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:
But, as the Portuguese long continued to frequent
these coasts exclusively, and considered them all as belonging to their
dominions under the papal grant, this latter cross, on which the
inscription was not legible, may have been erected at a considerably
subsequent period.
At all events, the track of Diaz was far beyond the
usual adventure of any former navigator, as he must have run a course of
from seven to ten degrees of latitude, and at least between two or three
degrees of longitude, in utterly unknown seas, without sight of land. The
first land seen by Diaz is said to have been forty leagues to the
eastward of the cape, where he came in sight of a bay on the coast, which
he called _Angra de los Vaqueros_, or bay of herdsmen, from observing a
number of cows grazing on the land. The distance of forty Portuguese
leagues, would lead us to what is now called Struys bay, immediately east
of Cabo das Agullias, which latter is in lat. 34 deg. 50' S. and long. 20 deg. 16'
E. from Greenwich. From this place Diaz continued his voyage eastwards,
to a small island or rock in the bay, which is now called Zwartkops or
Algoa, in long.
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