[7] This strange expression seems to imply 4 deg. of north latitude. - E.
[8] Called likewise Balestriglia, being the Venetian name for the cross-
staff, or fore-staff, an astronomical instrument which has been
superseded by the quadrant and sextant. - E
[9] In an after part of this narrative, the pilot informs us, that his
first voyage to the island of San Thome was in 1520, and that he made
five voyages to that place. If, therefore, the date of his present
voyage were fixed to 1530, it would carry us back to 1450, or even
earlier, for the date of this discovery, near thirteen years before
the death of Don Henry. - Clarke.
In Mr Clarkes note on this passage, he erroneously calculates on the
above data that the discovery might have been in 1460, which is only
seventy years back from 1530. But the result of the data in the text
shews, that either the pilot was mistaken as to the real date of the
discovery, or that his narrative has been corrupted, so that no
reliance can be placed on his dates. - E.
[10] The direction of _Il Principe_, or Princes Island, from St Thomas,
is N. N. E. and the distance does not exceed seventy miles. - Clarke.
[11] These _batatas_ are probably a different species from our potatoes,
and may be what are called sweet potatoes in the West Indies; perhaps
the _igname cicorero_ is the West Indian _yam_. Four species of
_igname_ or _batata_, are mentioned in Barbot as originally from Benin,
Anwerre, Mani-Congo, and Saffrance. The first of these is remarkably
sweet, and the second keeps well. A variety of esculent roots might
prove of high utility to navigators, and are too much neglected. Among
these, the parsnip and Jerusalem artichoke deserve notice, as being
very nutritive, and proof against all weathers. - Clarke.
SECTION III.
_Continuation of Portuguese Discoveries, from Cape St Catherine to the
kingdom of Congo_.
We are still obliged to continue the account of the Portuguese
discoveries historically, from the want of any regular journals of their
early voyages along the African coast. In the original efforts of the
illustrious Don Henry, although the progress was extremely slow, we have
much to admire in the character of that prince, who possessed genius to
stretch beyond the trammels of custom and authority, boldly thinking for
himself, pointing out the way of extending the knowledge of our globe by
maritime discoveries, and persevering nobly in his renewed efforts, in
spite of the timid ignorance of his unexperienced pilots and mariners.
But it is not easy to explain the continuance of that slow progress,
which was even retarded during the years which elapsed between the demise
of that prince of mariners in 1463, and that of Alphonso in 1481; when
the increased experience of the Portuguese, in their frequent voyages to
the new discovered Atlantic islands and African coast, ought to have
inspired them with fresh vigour and extended views of discovery and
commerce.
