- Clarke.
In Mr Clarkes Note On This Passage, He Erroneously Calculates On The
Above Data That The Discovery Might Have Been In 1460, Which Is Only
Seventy Years Back From 1530.
But the result of the data in the text
shews, that either the pilot was mistaken as to the real date of the
discovery, or that his narrative has been corrupted, so that no
reliance can be placed on his dates.
- E.
[10] The direction of _Il Principe_, or Princes Island, from St Thomas,
is N. N. E. and the distance does not exceed seventy miles. - Clarke.
[11] These _batatas_ are probably a different species from our potatoes,
and may be what are called sweet potatoes in the West Indies; perhaps
the _igname cicorero_ is the West Indian _yam_. Four species of
_igname_ or _batata_, are mentioned in Barbot as originally from Benin,
Anwerre, Mani-Congo, and Saffrance. The first of these is remarkably
sweet, and the second keeps well. A variety of esculent roots might
prove of high utility to navigators, and are too much neglected. Among
these, the parsnip and Jerusalem artichoke deserve notice, as being
very nutritive, and proof against all weathers. - Clarke.
SECTION III.
_Continuation of Portuguese Discoveries, from Cape St Catherine to the
kingdom of Congo_.
We are still obliged to continue the account of the Portuguese
discoveries historically, from the want of any regular journals of their
early voyages along the African coast. In the original efforts of the
illustrious Don Henry, although the progress was extremely slow, we have
much to admire in the character of that prince, who possessed genius to
stretch beyond the trammels of custom and authority, boldly thinking for
himself, pointing out the way of extending the knowledge of our globe by
maritime discoveries, and persevering nobly in his renewed efforts, in
spite of the timid ignorance of his unexperienced pilots and mariners.
But it is not easy to explain the continuance of that slow progress,
which was even retarded during the years which elapsed between the demise
of that prince of mariners in 1463, and that of Alphonso in 1481; when
the increased experience of the Portuguese, in their frequent voyages to
the new discovered Atlantic islands and African coast, ought to have
inspired them with fresh vigour and extended views of discovery and
commerce. The military character of Alphonso may, however, explain this
in a great degree, as all his energies were directed towards the
extension of dominion in the Moorish kingdom of Fez; and the business of
discovery was devolved as a burdensome and unprofitable task on the
farmers of the trade to the coast of Africa, which appears to have become
extensive and lucrative, after the discovery of Guinea and its islands,
and the establishment of the sugar colonies in these islands. We learn,
likewise, from the preceding voyage of the Portuguese pilot to the island
of St Thomas, that the mariners still confined themselves almost entirely
to creeping along the coast, from cape to cape, and from island to island,
not daring to trust themselves to the trackless ocean, under the now sure
guidance of the heavenly luminaries; but which they then did not
sufficiently understand, nor did they possess sufficient instruments for
directing their course in the ocean. It would appear that they had then
no other method of computing the longitude but by means of the log, or
dead reckoning, which is liable to perpetual uncertainty from currents
and lee-way, and which a storm, even of short continuance, must have
thrown into total confusion. Their instruments and methods for
determining even the latitudes, appear to have then been imperfect and
little understood. In the sequel of this deduction, we shall find the
first Portuguese squadron which sailed for India, conducted across the
Indian ocean by a Moorish pilot.
On the accession of John II. to the throne of Portugal in 1481, the
discoveries along the coast of Africa were resumed with a new spirit.
While infante or hereditary prince, his principal revenue was derived
from the profits of the Guinea trade, and of the importation of gold from
the haven of Mina; and among the first measures of his reign, he turned
his attention to the improvement and extension of that valuable branch of
commerce. For this purpose, he gave orders to make all necessary
preparations for building a fortress and church at the port of Mina. All
the requisite materials, even to stones and tiles, were accordingly
shipped from Lisbon in a squadron of ten caravels and two transports,
with 500 soldiers and 200 labourers or workmen of various kinds. This
expedition was placed under the command of Don Diego d'Azumbuja, an
experienced officer, under whom were the following naval captains,
Goncalez da Fonseca, Ruy d'Oliveira, Juan Rodrigues Gante, Juan Alfonso,
Diego Rodrigues Inglez, Bartholomew Diaz, Pedro d'Evora, and Gomez Aires.
This last was a gentleman belonging to the household of Pedro king of
Arragon, all the others being noblemen of the household of King John.
Pedro de Cintra and Fernam d'Alfonso commanded the transports, and a
small vessel attended the squadron as an advice-boat. This squadron
sailed on the 11th December 1481, and reached their destination on the
19th January 1482, at an African village named _Aldea_, where they found
Juan Bernardo, who had previously sailed for the coast in quest of gold.
Bernardo was immediately sent by Azumbuja, to inform Camaranca, the Negro
chief of the district, with the arrival of the Portuguese armament, and
to desire a conference, with directions to endeavour to impress that
chief with a high sense of the rank and character of the Portuguese
officers, and of the irresistible power of the armament now upon his
coast. Early next morning, Azambuja landed with all his followers, who
were secretly armed, in case of meeting with any hostilities from the
natives; and moved forwards in great form to a large tree, not far from
the Negro village of Aldea, on a spot which had been chosen as a
convenient situation for the intended fortress.
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