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fome reparation to their country for their own With this view, Emmanuel, who inherited the enterprifing genius of his predeceffors, perfifted in their grand scheme of opening a paffage to the Eaft Indies by the Cape of Good Hope; and foon after his acceffion to the throne, equipped a fquadron for that important voyage. He gave the command of it to Vafco de Gama, a man of noble birth, poffeffed of virtue, prudence and courage, equal to the ftation. The fquadron, like all thofe fitted out for discovery in the infancy of navigation, was extremely feeble, confifting only of three veffels, of neither burden nor force adequate to the fervice. As the Europeans were at that time little acquainted with the courfe of the trade-winds and periodical monfoons, which render navigation in the Atlantic ocean, as well as in the sea that feparates Africa from India, at fome feafons eafy, and at others not only dangerous, but almoft inpracticable, the time chofen for Gama's departure was the moft improper during the whole year. (1497) He fet fail from Lifbon on the ninth of July, and fanding towards the fouth, had to ftruggle for four months with contrary winds, before he could reach the Cape of Good Hope. (Nov. 20.) Here their violence began to abate; and during an interval of calm weather, Gama doubled that formidable promontory, which had fo long been the boundary of navigation, and directed his courfe towards the north-east,

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along the African coaft. He touched at feveral ports; and after various adventures, which the Portuguese hiftorians relate with high but just encomiums upon his conduct and intrepidity, he came to anchor before the city of Melinda. Throughout all the vaft countries which extend along the coast of Africa, from the river Senegal to the confines of Zanguebar, the Portuguese had found a race of men rude and uncultivated, ftrangers to letters, to arts and commerce, and differing from the inhabitants of Europe, no lefs in their features and complexion, than in their manners and inftitutions. As they advanced from this, they obferved, to their inexpreffible joy, that the human form gradually altered and improved, the Afiatic features began to predominate, marks of civilization appeared, letters were known, the Mahometan religion was established, and a commerce, far from being inconfiderable, was carried on. At that time feveral veffels from India were in the port of Melinda. Gama now purfued his voyage with almost abfolute certainty of fuccefs, and, under the conduct of a Mahometan pilot, arrived at Calecut, upon the coaft of Malabar, on the twenty-fecond of May one thoufand four hundred and ninety eight. What he beheld of the wealth, the populoufnefs, the cultivation, the industry and arts of this highly civilized country, far furpaffed any idea that he had formed, from the imperfect accounts which the EuroROBERTSON Vol. I.

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peans had hitherto received of it. But as he poffeffed neither fufficient force to attempt a fettlement, nor proper commodities with which he could carry on commerce of any confequence, he haftened back to Portugal, with an account of his fuccefs in performing a voyage the longeft, as well as moft difficult, that had ever been made fince the firft invention of navigation. He landed at Lifbon on the fourteenth of September one thousand four hundred and ninetynine, two years two months and five days from the time he left that port a).

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Thus, during the courfe of the fifteenth century, mankind made greater progress in exploring the state of the habitable globe, than in all the ages which had elapfed previous to that period. The fpirit of discovery, feeble at first and cautious, moved, within a very narrow fpheand made its efforts with hefitation and timidity. Encouraged by fuccefs, it became adventurous, and boldly extended its operations. In the courfe of its progreffion, it continued to acquire vigour, and advanced at length with a rapidity and force which burft through all the limits within which ignorance and fear had hitherto circumfcribed the activity or the human race. Almoft fifty years were employed by the Portuguese in creeping along the coaft of Africa from Cape Non to Cape de Verd, the latter of which lies only twelve degrees to the south of a) Ramufio, yol, i. 119. D.

the former. In lefs than thirty years they ventured beyond the equinoctial line into another hemifphere, and penetrated to the fouthern extremity of Africa, at the distance of fourty-nine degrees from Cape de Verd. During the laft feven years of the century, a New World was difcovered in the west, not inferior in extent to all the parts of the earth with which mankind were at that time acquainted. In the east, unknown feas and countries were found out, and a communication, long defired, but hitherto concealed, was opened between Europe and the opulent regions of India. In comparison with events fo wonderful and unexpected, all that had hitherto been deemed great or fplendid, faded away and difappeared. Vaft objects now presented themfelves. The human mind, rouzed and interested by the profpe&t, engaged with ardour in pursuit of them, and exerted its active powers in a new direction.

Difcoveries carried on in Spain by private adventurers.

This fpirit of enterprife, though but newly awakened in Spain, began foon to operate extenfively. All the attempts towards difcovery made in that kingdom, had hitherto been carried on by Columbus alone, and at the expence of the fovereign. But now private adventurers, allured by the magnificent defcriptions he gave of the regions which he had vifited, as well as by the fpecimens of their wealth which he pro

duced, offered to fit out fquadrons at their own rifk, and to go in queft of new countries. The Spanish court, whose scanty revenues were exhausted by the charge of its expeditions to the New World, which, though they opened vaft profpects of future benefit, yielded a very sparing return of present profit, was extremely willing to devolve the burden of discovery upon its fubjects. It feized with joy an opportunity of rendering the avarice, the ingenuity and efforts of projectors, inftrumental in promoting defigns of certain advantage to the public, though of doubtful fuccefs with refpect to themselves.

Ojeda the first of these.

One of the first propofitions of this kind was made by Alonfo de Ojeda, a gallant and active officer, who had accompanied Columbus in his fecond voyage. His rank and character procured him fuch credit with the merchants of Seville, that they undertook to equip four fhips, provided he could obtain the royal licence, authorifing the voyage. The powerful patronage of the bishop of Badajos eafily fecured fuccefs in a fuit fo agreable to the court. Without confulting Columbus, or regarding the rights and jurifdiction which he had acquired by the capitulation in one thousand four hundred and ninety-two, Ojeda was permitted to fet out for the New World. In order to direct his course, the bishop communicated to him the Admiral's

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