Hitherto, The Portuguese Navigators, In The Course Of
Their Discoveries Along The Shores Of Western Africa, Had Been In Use
To
erect _wooden_ crosses, as indications of their respective discoveries.
But the king now ordered that they should erect _stone
Crosses_, about
six feet high, inscribed with, the arms of Portugal, the name of the
reigning sovereign, that of the navigator, and the date of the discovery.
In the year 1484, Diego Cam or Cano proceeded beyond Cape St Catherine,
in lat. 1 deg. 40' S. the last discovery of the reign of King Alphonso, and
reached the mouth of a considerable river, in lat. 5 deg. 10' S. called
_Zayre_ by the natives, now called Congo river, or the Rio Padron. Diego
proceeded some distance up this river, till he met with some of the
natives, but was unable to procure any satisfactory intelligence from
them, as they were not understood by the Negro interpreters on board his
ship. By means of signs, however, he understood that the country was
under the dominion of a king who resided at a considerable distance from
the coast, in a town or city called Banza, since named San Salvador by
the Portuguese; on which he sent a party of his crew, conducted by the
natives, carrying a considerable present far the king, and meaning to
wait their return. Unavoidable circumstances, however, having protracted
the return of his people far beyond the appointed time, Diego resolved to
return into Portugal with an account of his discovery; and, having gained
the confidence of the natives, he prevailed on four of them to embark
with him, that they might be instructed in the Portuguese language, to
serve as interpreters for future intercourse with this newly discovered
region, and made the natives understand by means of signs, that, after
the expiration of fifteen moons, these persons should be returned in
safety.
These Africans were men of some consequence in their own country, and
were of such quick apprehensions, that they acquired a sufficient
knowledge of the Portuguese language during the voyage back to Lisbon, as
to be able to give a competent account of their own country, and of the
kingdoms or regions beyond it, to the southwards. The king of Portugal
was much gratified by this discovery, and treated the Africans brought
over by Diego with much munificence. Next year, Diego Cam returned to the
river of Congo, where he landed the four natives, who carried many
presents from King John to their own sovereign, and were directed to
express his anxious desire that he and his subjects would embrace the
Christian faith.
Having landed the Negroes, and received back his own men whom he had left
on his former voyage, Diego proceeded to discover the coast to the
southwards of the Congo river; leaving a respectful message for the king
of Congo, that he must postpone the honour of paying his respects to him
till his return from the south. The farther progress of Diego is very
indefinitely related by the Portuguese historians; who say, that after a
run of twenty leagues, he erected two stone crosses, as memorials of his
progress, one at a cape called St Augustine, in lat. 13 deg. S. but the other
on Cape Padron, in 22 deg. S. This last latitude would extend the discovery
of Diego between the latitude of the Congo river and this high latitude,
to 280 Portuguese leagues, instead of twenty. Besides, Cape Padron forms
the southern point at the mouth of the river of Congo, and is only in lat.
6 deg. 15' S. The high probability is, that the first cross erected by Diego
Cam in this voyage, was at Cape Palmerinho, in lat. 9 deg. 15' S. and the
other may have been at Rocca Boa, in lat. 13 deg. 20' S. Clarke[1] is
disposed to extend the second cross to Cabo Negro, in lat. 16 deg. S. Either
influenced by his provisions running short, or desirous of forming a
friendly, connection with the king of Congo, Diego measured back his way
to the Congo river, where he was received in a most satisfactory manner
by the sovereign of that country. The reports of his subjects who had
been in Portugal, and the liberal presents which they had brought to him
from King John, had made a deep impression on the mind of this African
monarch. He made many inquiries respecting the Christian religion, and
being highly gratified by its sublime and consolatory doctrines, perhaps
influenced by the reports his subjects had brought him of its magnificent
ceremonies, he appointed one of his principal noblemen, named _Cacuta_ or
_Zazut_, to accompany Diego Cam, as his ambassador to King John;
anxiously requesting the king of Portugal to allow this nobleman and his
attendants to be baptized, and that he would be pleased to send some
ministers of his holy religion to convert him and his subjects from their
idolatrous errors. Diego Cam arrived safely in Portugal with Cacuta; who
was soon afterwards baptized by the name of _John Silva_, the king and
queen of Portugal doing him the honour of attending on him as sponsors at
the holy font; and the splendid ceremonial was closed by the baptism of
his sable attendants.
Some time previous to this event, Alphonso de Aviero carried an
ambassador from the king of Benin to the king of Portugal, requesting
that some missionaries might be sent for the conversion of his subjects;
and, although the artful conduct of that African prince threw many
difficulties in the way of this mission, many of the Negroes of that
country were converted. From the ambassador of Benin, the king of
Portugal received information of a powerful monarch, named _Organe_,
whose territories lay at the distance of 250 leagues beyond the kingdom
of Benin, and who possessed a supremacy over all the adjacent states.
Assuming Cape Lopo Goncalves, in lat. 1 deg. S. as the southern boundary of
the kingdom of Benin, 250 Portuguese leagues would bring us to the
kingdom of Benguela, or that of Jaa Caconda, about lat.
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