Accordingly, About The Year 1418, A New Expedition Of
Discovery Was Fitted Out For The Express Purpose Of Attempting To
Surmount The Perils Of Cape Bojador.
In this expedition Juan Gonzales
Zarco and Tristan Vaz Texeira, two naval officers of the household of Don
Henry, volunteered their services; and, embarking in a vessel called a
_barcha_[3], steered for the tremendous cape.
The Portuguese were
hitherto ignorant of the prevailing winds upon the coast of Africa, and
the causes by which their influence is varied or increased. Near the land,
and between the latitudes of 28 deg. and 10 deg. north, a fresh gale almost
always blows from the N.E. Long sand-banks, which extend a great way out
to sea, and which are extremely difficult to be distinguished in the
mornings and evenings, and the prevailing currents, were powerful
obstacles to the enterprise of these navigators. About six leagues off
Cape Bojador, a most violent current continually dashes upon the breakers,
which presented a most formidable obstacle to the brave but inexperienced
mariners. Though their voyage was short, they encountered many dangers;
and, before they could reach the cape, they were encountered by a heavy
gale from the east, by which the billows of the Atlantic became too heavy
to be resisted by their small vessel, and they were driven out to sea. On
losing sight of their accustomed head lands, and being forced into the
boundless ocean for the first time, the ships company gave themselves up
to despair; but, on the abatement of the tempest, they found themselves
unexpectedly within view of an island, situated about 100 leagues west
from the coast of Africa. With extreme joy they beheld the coast of this
island extending about twenty miles in length, to which they gave the
name of Puerto Santo, because first discovered upon the feast of All
Saints. This is the smaller of the Madeiras, being only about two miles
broad; and, as the only roadstead is upon the south-west side, the
Portuguese probably anchored upon that side to be under the lee shelter
of the island from the remnants of the tempest from which they had
happily escaped.
The island of _Puerto Santo_, or of the Holy Haven, is almost directly
west from Cape Cantin; whence it would appear that these Portuguese
navigators could hardly have passed much beyond Cape de Geer, when driven
off the coast by this fortunate easterly tempest. Had they even advanced
as far as Cape Non, they would almost certainly have been driven among
the Canaries. It is perfectly obvious that they never even approached
Cape Bojador in this voyage; unless we could suppose, after having been
driven directly west from that cape, that they shaped a northern course,
after the subsidence of the tempest, and fell in with Puerto Santo while
on their return to Portugal.
Greatly pleased with the soil and climate of this island, and with the
gentle manners of the natives, whom they described as in an intermediate
state of civilization, and entirely destitute of any appearance of savage
ferocity, Zarco and Vaz immediately returned to Portugal, where they made
a report of the incidents of their voyage; and to confirm their opinion
of the value of their discovery, they requested permission from Don Henry
to return for the purpose of establishing a settlement in Puerto Santo.
By this discovery an advanced and favourable station was secured towards
the south, whence any discoveries along the coast of Africa might be
prosecuted with greater ease and safety, and from whence the dangers of
the hitherto formidable cape Bojador might be avoided, by keeping a
southerly or S. W. course from Puerto Santo. From these considerations
Don Henry granted their request; and, yielding to the adventurous spirit
which this accidental discovery had excited, he permitted several persons
to join in a new projected voyage, among whom was Bartholomew Perestrello,
a nobleman of his household.
Three vessels were soon fitted out[4], which were placed under the
respective commands of Zarco, Vaz, and Perestrello. These commanders had
orders to colonize and cultivate the newly discovered island, and were
furnished with a considerable assortment of useful seeds and plants for
that purpose. They happened likewise to take with them a female rabbit
great with young, which littered during the voyage; and which being let
loose with her progeny, multiplied so rapidly, that, in two years, they
became so numerous as to occasion serious injury to the early attempts at
cultivation, and to baffle every hope of rendering Puerto Santo a place
of refreshment for the Portuguese navigators; insomuch that a resolution
was formed to abandon the newly established settlement. After having
landed the different animals and seeds which had been sent out by Don
Henry, and seeing them properly distributed, Perestrello returned into
Portugal to make a report to the prince, and Zarco and Vaz remained to
superintend the infant colony.
Soon after the departure of Perestrello, the attention of Zarco and Vaz
was strongly excited by observing certain clouds or vapours at a great
distance in the ocean, which continually presented the same aspect, and
preserved exactly the same bearing from Puerto Santo, and at length
occasioned a conjecture, that the appearance might proceed from land in
that quarter. Gonsalvo and Vaz accordingly put to sea and sailed towards
the suspected land, and soon discovered that the appearances which had
attracted their notice actually proceeded from a considerable island
entirely overgrown with wood, to which, on that account, they gave the
name of Madeira[5]. After bestowing considerable attention upon the soil
and other circumstances of this island, which was utterly destitute of
inhabitants, Gonzalvo and Vaz returned to Portugal with the welcome
intelligence, and gave so favourable a report of the extent, fertility,
and salubrity of Madeira, that Don Henry determined to colonize and
cultivate it. Accordingly, with the consent of the king of Portugal, the
island of Madeira was bestowed in hereditary property upon Zarco and Vaz;
one division named _Funchal_ being given to Zarco, and the other moiety,
named _Machico_, to Vaz.
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