_Voyage of Cada Mosto from Venice to Cape St Vincent:
He enters into the
service of Don Henry, and sets out for the New Discoveries: Relation of
the Voyage to Madeira and the Canaries; with some Account of these
islands, and their Inhabitants_.
I, Alvise Da Cada Mosto, after visiting many parts of our Mediterranean
Sea, being in our city of Venice in the year 1454, at which time I was
about twenty-two years of age, determined to return into Flanders, a
country which I had formerly visited as a merchant; for my constant
attention was, in the first place to acquire wealth, and secondly to
procure fame. On the 8th of August in that year 1454, I embarked in one
of the gallies belonging to the republic, commanded by Marco Zen, a
Venetian cavalier. Contrary winds detained us for some days off Cape St
Vincent; during which, I learnt that Don Henry, the infant of Portugal,
resided in the adjoining village of Reposera, or Sagres, to which he had
retired in order to pursue his studies without interruption from the
tumult of the world. Hearing of our arrival, the prince sent on board of
our galley Antonio Gonzales his secretary, accompanied by Patricio de
Conti[1], a Venetian, who was consul for the republic in Portugal, as
appeared by his commission, and who also received a salary or pension
from Don Henry. These gentlemen brought on board, and exhibited to us
samples of Madeira sugar, dragons blood, and other commodities of the
countries and islands belonging to the prince, which had been discovered
under his patronage. They asked us many questions, and informed us that
the prince had caused some lately discovered and uninhabited islands to
be settled and cultivated, as a proof of which, they had shewn us the
before-mentioned valuable productions; adding, that all this was next to
nothing, in comparison of the great things which Don Henry had performed;
as he had discovered seas which had never been navigated before, and the
countries of divers strange, and hitherto unknown nations, where many
wonderful things were found. They told us farther, that the Portuguese
who had been in these remote parts, had reaped great advantages by
trading with the inhabitants; having gained as high as 700 or even 1000
per cent, on the capitals employed. We were all much astonished at these
things; and I Cada Mosto in particular, being inflamed with the desire of
visiting these newly discovered regions, inquired if the prince permitted
any person who might be so inclined to embark for these places? To this
they answered in the affirmative; and they likewise stated to me the
conditions on which any one would be allowed to make the adventure. These
were, either to be at the whole expence of fitting out and freighting a
vessel; or at the expence of the freight only, the prince providing a
vessel. In the former case, the adventurer had to allow on his return one
quarter of his cargo, as duty to the prince, the rest remaining his own
entire propriety; in the latter case, the homeward cargo was to be
equally divided between the prince and the adventurer.
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