The Date Of This Papal Grant Does Not Certainly Appear.
De Barros
and Lafitau are of opinion that it must have been posterior to 1440;
Purchas places it in 1441; and de Guyon in 1444.
But Martin V. died in
1431; and these writers seem to have confounded the original grant from
that pontiff, with subsequent confirmations by his successors Eugenius IV.
Nicholas V. and Sextus IV[9].
The gradual progress of these discoveries were interrupted for a time by
an unsuccessful attempt of Edward I. or _Duarte_, king of Portugal, to
gain possession of Tangier in the kingdom of Fez. But the history of this
war, in which the Portuguese arms suffered much misfortune and dishonour,
are quite irrelevant to the present subject. The plague likewise, which
raged at Lisbon in 1438, contributed to the suspension of the patriotic
enterprizes of Don Henry. At length, in 1440, Don Henry resumed his
project of maritime discovery, and dispatched two caravels from Sagres,
which were forced back by unfavourable weather, apparently without even
reaching the coast of Africa.
In 1441, a young officer named Antonio Gonzales made a voyage in a small
vessel, with a crew of twenty-one men, to the island where so great a
number of sea wolves had been seen in the former voyage of Alphonzo
Gonzales Baldaya in 1435. In this voyage Alphonzo Gotterez, a gentleman
of the bed-chamber to Don Henry, acted as secretary, and the two
adventurers were instructed to endeavour to obtain an account of the
country and its inhabitants, and to procure a cargo of the skins of the
seals or sea wolves, that the voyage might not be entirely destitute of
some commercial advantages. After accomplishing this part of his
instructions, Gonzales determined to use his utmost efforts for procuring
some of the inhabitants of the country to carry back with him to Sagres.
For this purpose, he landed at the beginning of the night with nine
associates, and having advanced about ten miles into the interior,
discovered a native following a camel. The sudden appearance of the
Portuguese rendered the astonished Moor perfectly motionless, and before
he could recover from his surprize he was seized by Gotterez. On their
return to the shore with their prisoner, they traced some recent
footsteps on the sand, which led them in view of about forty natives, who
withdrew to an adjoining hill, but the Portuguese secured a female Moor
who had strayed from the party. With these two prisoners they returned to
their vessel, not choosing to run any unnecessary risk, or to make any
needless attack upon the natives, which was contrary to the express
orders of Don Henry.
When preparing next morning to set sail on their return to Portugal,
another Portuguese ship arrived, which was commanded by Nuno Tristan, a
gentleman of the princes household. Encouraged by this reinforcement, a
second expedition into the interior was immediately resolved upon, in
which Nuno Tristan, Diego de Vigliadores, and Gonzales de Cintra, joined
with Alphonzo Gonzales and Alphonzo Gotterez. Advancing again under night,
they soon perceived a party of the natives whom they immediately attacked,
shouting out Portugal! Portugal! San Jago! San Jago! The Moors were at
first stupified with fear and surprise; but recovering from their panic,
a struggle ensued, in which three of the Moors were slain, and ten made
prisoners, the Portuguese being indebted for their safety to their
defensive armour. After endeavouring, in vain, to establish an
intercourse with the Moors for the redemption of the prisoners, Alphonzo
Gonzales returned to Sagres with a cargo of skins and the Moorish
prisoners, and was honourably rewarded by his discerning master. The
place of this exploit was named Puerto del Cavallero, or the Knights
Harbour, on occasion of Gonzales being there knighted by Nuno Tristan.
After careening his vessel, Nuno Tristan proceeded along the coast
according to his orders, and reached a cape in lat. 20 deg. 50' N. to which
he gave the name of Cabo Branco, or the White Cape, on account of the
whiteness of its cliffs. He there landed and found some fishing nets on
the shore; but after repeated incursions into the country, being unable
to meet with any of the natives, he made a survey of the coast, and
returned to Portugal with an account of his proceedings.
Three of the prisoners carried to Portugal by Gonzales were Moors of some
rank and considerable opulence; who each promised to pay ransoms for
their safe return to their native country, and to give, besides, six or
seven slaves each to the captors. Don Henry, as grand master of the order
of Christ, was eager for the acquisition of so many converts from the
religion of Mahomet, and was in hopes that the favourable report which
the Moors might make on their return to Africa, would induce the natives
to enter into trade with his navigators; and that, among the slaves which
were to be given in exchange, some certain knowledge might be acquired of
the burning regions of Africa, about which such strange reports were then
prevalent. Antonio Gonzales was therefore dispatched on another voyage in
1442, accompanied by a German gentleman named Balthazar, who had
distinguished himself in the late unfortunate attempt on Tangier, and who
was anxious to carry home some account of the newly discovered countries.
After being forced to return to port, to repair the damages they had
sustained in a dreadful tempest, they again sailed, and reached the coast
where the Moors had been made prisoners. The principal Moor was landed,
and was received with great deference and respect by his countrymen; but
he forgot all his promises on regaining his liberty, and never returned
to pay the ransom he had bargained for. It would appear, however, that he
had informed the natives of the return of the other two chiefs; as at the
end of nine days, above an hundred natives appeared on the coast, and
entered into treaty for the ransom of their two countrymen who remained
captives, and for whom ten negroes, natives of different parts of Africa,
were given in exchange.
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