Prince Henry moreover was grand master of the Order of Christ, and it behooved him to be stirring. _Navarrete_, _Col. de Viages_, tom. i. p. xxvi.; _Muñoz_, _Hist. Nuevo Mundo_, pp. 33-4. [1415.] Prince Henry began his voyages along the coast of Africa about the year 1415, at which time João de Trasto was sent with vessels to the Canaries. It was Henry's custom to despatch an expedition almost every year, endeavoring each time to advance upon the last, and so finally attain the end of the mystery—whereat the nobles grumbled not a little about useless expense. Obviously progress southward at this rate was very slow, and many years elapsed before Cape Bojador was passed and unknown seas were entered. _Major's Prince Henry_, pp. 64-65. [1416-28.] Meanwhile Pedro, Henry's brother, travelled extensively, journeying through the Holy Land, visiting Rome, Babylon, and even England. Fortunately he found at Venice a copy of Marco Polo's work, and brought it home to Prince Henry. _Galvano's Discov._, pp. 66-7; _Kunstmann_, _Entdeckung Am._, pp. 11, 12. [1418.] Gonzalez and Vaz, who were sent this year by Prince Henry on the regular annual expedition, were driven from their course and rediscovered Porto Santo. _Galvano_, _Discov._, pp. 62-4; _Kunstmann_, _Entdeckung Am._, pp. 11, 12; _Curious and Ent. Voy._, pp. 14, 15. [1419.] Nicolo di Conti, Venetian, spent twenty-five years in India, Mangi, and Java, returning in 1444, and confirming many of Polo's statements. _Discorso sopra il Viaggio di Nicolo di Conti Venetiano_, in _Ramusio_, tom. i. fol. 373. Twice in 1419, if we may credit Navarrete, _Col. de Viages_, tom. i. p. xxvi., did Prince Henry's ships pass seventy leagues beyond Cape Non. [1420.] Gonzalez again embarks from Portugal intending to plant a colony, and guided by one Morales, a survivor of Machin's voyage, rediscovered Madeira. _Navarrete_, _Col. de Viages_, tom. i. pp. xxvi-vii.; _Major's Prince Henry_, pp. 73-7; _Kunstmann_, _Entdeckung Am._, p. 13; _Galvano's Discov._, pp. 63-4; _Aa_, _Naaukeurige Versameling_, tom. i. pt. ii. p. 16. On a certain map dated 1459 is a cape supposed to be Good Hope, with the statement that in 1420 an Indian junk had passed that point from the east; but for this no authority is given. 1431.] The Formigas and Santa María islands of the Azore group were this year discovered by Cabral. Kunstmann, _Entdeckung Am._, p. 15, makes the date August 15, 1432. For details of the discovery and settlement of all the eastern Atlantic islands, see _idem_, pp. 1-25. [1434-6.] Gil Eannes, after an unsuccessful attempt in the preceding year, succeeded in 1434 in doubling Cape Bojador for the first time. Muñoz, _Hist. Nuevo Mundo_, p. 34, makes the date 1433, and Navarrete, _Col. de Viages_, tom. i. p. xxvii., 1423. In 1435 Eannes with Baldaya passed fifty leagues beyond the cape, and in 1436 Baldaya advanced to a point fifty leagues beyond the inlet since known as Rio d'Ouro. [Sidenote: THE SLAVE-TRADE.]