The Exact Date Of This
Voyage Is Nowhere Given; But As The Death Of Don Henry Is Mentioned In
The Narrative, It Probably Took Place In That Year, 1463.
[1] So called from the number of hawks which were seen on these islands
when first discovered, _Acor_ signifying a hawk in the Portuguese
language; hence Acores or Acoras, pronounced Azores, signifies the
Islands of Hawks.
- Clarke.
[2] Peripl. of the Erythr. Sea, 193.
[3] Hist. of the Disc. of India, prefixed to the translation of the Lusiad,
I. 158.
CHAPTER IV.
ORIGINAL JOURNALS OF THE VOYAGES OF CADA MOSTO, AND PIEDRO DE CINTRA TO
THE COAST OF AFRICA; THE FORMER IN THE YEARS 1455 AND 1456, AND THE
LATTER SOON AFTERWARDS[1].
INTRODUCTION.
Alvise Da Cada Mosto, a Venetian, in the service of Don Henry of Portugal,
informs us in his preface, that he was the first navigator from the
_noble city of Venice_, who had sailed on the ocean beyond the Straits of
Gibraltar, to the southern parts of Negroland, and Lower Ethiopia. These
voyages at Cada Mosto are the oldest extant in the form of a regular
journal, and were originally composed in Italian, and first printed at
Venice in 1507. This first edition is now exceedingly scarce, but there
is a copy in the kings library, and another in the valuable collection
made by Mr Dalrymple. These voyages were afterward published by Ramusio
in 1613, and by Grynaeus in Latin. The latter was misled in regard to the
date; which he has inadvertently placed in 1504, after the death of
Prince Henry, and even subsequent to the discovery of the Cape of Good
Hope by Bernal Diaz. Even Ramusio, in his introduction to the voyages of
Cada Mosto, has made a mistake in saying that they were undertaken by the
orders of John king of Portugal, who died in 1433.
Ramusio imagined that the discoveries of Cada Mosto might tend to great
importance, as he considered the rivers Senegal and Rio Grande to be
branches of the Niger, by which means the Europeans might open a trade
with the rich kingdoms of Tombuto and Melli on that river, and thus bring
gold from the countries of the Negroes, by an easier, safer, and more
expeditious manner, than as conveyed by the Moors of Barbary by land,
over the vast and dangerous deserts that intervene between the country on
the Niger and Senegal rivers, and Barbary. As, by the account of Leo,
salt is the most valuable commodity throughout the countries of the
Negroes, Ramusio proposed that the ships should take in cargoes of salt
at the island of _Sal_, one of the Cape de Verds, and thence supply the
countries on the Niger, which was reported to be navigable for 500 miles
into the interior; and that they should bring back gold and slaves in
return; the latter to be brought to market at St Jago, another of the
Cape de Verd islands, where they would be immediately bought up for the
West Indies. All this fine speculation, however, rested on mistaken
foundations; as the Niger is altogether an inland river, running to the
east, and has no communication with the Senegal and Gambia, which run
west into the Atlantic. Yet time, and the civilization of the natives on
the Senegal and Gambia, may hereafter realize this scheme of a valuable
traffic into the interior of Africa; but it is fervently to be hoped,
that the trade in slaves may never be revived.
In his preface, after an apology for his performance, and making a
declaration of his strict adherence to truth in all the particulars he
relates, Cada Mosto gives some account of the infant Don Henriquez, or
Henry, of Portugal, the great author and promoter of maritime discoveries.
He praises him, as a prince of a great soul and sublime genius, and of
great skill in astronomy; and adds, that he applied himself entirely to
the service of Christ, by making war against the Moors. While on death-
bed, in 1432, Don John, king of Portugal, exhorted his son Don Henry to
pursue his laudable and holy purpose, of _persecuting_ the enemies of the
Christian faith, which he promised to perform; and, accordingly, with the
assistance of his brother Don Duarte, or Edward, who succeeded to the
throne of Portugal, he made war in Fez with success for many years.
Afterwards, the more effectually to harass the Moors, he used to send his
caravels, or ships of war, annually, to scour the coasts of Azafi, or Al
Saffi, and Messa, on the coast of Africa, without the Mediteranean, by
which he did them much damage. But, having in view to make discoveries
along that western coast, he ordered them every year to advance farther
towards the south. They accordingly proceeded till they came to a great
cape, which put a stop to their progress southwards for several years,
being afraid to go beyond it; whence it took the name it still retains of
Cape Non[2]; meaning, that such as went beyond should never return. Don
Henry, however, was of a different opinion, and adding three other
caravels to those which had been at the cape, sent them again next year
to make the attempt. They accordingly penetrated about 100 miles beyond
that cape, where they found only a sandy coast with no habitations, and
returned back to Portugal.
Encouraged by this commencement of successful progress, Don Henry sent
the same fleet back next year, with orders to extend their discoveries
150 miles farther to the south, and even more if they found it proper;
and promised to enrich all who should embark in this navigation. They
went again; and, although they obeyed the instructions of the prince,
they could not improve the discoveries. Yet, firmly persuaded by the
strength of his own judgment, that people and habitations would certainly
be found at length, Don Henry continued to send out his caravels from
time to time, and they came at length to certain coasts frequented by the
Arabs of the desert, and to the habitations of the Azanaghi, a tawny race.
Thus the countries of the negroes were discovered; and different nations
afterwards, which will be mentioned in the following relation.
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