A Frenchman. About this time, too, the island of
Madeira is said to have been discovered by an Englishman named Macham;
who, sailing from England into Spain with a lady whom he loved, was
driven out of his course by a tempest, and arrived in a harbour of that
island, now called Machico, after his name. The lady being oppressed
with seasickness, Macham landed with her on the island, accompanied by
some of his people; but in the mean time the ship weighed anchor and
stood to sea, leaving them behind. On this the lady died of grief, and
Macham, who was passionately fond of her, erected a chapel or hermitage
on the island, which he named the chapel of Jesus, and there deposited
her remains, engraving both their names and the cause of their coming to
this place on a monumental stone. After this, he and his companions made
a boat or canoe out of a large tree, and putting to sea without sails or
oars, got over to the coast of Africa. The Moors among whom he arrived,
considering their passage as miraculous, sent him to their king, who
transmitted both him and his company to the king of Castile.
In 1395, while Henry III. reigned in Castile, in consequence of
information given by Macham respecting this island, many persons of
France and Castile were induced to attempt its discovery, and that of the
Grand Canary. Those who went on this expedition were principally from
Andalusia, Biscay, and Guipuscoa, who carried thither many men and
horses; but I know not whether this was done at their own charge, or that
of the king. But however that might be, these people seem to have been
the first discoverers of the Canaries; where they took 150 of the
islanders prisoners. There is some difference among authors respecting
the time of this discovery, as some affirm that it did not take place
till the year 1405.
[1] August. de Civit. Dic. I. 15. c. 20.
[2] The Cape of Good Hope, and the island of Madagascar - E.
[3] Birmahs
[4] Arracan
[5] Pompon. Mela, I. 3. Plin. I. 2. c. 67.
[6] Joseph: Ant. Jud. I. 1. c. 5.
[7] Justin, I. 1.
[8] Berosus.
[9] Diod. Sic. I. 2. c. 5.
[10] Berosus.
[11] Gons. Fern. I. 2. c. 3. Plin. I. 6. c. 31.
[12] Plin. I. 4. c. 22.
[13] Eratosth. ap. Strab. I. 1. p. 26.
[14] Plin. I. 6. c. 29.
[15] The miles here used are three to the league; but the league of the
text is nearly equal to four English miles, and the assumed distance
of these two ports 140 of our miles - E.
[16] Strab. I. 17. p. 560.
[17] Plin. I. 6. c. 29.
[18] Diod. Sic. I. 4. c. 4.
[19] Strab. I. 1. p. 26.
[20] Kings, I. 9. Chron. II. 8.
[21] Herodot. I. 4.
[22] Arist. de Mirand.
[23] Gonz. Fern. Ovied. I. 2. c. 3.
[24] Plin. I. 9. c. 58. de Maribus Nili.
[25] Joan. Leo Afric. I. 9. de Nilo. - Our author has got into a strange
dilemma, by confounding crocodiles and serpents under one denomination.
- E.
[26] Plin. and Leo, ub. cit.
[27] Plin. I. 2. c. 67.
[28] Plin. I. 6. c. 31. This subject will be discussed in the _Fifth_ Part
of our work; being much too extensive to admit of elucidation in a
note. - E.
[29] Hasty readers will have the justice to give the honour of this story
to Galvano. - E.
[30] This story will be found hereafter very differently related by Cada
Mosto himself, but with a sufficient spice of the marvellous. - E.
[31] The Honey-guide, or Cuculus Indicator, will be noticed more
particularly in the Travels through the Colony of the Cape. - E.
[32] The Philosophers of the _nineteenth_ century have _fortunately_
rediscovered the _Mermaid_ in the north of Scotland! Hitherto,
wonderful things used to be confined to barbarous regions and ignorant
ages. - E.
[33] Arist. de Mirand. Strabo, I. 2. p. 68.
[34] Plin. I. 6. c. 29.
[35] Strabo, I. 17. p. 560, 561.
[36] Strab. I. 17. p. 549.
[37] Plin. I. 6. c. 23.
[38] Id. I. 12. c. 18.
[39] Id. I. 2. c. 67.
[40] Ziphilin. in vit. Traj.
[41] Ramusio, V. f. 372. p. 2
[42] Strabo, I. 11.
[43] Plin. I. 6. c. 11.
[44] Newfoundland?
[45] Jidda.
[46] Leo Afric. Ramus. v. 1. f. 373.
SECTION II.
_Summary of Portuguese Discoveries, from the Commencement of the
Fifteenth Century, to the Discovery of America by Columbus_[1].
According to the chronicles of Portugal, John I. went from Lisbon in 1415,
attended by his sons Don Duarte, or Edward, Don Peter, and Don Henry, and
other lords and nobles of his realm, into Africa, where he took the great
city of Ceuta, which was one of the principal causes of extending the
dominions of Portugal. After their return, Don Henry, the king's
_third_[2] son, being then in Algarve, and desirous to enlarge the
kingdom by the discovery of unknown regions, gave directions for
discovering the coast of Mauritania; for in those days none of the
Portuguese had ever gone beyond Cape Non, in lat. 29 deg.. N.[3]. For the
better accomplishment of this purpose, Don Henry prepared a fleet, and
commanded the officers whom he employed to proceed in making discoveries
to the south of that cape, which they did; but when they came to another
cape, named Bajador, none of them dared for a long time to go beyond it,
at which cowardice the prince was much displeased.
In 1417, in the reign of John II. of Castile, and while his mother the
lady Catharine was regent of the kingdom, Ruben de Bracamonte, the
admiral of France, craved a grant of the Canary Islands, and the title of
king, for his kinsman John de Betancourt; which being conceded, he
departed from Seville with an armament to attempt the conquest.
