s
cut off got the name of Angra de Gonsalvo de Syntra from him; and this
was the first loss sustained by the Portuguese in their discoveries. In
1446, three caravels were sent out under Antonio Gonsales, Diego Aloizio,
and Gomes Perez; who were ordered to refrain from going to Rio de Oro, to
carry themselves peaceably to the natives, to traffic with them peaceably,
and to endeavour to convert as many infidels as possible to Christianity;
but in this they had no success. In the same year, Dennis Fernandes of
Lisbon, an esquire to the king, entered upon these discoveries, more to
acquire fame than for profit. In the course of his voyage he discovered
the river _Sanaga_ or Senegal, between 15 and 16 degrees of latitude[9];
and proceeding onwards, discovered Cape Verde, in 14 degrees[10], upon
which he erected a wooden cross, and then returned, much elated at the
success of his voyage. In 1447 Nunnez Tristan passed beyond Cape Verde to
Rio Grande, and went beyond that river to another in twelve degrees[11].
He was here taken and slain, with eighteen other Portuguese, and the ship
was brought home in safety by four or five of the crew who escaped the
hands of the negroes.

In this year 1447, a Portuguese ship, in coming through the Straits of
Gibraltar, was forced a great way to the westwards by a violent tempest,
and came to an island having seven cities, the inhabitants of which spoke
the Portuguese language, and they inquired of our mariners if the Moors
still infested Spain, whence their ancestors had fled to avoid the
distresses which occurred subsequent to the death of Don Roderigo, king
of Spain. The boatswain of this ship brought home some of the sand from
this island, and sold it to a goldsmith in Lisbon, who procured from it a
good quantity of gold. Don Pedro, who then governed the realm, being made
acquainted with this circumstance, caused the whole to be recorded in the
house of justice[12]. Some think that this island belonged to what is now
called the Antilles or New Spain; but though their reasons for this
opinion are good, I omit them here, as not connected with my present
purpose.

In the year 1449, King Alphonso granted license to his uncle, Don Henry,
to colonize the Acores, which had been formerly discovered. In the year
1458, this king went into Africa, where he took the town of Alcacer; and
in the year 1461, he commanded Signior Mendez to build the castle of
Arguin, in the island of that name, on the c