Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

Country. The King of Caftile afterwards claimed them, as conquered by his Subjects under Betancour and held under the Crown of Caftile by Fealty and Homage; his Claim was allowed, and the Canaries were refigned.

It was the conftant Practice of Henry's Navigators, when they stopped at a defert Ifland, to land Cattle upon it, and leave them to breed, where neither wanting Room nor Food, they multiplied very faft, and furnished a very commodious Supply to those who came afterwards to the fame Place. This was imitated in fome Degree by Anfon, at the Isle of Juan Fernandez.

The Ilands of Madera he not only filled with Inhabitants, affifted by Artificers of every Kind, but procured fuch Plants as feemed likely to flourish in that Climate, and introduced the Sugar Canes and Vines, which afterwards produced a very large Re

venue.

The Trade of Africa now began to be gainful, but a great Part of the Gain arofé from the Sale of Slaves, who were annually brought into Portugal by Hundreds, as Lafitau relates, and relates without any Appearance of Indignation or Compaffion; they likewife imported Gold Duft in fuch Quantities, that Alphonfus V. coined it into a new Species of Money called Crufades, which is ftill continued in Portugal.

In Time they made their Way along the South Coaft of Africa, Eastward to the Country of the Negroes, whom they found living in Tents, without any political Inftitutions, fupporting Life with very little Labour by the Milk of their Kine, and Millet, to which those who inhabited the Coast added Fifh dried in the Sun. Having never seen the Natives or heard of the Arts of Europe, they gazed with Astonishment on the Ships when they approached their Coafts, fometimes thinking them Birds, and fometimes Fifles, according as their

5

Sails

Sails were spread or lowered; and fometimes conceiving them to be only Phantoms, which played to and fro in the Ocean. Such is the Account given by the Hiftorian, perhaps with too much Prejudice against a Negroe's Underftanding; who tho' he might well wonder at the Bulk and Swiftnefs of the firf Ship, would fcarcely conceive it to be either a Bird or a Fish; but having feen many Bodies floating in this Water, would think it what it really is, a large Boat; and if he had no knowledge of any Means by which feparate Pieces of Timber may be joined together, would form very wild Notions concerning its Conftruction, or perhaps fuppofe it to be a hollow Trunk of a Tree, from fome Country where Trees grow to a much greater Height and Thickness than in his own.

When the Portugueze came to land, they encreafed the Aftonishment of the poor Inhabitants, who faw Men clad in Iron, with Thunder and Lightning in their Hands. They did not underftand each other, and Signs are a very imperfect Mode of Communication even to Men of more Knowledge than the Ne groes, fo that they could not eafily negotiate or traffick: At laft the Portugueze laid Hands on fome of them to carry them home for a Sample; and their Dread and Amazement was raifed, fays Lafitau, to the higheft Pitch, when the Europeans fired their Cannons and Mufkets among them, and they faw their Companions fall dead at their Feet without any Enemy at Hand, or any vifible Caufe of their Deftruction.

On what Occafion, or for what Purpofe, Cannons and Mufkets were difcharged among a People harmlefs and fecure, by Strangers who without any Right vifited their Coaft; it is not thought neceflary to inform us. The Portugueze could fear nothing from them, and had therefore no adequate Provocation; nor is there any Reafon to believe but that they mur

dered

dered the Negroes in wanton Merriment, perhaps only to try how many a Volley would deftroy, or what would be the Confternation of thofe that fhould efcape. We are openly told, that they had the lefs Scruple concerning their Treatment of the favage People, because they fcarcely confidered them as diftinct from Beafts; and indeed the Practice of all the European Nations, and among others of the English Barbarians that cultivate the fouthern Iflands of America proves, that this Opinion, however abfurd and foolish, however wicked and injurious, ftill continues to prevail. Intereft and Pride harden the Heart, and it is vain to difpute against Avarice and Power.

By thefe Practices the first Discoverers alienated the Natives from them; and whenever a Ship appeared, every one that could fly betook himfelf to the Mountains and the Woods, fo that nothing was to be got more than they could fteal: They fometimes furprised a few Fishers, and made them Slaves, and did what they could to offend the Negroes, and enrich themselves. This Practice of Robbery continued till fome of the Negroes who had been enflaved learned the Language of Portugal, fo as to be able to interpret for their Countrymen, and one John Fernandez applied himfelf to the Negroe Tongue.

