About This Period, Likewise, Hearing That Three Portuguese
Seamen, Who Were Conversant In The Navigation Of The Coast Of Africa, Had
Set Out For Spain, Intending To Offer Their Services In That Country,
John Immediately Ordered Them To Be Pursued As Traitors.
Two of them were
killed, and the third was brought a prisoner to Evora, where he was broke
on the wheel.
Hearing that the Portuguese seamen murmured at the severity
of this punishment, the king exclaimed, "Let every man abide by his own
element, I love not travelling seamen."
Encouraged by the successful progress of Diego Cam in 1484 and 1485, King
John became sanguine in his hopes of completing the discovery of a
maritime route to India, around the continent of Africa, and determined
upon using every exertion for this purpose. His first views were to
endeavour to procure some information respecting India, by means of a
journey overland; and with this object, _Antonio de Lisboa_, a Franciscan
friar, together with a nameless lay companion, were dispatched to make
the attempt of penetrating into India, through Palestine and Egypt. But,
being ignorant of the Arabic language, these men were unable to penetrate
beyond Jerusalem, whence they returned into Portugal. Though disappointed
in this attempt, by the ignorance or want of enterprise of his agents,
his resolution was not to be repressed by difficulties, and he resolved
upon employing fresh exertions both by sea and land, for the
accomplishment of his enterprise. He accordingly fitted out a small
squadron under Bartholomew Diaz, a knight of the royal household, to
attempt the passage by sea.
[1] Prog, of Mar. Disc. I. 329. note r.
[2] Bruce's Abyssinia, II. 105.
SECTION IV.
_Discovery of the Cape of Good Hope, by Bartholomew Diaz, in 1486_[1].
For this important enterprise, Bartholomew Diaz was only supplied with
two small caravels of fifty ton each, accompanied by a still smaller
vessel, or tender, to carry provisions. Of these vessels, one was
commanded by Bartholomew Diaz, as commodore, the second caravel by _Juan
Infante_, another cavalier or gentleman of the court, and Pedro Diaz,
brother to the commander in chief of the expedition, had charge of the
tender. The preparations being completed, Bartholomew sailed in the end
of August 1486, steering directly to the southwards.
We have no relation of the particulars of this voyage, and only know that
the first spot on which Diaz placed a stone pillar, in token of discovery
and possession, was at _Sierra Parda_, in about 24 deg.40'S. which is said to
have been 120 leagues farther to the south than any preceding navigator.
According to the Portuguese historians, Diaz sailed boldly from this
place to the southwards, in the open sea, and never saw the land again
until he was forty leagues to the east of the Cape of Good Hope, which he
had passed without being in sight of land. The learned geographer, Major
Rennel, informs us, that Sir Home Popham and Captain Thompson, while
exploring the western coast of Africa in 1786, found a marble cross, on
which the arms of Portugal were engraved, in latitude 26 deg.37'S. near a bay
named Angra Pequena:
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