Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 16.djvu/308

 might bring them thither: as we see in these our daies, that the Almadie which is but a small boate commeth notwithstanding from Quiloa, Mosambique, and Sofala to the Island of S. Helena, being a small spot of land standing in the maine Ocean off the coast of Bona Sperança so farre separated.

In the yeere 1300. after the comming of Christ the great Soldan of Cayro commanded that the spiceries and drugs, and marchandises of India should be carried through the Red sea, as it was vsed before; at which time they vnladed on the Arabian side, at the hauen of Iuda, and carried them vnto the house at Mecca, and the carriers of it were the pilgrims. So that each Prince vsed a custome to augment the honour, and increase the profite of his countrey.

And these Soldans had speciall regarde to Cayro, from whence the warres were carried vnto the countreys of Egypt, Lybia, Africa, the kingdomes of Tunez, Tremessen, Fez, Marocco, Suz: and some of it was carried beyond the mountaines of Atlas vnto the citie of Tombuto, and the kingdome of the Ialophos; vntill afterwards that the Portugals did bring it about the Cape of Bona Sperança vnto the citie of Lisbone, as in place conuenient we purpose to shew more at large.

In the yeere 1344. king Peter the fourth of that name reigning in Arragon, the Chronicles of his time report, that one Don Luis of Cerda, sonne vnto the sonne of Don Iohn of Cerda, craued aide of him to goe and to conquere the Isles of the Canaries, standing in 28. degrees of latitude to the north, because they were giuen vnto him by Pope Clement the sixt, which was a French man. Whereby in those daies there grew a knowledge of those Islands in all Europe, and specially in Spaine: for such great Princes would not begin nor enterprise things of such moment without great certaintie.

About this time also the Island of Madera was discouered by an Englishman called Macham: who sailing out of England into Spaine, with a woman of his, was driuen out of his direct course by a tempest and arriued in that Island, and cast his anker in that hauen, which now is called Machico after the name of Macham. And bicause