Volume 1

A new general collection of voyages and travels. Consisting of the most esteemed relations, which have been hitherto published in any language; comprehending everything remarkable in its kind, in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America.

Date:
1745-1747
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A new general collection of voyages and travels. Consisting of the most esteemed relations, which have been hitherto published in any language; comprehending everything remarkable in its kind, in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    75/764 (page 41)
    l^OO. were, Sancho de Toar, of Cabral's, VefTel; Nicho- a Cabral, las Coello ; Don Luis Coutinno ; Simon de Myfa- randa ; Simon Layton ; Bartholomew Dyas, who difcovered the Cape of Good Hope ; Diego Dyas, (his Brother, who had been Purfer to De Gama in the former Voyage.) The Captains of the Cara- • vels, were Pedro de Ataide, and Vafco de Silveyra. Ayres Correa was Fadfor of the Fleet, and was to remain as fuch at Kalekut. Cabral’5 In- jN cafe the King of Kalekut readily confent- L‘K,'0hi' e(j t0 t]ie fettling of a Factory, Cabral wasfecretly to importune him to prohibit the Moors from trading thither, or in any other of his Ports; and to promife on that Condition, to import from Portugal, the fame Sorts of Commodities, better and cheaper, than thofe the Moors brought. They were alfo to touch at Melinda, on the Coaft of Africa, in order to land the Ambaflador, ('brought from thence by De Gama) and fend the King a Prefent. Brafilfirjl The ninth of March the Fleet fet fail from difcovered. Belem, the King accompanying Cabral to the Water-fide. The eighteenth they came in Sight of the Canaries, and the twenty-fecond pafled by St. Jago. The twenty-eighth De Ataydes Ship was feparated, and no more heard of a. They failed till the twenty-fourth of April, and then difcovered Land ; which lying fo far to the Weft, they concluded was fome Coaft, which De Ga- 7?z%had not feen in his Voyage. The Men who were fent on Shore, brought Word that it was a fruitful Country, full of Trees, and well inha¬ bited. The People were fwarthy, went naked, and ufed Bows and Arrows. At Night a Storm arifing, they ran along the Coaft to feek a Port; which having found, they called Puerto Seguro, or The Safe Port. Here Mafs was faid on Shore, great Numbers of the Natives aftembling to look on, who were very civil and merry. They trucked Parrots for Paper and Cloth. fUabral called this Country Tierra de Santa Cruz, from the Stone Crofs he erected, which after took the Name of Braftl. Here he left two banilhed Men, to inform themfelves concerning the Coun¬ try, and fent a Letter to Portugal, to acquaint the King with this new Difcovery. A Comet and MAY the fecond, they departed for the Cape Stupendous of Good Hope, and the twelfth there appeared a Storm. Comet in the Eaft, which for ten Days continu¬ ally encreafed, and was vifible both Day and Night. This was the Forerunner of a violent Storm, which rofe the twenty-third in the North- Eaft, mixed with Rain; it was fucceeded at Night by a Calm. On the twenty-eighth it bluftered again, that they were forced to take in their Sails: But a Water-fpout appearing to the 1500. North-Eaft, and a Calm enfuing, they not be- Cabral, ing acquainted with fuch a Phaenomenon took it NJ for a Sign of fair Weather; when on a fudden fo furious a Wind fprung up, that not having Time to furl their Sails, four Ships perifhed with all their Men, among whom was Bartholomezv Dy¬ as, the Difcoverer of the Cape of Good Hope: The other feven remained half full of Water, and had funk, but that their Sails were torn. The Wind ' veering to the South-Weft, the Storm ftill con¬ tinued ; and in this Manner they were toft about for two Days without Sails, the Day being fo dark, that the Ships could not fee one another. Every Moment they expected to be fwallowed up : But the third Day the Wind abating, the Fleet join¬ ed again, and they began to hope all was over; when prefently after, the Wind coming about to the Eaft and North-Eaft, began to blow with greater Fury than ever, and the Waves to fwell : as high as Monntains: So that one Moment the Ships feemed to be tolled above the Clouds, and the next to be plunged in the Bottom of the Deep. This dreadful Tempeft continued for twenty Days together; in the Day the Water looked as black as Pitch, and at Night appeared like Flames of Fire. At length the Winds abating, they found pafs the they had pafled the Cape of Good Hope during theCaPe- Storm, which however had feparated four of the 1 Ships. The fixteenth of July they fell in clofe with the Coaft of Africa in twenty-feven Degrees South, which appeared to be populous; yet none of the Natives came to look at them, nor would the General fuffer his Men to land, having no Hopes of getting Provifion there. Running on along the Shore, and being near Sofala (with which as yet the Pilot was not acquainted) they faw two Iflands, and near one of them two Ships at Anchor, which, on Sight of the Portugueze, e made towards Shore ; but being purfued, were o- vertaken, and yielded without Refiftance. They belonged to Moors, and came from the Mine of Sofala, laden for Melinda with Gold, moft of which they threw into the Sea in their Flight. The General treated the Commander courteouf- ly, exprefied Sorrow for his Lofs, and reftored all that was taken, as being a Relation of the King of Melinda b, who was a Friend of the Portu¬ gueze. f The Moor being willing to recover his Gold ** again, afked Cabral if he had any Witches a-^-10* board, who might conjure it up from the Bot¬ tom of the Sea. The General anfwered, that the Chriftians neither pradtifed nor believed in 1 De Faria fays, it was feparated near Cape Verde, in a Storm, and returned to Portugal. ftys, he was Uncle to that King, and named Sheikh Foteyma. Vol. I, N° 2, G b De Faria Witch-