gama, but of uncertain date; although,
in the opinion of the ingenious author of the Progress of Maritime
Discover, this voyage seems to have been performed between the years 1520
and 1540. In this, state of uncertainty, it is therefore made a section
by itself, detached in some measure from the regular series of the
Portuguese discoveries.
[1] Astley, I. 15. Clarke, I. 290. Purchas, I. Harris, I. 664.
[2] Clarke, I. 295.
[3] These may possibly be the nuts of the Ricinus Palma Christi, from
which the castor oil is extracted. - E.
[4] Strictly speaking the northern limits of Loango, one of the divisions
of the extensive kingdom of Congo, is at the Sette river, ten leagues
S.S. E. from Cape St Catherine. - E.
[5] There is no island of that name in this position; so that the island
of St Matthew of de Barros must refer to Annobon. - E.
[6] These dates would throw back the discovery of this island, and the
passage of the line by the mariners of Don Henry, to the year 1438, at
a time when they had not reached the latitude of 25 deg. N. which is quite
absurd. - E.
SECTION II.
Voyage of a Portuguese Pilot from Lisbon to the Island of St Thomas[1].
Before I left Venice, I was requested by letter from Signior Hieronimo
Fracastro of Verona, that, on my arrival at Conde, I would send, him an
account of my voyage to San Thome, to which island our ships often sail
for cargoes of sugar. The passage of the equinoctial line, under which
that island, is situated, appeared to that gentleman so extraordinary a
circumstance as to merit the attention of men of science; and you
likewise made me a similar request. I began, therefore, immediately after
my return, to draw up an account of my voyage, from those notes which we
pilots usual keep of all occurrences, and I compared it in my progress
with the journals of some friends who had formerly made the same voyage.
When I afterwards attentively perused my manuscript, it did not appear to
me worthy of being communicated to a gentleman of such scientific
character as Signor Hieronimo, whose talents I had duly appreciated, by
the perusal of his publications, which I received from you before my
departure from Venice. I therefore laid my manuscript aside, not wishing
that any one might peruse it; but as you have again urged the performance
of my promise, I now anxiously obey a request, which, as coming from you,
I must always consider a command. Apprehensive, likewise, of appearing
forgetful of your polite attentions, I prefer the danger of exposing my
ignorance, to the possibility of being charged with ingratitude or want
of attention. Being a sailor, and unused to composition, I pretend to
little more than copying the remarks of those who have sailed from our
continent to _Ethiopia_, without attempting to reduce my narrative into
lucid order, or to embellish it with fine writing. You will therefore
have the goodness to destroy this account, after its perusal, that the
errors I have committed, by compliance with your commands, may not draw
upon me the imputation of presumption.
The Portuguese ships which sail to the island of St Thomas from Lisbon,
for cargoes of sugar, usually put to sea in February, though some vessels
make this voyage at every period of the year. Their course is S.S.W.
until they reach the Canary Islands; after which they steer for the
island of Palmas, which is opposite to Cape Bojador on the coast of
Africa, and is about ninety leagues from the kingdom of Castile. This
island has plenty of provisions, and abounds in wine and sugar. The north-
west wind prevails most, and a great sea rages continually on its coast,
particularly in the month of December[2].
If the ships which are bound for the island of St Thomas find it
necessary to obtain a quantity of salt after having taken on board a
sufficient supply at the island of _Sal_, they steer for the coast of
Africa at the Rio del Oro; and, if they have calm weather and a smooth
sea; they catch as many fish in four hours, with hooks and lines, as may
suffice for all their wants during the remainder of the voyage.
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