From this Time began fomething like a regular Traffick, fuch as can fubfift between Nations where all the Power is on one Side; and a Factory was fettled in the Ifle of Arguin, under the Protection of a Fort. The Profit of this new Trade was affigned for a certain Term to Ferdinando Gomez; which feems to be the common Method of establishing a Trade that is yet too fmall to engage the Care of a Nation, and can only be enlarged by that Attention which is beftowed by private Men upon private Advantage. Gomez continued the Discoveries to Cape Catharine, two Degrees and a half beyond the Line. VOL. II. N

In

In the latter Part of the Reign of Alphonfo V. the Ardour of Difcovery was fomewhat intermitted, and all commercial Enterprises were interrupted by the Wars, in which he was engaged with various Succefs. But John II. who fucceeded, being fully convinced both of the Honour and Advantage of extending his Dominions in Countries hitherto unknown, profecuted the Designs of Prince Henry with the utmoft Vigour, and in a fhort Time added to his other Titles, that of King of Guinea and of the Coast of Africa.

In 1463, in the third Year of the Reign of John II. died Prince Henry, the firft Encourager of remote Navigation, by whofe Incitement, Patronage, and Example, diftant Nations have been made acquainted with each other, unknown Countries have been brought into general View, and the Power of Europe has been extended to the remoteft Parts of the World. What Mankind has loft and gained by the Genius and Defigns of this Prince, it would be long to compare, and very difficult to eftimate. Much Knowledge has been acquired, and much Cruelty been committed, the Belief of Religion has been very little propagated, and its Laws have been outrageously and enormously violated. The Europeans have fcarcely vifited any Coast, but to gratify Avarice, and extend Corruption; to arrogate Dominion without Right, and practife Cruelty without Incentive. Happy had it then been for the Oppreffed, if the Defigns of Henry had slept in his Bofom, and surely more happy for the Oppreffors. But there is Reafon to hope that out of much Evil Good may be fometimes produced; and that the Light of the Gospel will at laft illuminate the Sands of Africa, and the Defarts of America, though its Progrefs cannot but be flow, when it is fo much obftructed by the Lives of Chriftians.

The

The Death of Henry did not interrupt the Progrefs of King John, who was very diligent in his Injunctions, not only to make Difcoveries, but to fecure Poffeffion of the Countries that were found. The Practice of the firft Navigators was only to raife a Crofs upon the Coaft, and to carve upon Trees the Device of Don Henry, the Name which they thought it proper to give to the new Coaft, and any other Information, for thofe that might happen to follow them; but now they began to erect Piles of Stone, with a Crofs on the Top, and engraved on the Stone, the Arms of Portugal, the Name of the King, and of the Commander of the Ship, with the Day and Year of the Difcovery. This was accounted fufficient to prove their Claim to the new Lands; which might be pleaded with Juflice enough against any other Europeans, and the Rights of the original Inhabitants were never taken into Notice. Of these Stone Records, nine more were erected in the Reign of King John, along the Coast of Africa, as far as the Cape of Good Hope.

The Fortress in the Ifle of Arguin was finished, and it was thought neceffary to build another at S. Georgio de la Mina, a few Degrees North of the Line, to fecure the Trade of Gold Duft, which was chiefly carried on at that Place. For this Purpose a Fleet was fitted out, of ten large, and three smaller Veffels, freighted with Materials for building the Fort, and with Provifions and Ammunition for Six hundred Men, of whom One hundred were Workmen and Labourers. Father Lafitau relates, in very par ticular Terms, that thefe Ships carried hewn Stones, Bricks, and Timber, for the Fort, fo that nothing remained but barely to erect it. He does not feem to confider how fmall a Fort could be made out of the Lading of ten Ships.

The Command of the Fleet was given to Don Diego d'Azambue, who fet fail Dec. 11, 1481, and

[blocks in formation]
« AnteriorContinuar »