They Accordingly Reached The Mouth Of A River, Which
Was Discovered By Juan Infante, And Was Called From Him, _Rio Del
Infante_, Now Known By The Name Of Great-Fish River, In About Lat.
33 deg.27'
N. long.
28 deg.20'E. The coast still trended towards the eastwards, with a
slight inclination towards the north; so that, in an eastern course of
about thirteen degrees, they had neared the north about six degrees,
though still unsatisfied of having absolutely cleared the southern point
of Africa.
From this river, the extreme boundary of the present voyage, Diaz
commenced his return homewards, and discovered, with great joy and
astonishment, on their passage back, the long sought for and tremendous
promontory, which had been the grand object of the hopes and wishes of
Portuguese navigation during _seventy-four_ years, ever since the year
1412, when the illustrious Don Henry first began to direct and incite his
countrymen to the prosecution of discoveries along the western shores of
Africa. Either from the distance which the caravels had been from the land,
when they first altered their course to the eastwards, or from the cape
having been concealed in thick fogs, it had escaped notice in the
preceding part of the voyage. At this place Diaz erected a stone cross in
memory of his discovery; and, owing to heavy tempests, which he
experienced off the high table land of the Cape, he named it _Cabo dos
Tormentos_, or Cape of storms; but the satisfaction which King John
derived from this memorable discovery, on the return of Diaz to Portugal
in 1487, and the hope which it imparted of having opened a sure passage by
sea from Europe through the Atlantic into the Indian ocean, by which his
subjects would now reap the abundant harvest of all their long and arduous
labours, induced that sovereign to change this inauspicious appellation
for one of a more happy omen, and he accordingly ordered that it should in
future be called, _Cabo de boa Esperanca_, or Cape of Good Hope, which it
has ever since retained.
Soon after the discovery of the _Cape_, by which shorter name it is now
generally preeminently distinguished, Diaz fell in with the victualler,
from which he had separated nine months before. Of nine persons who had
composed the crew of that vessel, six had been murdered by the natives of
the west coast of Africa, and Fernand Colazzo, one of the three survivors,
died of joy on again beholding his countrymen. Of the circumstances of the
voyage home we have no account; but it is not to be doubted that Diaz and
his companions would be honourably received by their sovereign, after a
voyage of such unprecedented length and unusual success.
[1] Clarke, I. 342.
SECTION V.
_Journey overland to India and Abyssinia, by Covilham and de Payva_[1].
Soon after the departure of Diaz, King John dispatched Pedro de Covilham
and Alphonso de Payva, both well versed in the Arabic language, with
orders to travel by land into the east, for the discovery of the country
of _Presbyter_, or _Prester John_, and to trace the steps of the lucrative
commerce then carried on with India by the Venetians for spices and drugs;
part of their instructions being to endeavour to ascertain the
practicability of navigating round the south extremity of Africa to the
famed marts of Indian commerce, and to make every possible inquiry into
the circumstances of that important navigation.
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