Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 16.djvu/310

 and to discouer strange and vnknowne countreyes, being then in Algarbe, gaue direction for the discouery of the coast of Mauritania.

For in those daies none of the Portugals had euer passed the Cape de Non, standing in 29. degrees of latitude. And for the better accomplishing of this discouerie, the aforesaid Don Henry prepared a fleete, and gaue commandement to the chiefe captaines to proceede in discouerie from the aforesaide Cape forward: Which they did.

But when they came to another Cape named Bojador, there was not one of them, that durst goe farther or beyond it: at which fearefull and cowardly faintnes of theirs the Prince was exceedingly displeased.

In the yeere 1417. king Iohn the second reigning in Castile, and his mother Ladie Katharine then vsing the gouernment, one Monsieur Ruben of Bracamonte which was then Admirall of France craued the conquest of the Islands of the Canaries, with the title to be king of them, for a kinsman of his called Monsieur Iohn Betancourt: which being granted him by the Queene, and farther also partly furnished out, he departed from Siuill with a good armie: But the chiefe or principall cause that mooued him to enter into this action, was to discouer and perfectly to take a view of the Island of Madera, whereof Macham before had giuen so much information.

But for all that he went vnto the Canaries, and carried with him a Frier called Mendo to be as Bishop thereof, admitted by Pope Martine the fift. When they were landed they wonne Lancerota, Forteuentura, Gomera, and Ferro: from whence they sent into Spaine many slaues, honie, waxe, Camfora, or Camfire, hides, Orchall, figs, Sanguis Draconis, and other marchandises, whereof they made good profit:

And this armie also as they report, discouered Porto Santo. The Island that they inhabited was Lancerota, where they built in it a castle of stone for their better defence and securitie.

In the yeere 1418. one Iohn Gonzales Zarco, and Tristam Vaz Teixera, householde gentlemen vnto Don Henry the kings third sonne, perceiuing the desire that their master had to discouer new countreyes, and willing in that course to doe him some seruice, craued of him a barke, and licence to vndertake