497 AND 1525: FROM THE ORIGINAL PORTUGUESE OF HERMAN LOPES DE
CASTANEDA.

INTRODUCTION.

Although, in strict conformity to chronological arrangement, the
discovery of America by COLUMBUS in 1492, ought to precede our account of
the discovery of the maritime route from Europe to India by the
Portuguese, which did not take place until the year 1498; it yet appears
more regular to follow out the series of Portuguese navigation and
discovery to its full completion, than to break down that original and
vast enterprise into fragments. We might indeed have stopt with the first
voyage of De Gama, which effected the discovery of India: But as the
contents of this Chapter consists of what may be considered an authentic
original record, and carries on the operations of the Portuguese in India
to the year 1525, it seemed preferable to retain this curious original
history entire. It is obvious that Castaneda must have used the original
journals of De Gama, and other early Portuguese commanders, or of some
persons engaged in the voyages and transactions; as he often forgets the
historical language, and uses the familiar diction of a person actually
engaged, as will appear in many passages of this Chapter.

The title of this original document, now first offered to the public in
modern English, is "_The first Booke of the Historie of the Discoverie
and Conquest of the East Indias by the Portingals, in the time of King
Don John, the second of that name. By Hernan Lopes de Castaneda;
translated into English by Nicholas Lichefield, and dedicated to Sir
Fraunces Drake. Imprinted at London by Thomas East, 1582_."

Though the transactions here recorded are limited in the title to the
reign of John II. they occupied the reigns of his immediate successor
Emmanuel, or Manuel, and of John III. Castanedas history was printed in
black letter at Coimbra, in eight volumes folio, in the years 1552, 1553,
and 1554, and is now exceedingly scarce. In 1553, a translation of the
first book was made into French by Nicolas de Grouchy, and published at
Paris in quarto. An Italian translation was published at Venice in two
volumes quarto, by Alfonso Uloa, in 1578[1]. That into English by
Lichefield, employed on the present occasion, is in small quarto and
black-letter. The voyage of De Gama is related by De Barros in his work,
entitled Da Asia, and has been described by Osorius, Ramusio, Maffei, and
de Faria. Purchas gives a brief account of it, I. ii. 26.