Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 16.djvu/309

 his louer was then seasicke, he there went on land with some of [of] his companie, and in the meane time the ship weyed and put to sea, leauing him there: whereupon his louer for thought died. Macham which greatly loued her, built in the Island a chappell or hermitage to burie her in, calling it by the name of Iesus Chappell: and wrote or graued vpon the stone of her tombe his name and hers, and the occasion whereupon they arriued there. After this he made himselfe a boate all of a tree, the trees being there of a great compasse about, and went to sea in it with those men of his companie that were left with him, and fell with the coast of Africke without saile or oare, and the Moores among whom he came tooke it for a miracle, and presented him vnto the king of that countrey: and that king also admiring the accident, sent him and his company vnto the king of Castile.

In the yeere 1395. king Henrie the third of that name reigning in Castile, the information which Macham gaue of this Island, and also the ship wherein he went thither, mooued many of France and of Castile to goe and discouer it, and the great Canarie: And they which went were principally the Andaluzes, the Biscaines, and the Guepuscoes, carrying with them many people and horses. But I know not whether the charge of that voiage was theirs or the kings.

But by whom soeuer it was set out, they seeme to be the first that discouered the Canaries and landed in them: where also they tooke 150 of the Islanders prisoners. Concerning the time of this discouerie, there is some difference among the writers: for some affirme this to be in the yeere 1405.

The first beginning of the Portugall Discoueries.

The Chronicles of Portugall haue this record, That after the incarnation of Christ 1415. king Iohn the first of that name king of Portugall, departed from the citie of Lisbon with the Prince Don Duarte or Edward, and Don Peter, and Don Henry his sonnes, with other Lords, and nobles of his realme, and sailed into Africa, where he tooke the great citie of Ceuta, standing on the north side thereof betweene 35. and 36. degrees in latitude: which was one of the principall causes of the enlarging of the dominions of Portugall.

When they were come from thence, Henry the kings third sonne, desirous to enlarge the kingdome