A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 02: Arranged in Systematic Order: Forming a Complete History of the Origin and Progress of Navigation, Discovery, and Commerce, by Sea and Land, from the Earliest Ages to the Present TimeKerr, Robert
History
A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 02: Arranged in Systematic Order: Forming a Complete History of the Origin and Progress of Navigation, Discovery, and Commerce, by Sea and Land, from the Earliest Ages to the Present Time
Kerr, Robert
Voyages and travels
About the year 1433, one Gilianez, a native of Lagos, whom the prince had
entrusted with the command of a vessel, returned from an unsuccessful
attempt to conquer the invincible obstacles which obstructed the passage
round Cape Bojador. He had been driven by stress of weather into one of
the Canary islands, and had imprudently seized some of the inoffending
natives, whom he brought captives to Sagres. Don Henry was much offended
by this conduct of Gilianez, whom he received with much coldness and
reserve; insomuch that Gilianez, on purpose to retrieve the princes
favour, and to make ample amends for the fault he had committed, made a
vow, that if entrusted with a new expedition, he would perish rather than
return unsuccessful in the enterprize which the prince had so much at
heart. The date of the second expedition of Gilianez, in which he
surmounted the terrors and difficulties of Cape Bajador, is variously
referred by different authors to the years 1433 and 1434[7]. However this
may have been, he succeeded in this herculean labour, as it was then
esteemed, and returned with great exultation to Sagres, where he was
again received into the favour and confidence of Don Henry. Contrary to
the assertions, or suppositions rather, of the discontented opposers of
the patriotic and enlightened efforts of Don Henry, Gilianez reported
that the sea beyond Cape Bojador was perfectly susceptible of navigation,
and that the soil and climate were both excellent.
In the following year Gilianez again sailed for the coast of Africa,
accompanied by Alphonzo Gonzales Baldaya[8], cupbearer to the prince. The
weather continued favourable during the voyage, and they were able to
penetrate ninety miles to the south of Cape Bojador. On landing to take a
view of the country, and in search of inhabitants, they found the former
to consist for the most part of an extended desert plain, and they were
much disappointed in not being able to meet with any of the inhabitants,
though they saw evident traces of them in the sand. To the bay in which
they landed they gave the name of Angra dos Ruyvos, or Bay of Gurnets,
from the great abundance of fish resembling gurnets which were taken by
the seamen.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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