He
Was Much Encouraged To This Enterprise, By Learning That There Were
Christians In India, Governed By A Powerful Monarch
Called Presbyter John,
who was reported to be a Christian prince, and to whom he thought proper
to send ambassadors,
That an intercourse of friendship might be
established between them and their subjects. He consulted, therefore,
with the cosmographers of the time, whom he directed to proceed according
to the example already given in sailing along the coast of Guinea, which
had been formerly discovered by command of the prince his uncle, Master
of the order of Christ. Accordingly, Bartholomew Diaz, one of the
officers of the royal storehouse at Lisbon, was sent upon this expedition,
who discovered that great and monstrous cape, now called of Good Hope,
which was unknown to our ancestors. Finding it both terrible and
dangerous, he yet passed 140 leagues beyond, to a river which he named
_Rio del Infante_, whence he returned into Portugal. In this voyage, Diaz
gave those names which they still retain, to the ports, harbours, and
rivers where he took in fresh water, and erected certain marks, with
crosses, and the royal arms of Portugal, the last of which was placed on
a rock named _El pennol de la Cruz_, fifteen leagues on this side of the
before mentioned river. Diaz returned from this voyage without having
procured any intelligence concerning India, as all the inhabitants of the
coast which he visited and discovered were ignorant black savages.
On the return of Diaz, king John resolved to attempt the discovery of
India by land; for which purpose he had formerly sent friar Antonio de
Lisboa by land, in company with a lay person; but as they were ignorant
of the Arabic language, they could not travel into those parts, and went
no farther than Jerusalem, whence they returned into Portugal, without
having acquired any knowledge of the object of their journey.
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