But, Having In View To Make Discoveries
Along That Western Coast, He Ordered Them Every Year To Advance Farther
Towards The South.
They accordingly proceeded till they came to a great
cape, which put a stop to their progress southwards for several years,
being afraid to go beyond it; whence it took the name it still retains of
Cape Non[2]; meaning, that such as went beyond should never return.
Don
Henry, however, was of a different opinion, and adding three other
caravels to those which had been at the cape, sent them again next year
to make the attempt. They accordingly penetrated about 100 miles beyond
that cape, where they found only a sandy coast with no habitations, and
returned back to Portugal.
Encouraged by this commencement of successful progress, Don Henry sent
the same fleet back next year, with orders to extend their discoveries
150 miles farther to the south, and even more if they found it proper;
and promised to enrich all who should embark in this navigation. They
went again; and, although they obeyed the instructions of the prince,
they could not improve the discoveries. Yet, firmly persuaded by the
strength of his own judgment, that people and habitations would certainly
be found at length, Don Henry continued to send out his caravels from
time to time, and they came at length to certain coasts frequented by the
Arabs of the desert, and to the habitations of the Azanaghi, a tawny race.
Thus the countries of the negroes were discovered; and different nations
afterwards, which will be mentioned in the following relation.
Thus far the preface of Cada Mosto, as given in the collection of Astley,
from the edition of Ramusio, with which we must be satisfied in this work,
as that in the royal library is inaccessible for our use. The present
version has been carefully formed, by a comparison of Astley, with the
original in Ramusio, and with the summary by the Reverend James Stanier
Clarke, in his curious work on the progress of maritime discoveries,
which only gives a selection of what he considered to be its most
material parts. In this edition, the narrative style of Cada Mosto, in
his own person, is restored as much as possible. It may be noticed, that
Alvise is the Portuguese form of the name Louis, or Lewis.
In addition to the two voyages of Cada Mosto himself, there is a third
voyage included in the present chapter, performed by Piedro de Cintra to
the same coast, the narrative of which was communicated to Cada Mosto by
one who had accompanied Cintra, and had been clerk to Cada Mosto in the
two former voyages.
[1] Astley, Col. of Voy. and Trav. I. 573. Clarke, Prog. of Marit. Disc.
I. 235.
[2] According to De Faria, as already mentioned in Chap. II. Sect. I Cape
Non was doubled, and Cape Bojador discovered in 1415, many years
before the death of King John. The present recapitulation by Cada
Mosto has been left in his own words, without insisting on the
exactness of his chronology.
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