It also bore the usual motto of
that prince, _talent de bien faire_.
In the paucity of authentic information respecting these discoveries, it
seems proper to insert the following abstract of the journal of a
Portuguese pilot to the island of St Thomas, as inserted by Ramusio,
previous to the voyage of Vasco de Gama, but of uncertain date; although,
in the opinion of the ingenious author of the Progress of Maritime
Discover, this voyage seems to have been performed between the years 1520
and 1540. In this, state of uncertainty, it is therefore made a section
by itself, detached in some measure from the regular series of the
Portuguese discoveries.
[1] Astley, I. 15. Clarke, I. 290. Purchas, I. Harris, I. 664.
[2] Clarke, I. 295.
[3] These may possibly be the nuts of the Ricinus Palma Christi, from
which the castor oil is extracted. - E.
[4] Strictly speaking the northern limits of Loango, one of the divisions
of the extensive kingdom of Congo, is at the Sette river, ten leagues
S.S. E. from Cape St Catherine. - E.
[5] There is no island of that name in this position; so that the island
of St Matthew of de Barros must refer to Annobon. - E.
[6] These dates would throw back the discovery of this island, and the
passage of the line by the mariners of Don Henry, to the year 1438, at
a time when they had not reached the latitude of 25 deg. N. which is quite
absurd. - E.
SECTION II.
Voyage of a Portuguese Pilot from Lisbon to the Island of St Thomas[1].
Before I left Venice, I was requested by letter from Signior Hieronimo
Fracastro of Verona, that, on my arrival at Conde, I would send, him an
account of my voyage to San Thome, to which island our ships often sail
for cargoes of sugar. The passage of the equinoctial line, under which
that island, is situated, appeared to that gentleman so extraordinary a
circumstance as to merit the attention of men of science; and you
likewise made me a similar request. I began, therefore, immediately after
my return, to draw up an account of my voyage, from those notes which we
pilots usual keep of all occurrences, and I compared it in my progress
with the journals of some friends who had formerly made the same voyage.
When I afterwards attentively perused my manuscript, it did not appear to
me worthy of being communicated to a gentleman of such scientific
character as Signor Hieronimo, whose talents I had duly appreciated, by
the perusal of his publications, which I received from you before my
departure from Venice.
