regulations of Don Henry for the
trade of Guinea, as already stated in Vol. I. p. 204, from which the
present were probably copied.--E.

[7] It is difficult to guess what bay, and who may be the king of the
Chaldeans here alluded to. Perhaps the town of Sofala, the emporium of
the gold trade of Eastern Africa, which was ruled by an Arabian prince
or sheik. By the idolaters in the text, are apparently meant the
Negroes of the interior, where the gold came from by way of Sofala.--E.

[8] This alludes to the Maldives and Lakedives.--E.

SECTION III.

_Letter from Peter Pasquali, orator of the Venetian republic at the court
of the king of Portugal, to his brothers dwelling in Lisbon_[1].

Beloved brothers! I formerly wrote you by Peter Verzo the carrier,
informing you of all the news of this place; and now write again by
Bartholomew Marquesi, the uncle of Dominic Benedicto of Florence, that
you may be informed of our affairs, and may be assured of our desire to
write whenever an opportunity offers. Know, therefore, that the vessel
which was sent out last year towards the north by the king of Portugal
under the command of Caspar Corterato, has now returned. He reports
having discovered a continent about 2000 miles from hence, in a direction
between the north-west and the west, hitherto utterly unknown. He is
likewise said to have sailed almost 800 miles along its coast, without
finding any end; on which account it is considered to be a continent, and
not an island: and its coast appears to join with another land, formerly
discovered almost under the very north[2]. But the vessel was unable to
proceed so far, on account of the sea being frozen, and from excessive
falls of snow. It is concluded, from the number of rivers which descend
from the snowy mountains, that this land must be a continent, as no
island could possibly supply so many rivers. The land is said to be well
cultivated. The houses of the inhabitants are constructed of wood,
covered with hides or the skins of fish. The vessel now arrived has
brought over seven of the natives of both sexes, and the other ship,
which is hourly expected, is said to have fifty. In stature, colour,
appearance, and dress, these people are very like the _Cingani_. They are
clothed in the skins of fish and otters, and other hairy skins like those
of wolves; wearing the fur side inwards in winter, as we do, and outwards
in summer; but these are not fashione