In 1443 Nuno Tristan Was Again Sent Out, With Orders To
Prosecute, The Discovery Of A Coast Which Now Seemed So Likely To Prove
Advantageous To The Commerce Of Portugal.
He now doubled Cape Blanco, or
Branco, which he had discovered in his former voyage, and, about ten
leagues
Farther to the south-east, fell in with an island, or rather
cluster of seven islands, called _Adeget_ by the natives, but which have
since, with the bay in which they lie, received the name of Arguim, or
Arguin. The small canoes which were used by the natives of this coast
were at first mistaken for some strange kind of birds, as the people sit
upon them astride, using their feet instead of paddles, to urge them
along. To one of the islands in this bay Tristan gave the name of _De
las_ Garcas, on account of the seasonable supply which he there received.
From this place Nuno Tristan returned into Portugal, with some of the
natives of the country.
Don Henry, in 1444, made an exchange with Massiot de Betancour, lord of
the Canary Islands, for the islands of Lancerota, Fuertaventura, and
Ferro, giving him some possessions in the island of Madeira in their
stead; and immediately fitted out a powerful squadron, commanded by the
grand master of his household, Fernand de Castro, to take possession of
this new acquisition, and to subdue the remaining islands, Canaria, Palma,
Gratioso, Inferno, Alegrazze, Santa-Chiara, Rocca, and Lobos. But, as the
king of Castile afterwards laid claim to the Canaries, Don Henry resigned
his conquests, finding the value of these islands by no means answerable
to his expectation.
So greatly had the fame of the new discoveries extended in consequence of
the small quantity of gold which had been procured by Gonzales at the Rio
del Ouro, that several of the inhabitants of Lagos petitioned Don Henry,
in 1444, to be erected into a trading company, engaging to carry on the
discoveries along the coast of Africa at their own expence. The prince
granted their request, and a company was accordingly formed, the
prototype of those celebrated East India companies which have since
carried on trade to such vast amount. Among the partners were, Juan Diaz,
the ancestor of him who afterwards discovered and passed the Cape of Good
Hope, Gilianez, who had so boldly overcome the obstacles of Cape Bajador,
Lancerot, a gentleman of the household of Don Henry, Estevan Alfonso, and
Rodrigo Alvarez. A squadron of six caravels was fitted out under the
command of Lancerot, which sailed from Lagos in the year 1444, and
reached the isle of Garcas, in the bay of Arguin, where they captivated
an hundred and fifty Africans, and returned to Lagos, after very slightly
extending their knowledge of the coast of Africa to the desart island of
Tider, in 19 deg. 30' N.
In 1445, the subsequent voyage of Gonzales da Cintra, likewise a
gentleman in the household of Don Henry, in some measure expiated the
wanton outrage which had been committed in that of Lancerot.
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