of the equinoctial line; and, after their continued exertions for half a century, hardly fifteen hundred miles of the coaft of Africa were discovered. To an age acquainted with the efforts of navigation in its ftate of maturity and improvement, thofe effays of its early years must neceffarily appear feeble and unfkilful. (From 1412. to 1463.) But, inconfiderable as they may be deemed, they were fufficient to turn the curiofity of the European nations into a new channel, to excite an enterprising spirit, and to point the way to future discoveries.

The paffion for difcovery languifhes for fome time.

Alphonfo, who pofleffed the throne of Portugal at the time of prince Henry's death. was fo much engaged in fupporting his own pretenfions to the crown of Caftile, or in carrying on his expeditions against the Moors in Barbary, that the force of his kingdom being exerted in other operations, he could not profecute the difcoveries in Africa with ardour. He committed the conduct of them to Fernando Gomez, a merchant in Lifoon, to whom he granted an exclufive right of commerce with all the countries of which prince Henry had taken poffeffion. Under the refraint and oppreffion of a monopoly, the spirit of discovery languifhed. It ceafed to be a national object, and became the concern of a private man, mo

re attentive to his own gain, than to the glory of his country. Some progrefs, however, was made. (1471.) The Portuguese ventured at length to cross the line, and, to their aftonishment, found that region of the torrid zone, which was fuppofed to be fcorched with intolerable heat, to be not only habitable, but populous and fertile.

Revives with additional ardour. (1481.)

John II. who fucceeded his father Alphonfo poffeffed talents capable both of forming and executing great defigns. As part of his revenues, while prince, had arisen from duties on the trade with the newly discovered countries, this naturally turned his attention towards them, and fatisfied him with refpe&t to their utility and importance. In proportion as his knowledge of these countries extended, the poffeffion of them appeared to be of greater confequence. While the portuguese proceeded along the coaft of Africa, from Cape Non to the river of Senegal, they found all that extenfive tract to be fandy, barren, and thinly inhabited by a wretched people profeffing the Mahometan religion, and subject to the vaft empire of Morocco. But to the fouth of that river, the power and religion of the Mahometans were unknown. The country was divided into fmall independent principalities, the population was

confiderable, the foil fertile z), and the Portuguese foon difcovered that it produced ivory, rich gums, gold, and other valuable commodities. By the acquifition of thefe,, commerce was enlarged, and became more adventurous. Men, animated and rendered active by the certain profpect of gain, purfued difcovery with greater eagerness, than when they were excited only by curiofity and hope.

Its progrefs.

A

This fpirit derived no small reinforcement of vigour from the countenance of fuch a monarch as John. Declaring himhelf the patron of every attempt towards difcovery, he promoted it with all the ardour of his grand uncle prince Henry, and with fuperior power. (1484) The effects of this were immediately felt. powerful fleet was fitted out, which, after discovering the kingdoms of Benin and Congo, advanced above fifteen hundred miles beyond the line, and the Portuguese, for the first time, beheld a new heaven, and obferved the stars of another hemifphere. John was not only folicitous to difcover, but attentive to fecure the poffeffion of those countries. He built forts on the coaft of Guinea; he fent out colonies to "fettle there; he established a commercial in

z) Navigatio Aloyfii Cadamufti apud Novum Orbem Grynaei' P. 2. 18. Navigaz, all Ifola di San Tome per un Pilott Portugh. Ramufio. 1. 115.

V

tercourfe with the more powerful kingdoms;
he endeavoured to render fuch as were feeble
or divided, tributary to the crown of Portugal.
Some of the petty princes voluntarily acknow-
ledged themselves his vaffals. Others were
compelled to do fo by force of arms.
A re-
gular and well digefted fyftem was formed
with respect to this new object of policy, and
by firmly adhering to it, the Portuguese power
and commerce in Africa were established upon
a folid foundation.

Hopes of difcovering a new route to the Eaft Indies.

By their conftant intercourfe with the people of Africa, the Portuguese gradually acquired fome knowledge of thofe parts of that country which they had not vifited. The information which they received from the natives, added to what they had obferved in their own voyages, began to open profpects more extenfive, and to fuggeft the idea of fchemes more important, than thofe which had hitherto allured and occupied them. They had detected the error of the ancients concerning the nature of the torrid zone. They found, as they proceeded fouthwards, that the continent of Africa, inftead of extending in breadth, according to the doctrine of Ptolemy a), at that time the oracle and guide of the learned in the fcience

a) Vide Nov. Orbis Tabul. Geograph. fecund. Ptolem. Amst.

of geography, appeared fenfibly to contract itself, and to bend towards the eaft. This induced them to give credit to the accounts of the ancient Phenician voyages round Africa, which had long been deemed fabulous, and led them to conceive hopes that by following the fame route, they might arrive at the Eaft Indies, and engrofs that commerce, which has been the fource of wealth and power to every nation poffeffed of it. The comprehenfive genius of prince Henry, as we may conjecture from the words of the pope's bull, had early formed fome idea of this navigation. All the Portuguese pilots and mathematicians now concurred in representing it as practicable.

The king entered with warmth into their fentiments, and began to concert measures for this arduous and important voyage.

Schemes for accomplishing this.

Before his preparations for this expedition were finished, accounts were tranfmitted from Africa, that various nations along the coaft had mentioned a mighty kingdom fituated on their continent, at a great diftance towards the east, the king of which, according to their defcription, profeffed the Chriftian religion. The Portuguese monarch immediately concluded, that this must be the emperor of Abyffinia, to whom the Europeans, feduced by a mistake of Rubruquis, Marco Polo, and other travellers