Going First To The
Islands Of Cape De Verd, They Passed The Line And Stood Over Towards The
New World, Which They Fell In With At Cape St Augustine, In Lat.
8 deg.
30' S.
where they carved on the barks of trees the date of their arrival, and
the names of the king and queen of Spain. They had several skirmishes
with the inhabitants of Brazil, but got no advantage. Following the coast
westwards[13], they entered the river named Maria Tambal, by which time
they had made above thirty prisoners. The chief places where they touched
were Cape St Augustine, Cape St Luke, Tierra de los Humos; the rivers of
Marannon and of the Amazons, and the Rio Dolce, or Sweet river[14], and
other places along the coast. At last, being come to 10 deg. N. they lost two
of their ships with their crews, and returned home, after having employed
ten months and fifteen days in their voyage.
In March 1500, Pedro Alvarez Cabral sailed from Lisbon with thirteen
ships for India, being ordered not to go near the coast of Africa, that
he might shorten the voyage. Losing sight of one of his ships, he
deviated from his course in hopes to rejoin it, and sailed till he
unexpectedly fell in with the coast of Brazil, where he sent a bark in,
search of a safe harbour, which they found in 17 deg. S. and called it Puerto
Seguro. From thence they made sail for the Cape of Good Hope and Melinda,
whence they crossed over to the river of Cochin, which was not before
known. Here they loaded with pepper; and on their return Sancho de Thovar
discovered the city of Sofala, on the eastern coast of Africa.
It is reported, that in the year 1500, one Gaspar Cortereal got a general
license from King Emanuel to make discoveries in the new world. He fitted
out two stout ships at his own cost, from the island of Tercera, and
sailed to that part of the new world which is in 50 deg. N. which has been
since known by his name, and came home in safety to Lisbon. In a second
voyage, his own immediate vessel was lost, and the other came home. Upon
this, his brother Michael Cortereal went to seek him with three ships,
fitted out at his own charges; and finding many creeks and rivers on the
coast, the ships divided for the more effectual search, agreeing that
they should all meet again at an appointed time and place. The other two
ships did so; but after waiting a reasonable rime for Michael Cortereal,
it was concluded that he was also lost, on which the other two ships
returned to Lisbon, and no news was ever afterwards heard of the two
brothers; but the country where they were lost is still called the land
of Cortereal[15].
In March 1501, John de Nova sailed from Lisbon with four ships for India.
In his outward-bound voyage he discovered an island in the Atlantic, in
lat. 8 deg. S. to which he gave the name of Ascension[16]. On his return from
India, he fell in with another island in the Atlantic in 17 deg. S. called St
Helena, which, though very small, is yet of great importance from its
situation. In the month of May of the same year 1501, three ships were
sent from Lisbon by King Emanuel, to make a discovery of the coast of
Brazil, which had been accidentally fallen in with, by Cabral: Passing by
the Canaries, they stopped for refreshments at the town of Bezequiche in
the Cape Verds; and passing southwards from thence beyond the line, they
fell in with Brazil in five degrees of south latitude, at Cape St Roquo,
and sailed along the coast southwards, till they reckoned themselves to
have reached 32 deg. S. Finding the weather cold and tempestuous, they turned
back in the month of April 1502, and got to Lisbon In September of that
year, having been out fifteen months on their voyage.
In the same year 1502, Alfonso Hojeda went to discover the Terra Firma,
and followed its coast till he came to the province of Uraba I7. In 1503,
Roderigo Bastidas of Seville went with two caravels at his own cost, to
the Antilles, where he first came to the Isla Verde, or the Green island,
close by Guadaloupe; whence he sailed westwards to Santa Martha and Cape
do la Vela, and to the Rio Grande or Great river. He afterwards
discovered the haven of Zamba, the Coradas, Carthagena, the islands of S.
Bernard de Baru, the Islas de Arenas, Isla Fuerta, and the Point of
Caribana, at the end of the Gulf of Uraba, where he had sight of the
Farrallones, close by the river of Darien. From Cape de la Vela to this
last place, which is in lat. 9 deg. 40' N. is 200 leagues. From thence he
stood over to Jamaica for refreshments. In Hispaniola he had to lay his
ships on the ground to repair their bottoms, because a certain species of
worms had eaten many holes in the planks. In this voyage Bastidas
procured _four hundred marks_[18] of gold; though the people were very
warlike, and used poisoned arrows.
In the same year 1502, Columbus entered upon his fourth voyage of
discovery, with four ships, taking with him his son Don Ferdinando. The
particular object of this voyage, by command of King Ferdinand, was to look
out for the strait which was supposed to penetrate across the continent
of the new world, and by which a route to India by the west was expected
to be discovered. He sailed by Hispaniola and Jamaica to the river Azua,
Cape Higueras, the Gamares islands, and to Cape Honduras, which signifies
the Cape of the Depths. From thence he sailed eastwards to Cape Garcias a
Dios, and discovered the province and river of Veragua, the Rio Grande,
and others, which the Indians call Hienra.
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