lagration of nearly twenty miles circumference, which
continued to spread for a considerable time, in spite of every effort
to arrest its progress.--E.

[7] De Barros; Lafitan; Vincent, in the Periplus of the Erythrean sea;
Meikle, in his translation of the Lusiad. Harris, in his Collection,
Vol. I. p. 663, postpones this discovery to the year 1439.--Clarke.

[8] In Purchas this person is named Antonio Gonsalvo; but the authority of
Clarke, I. 188, is here preferred.--E.

[9] Progr. of Nav. Disc. I. 184.

[10] This tribe of Assenhaji, or Azanaghi, are the Zenhaga of our maps,
and the Sanhagae of Edrisi and Abulfeda. They are at present
represented as inhabiting at no great distance from the coast of
Africa, between the rivers Nun and Senegal.--Cl.

[11] No such name occurs in the best modern charts, neither is there a
river of any consequence on the coast which answers to the distance.
The first large river to the south of the Nuno is the Mitomba, or
river of Sierra Liona, distant about 130 maritime miles.--E.

SECTION VI.

_Discovery and Settlement of the Acores_[1].

These nine islands, called the Acores, Terceras, or Western islands, are
situated in the Atlantic, 900 miles west from Portugal, at an almost
equal distance from Europe, Africa, and America. The Flemings pretend
that they were discovered by a navigator of their nation, John Vanderberg,
who sailed from Lisbon in 1445 or 1449. Santa Maria, one of these islands,
250 leagues west from Cape St Vincent, was first seen on the 15th August
1432, by Cabral, who sailed under the orders of Don Henry. San Miguel was
taken possession of by the same navigator on the 8th May 1444; and Ponta
Delgada its capital, received its charter from Emanuel in 1449. Tercera
was given to Jacome de Brujes in 1450, by Don Henry, in which year St
George was discovered. Pico and Gracioso were discovered about the same
time. Perhaps Fayal may actually have been first explored, as many of the
inhabitants are of Flemish descent, under the command and protection of
the Portuguese. Flores and Corvo, which lie seventy leagues west from
Tercera, are not reckoned among the Acores by some writers. In this
latter island, the Portuguese pretend that there was discovered an
equestrian statue made from one block of stone. The head of the man was
bare, his left hand rested on the mane of his horse, and his right
pointed towards the _west_, as if i