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this Outrage with great Sorrow, but did not attempt to punish the Murderer.

The King's Concern for the Restoration of Bemoin was not the mere Effect of amicable Kindness, he hoped by his Help to facilitate greater Defigns. He now began to form Hopes of finding a Way to the Eaft-Indies, and of enriching his Country by that gainful Commerce: This he was encouraged to believe practicable, by a Map which the Moors had given to Prince Henry, and which fubfequent Difcoveries have fhewn to be fufficiently near to Exactnefs, where a Paffage round the South-eaft Part of Africa, was evidently defcribed.

The King had another Scheme yet more likely to engage Curiofity, and not irreconcileable with his Intereft. The World had for fome Time been filled with the Report of a powerful Christian Prince called Prefier John, whofe Country was unknown, and whom fome, after Paulus Venetus, fuppofed to reign in the Midst of Afia, and others in the Depth of Ethiopia, between the Ocean and Red-fea. The Account of the African Chriftians was confirmed by fome Abiffinians who had travelled into Spain, and by fome Friars that had vifited the Holy Land; and the King was extremely defirous of their Correfpon

dence and Alliance.

Some obfcure Intelligence had been obtained, which made it feem probable that a Way might be found from the Countries lately difcovered, to thofe of this far famed Monarch. In 1486, an Ambaffador came from the King of Bemin, to defire that Preachers might be fent to inftruct him and his Subjects in the true Religion. He related that in the inland Country, three hundred and fifty Leagues Eastward from Benin, was a mighty Monarch called Ogane, who had Jurifdiction both spiritual and temporal over other Kings; that the King of Bemin and his Neighbours at their Accef

fion, fent Ambaffadors to him with rich Prefents, and received from him the Inveftiture of their Dominions, and the Marks of Sovereignity, which were a Kind of Scepter, a Helmet, and a Latten Crofs, without which they could not be confidered as lawful Kings; that this great Prince was never feen, but on the Day of Audience, and then held out one of his Feet to the Ambaffador, who kiffed it with great Reverence, and who at his Departure had a Crofs of Latten hung on his Neck, which ennobled him thenceforward, and exempted him from all fervile Offices.

Bemoin had likewife told the King that to the Eaft of the Kingdom of Tembut, there was among other Princes, one that was neither Mahometan nor Idolater, but who feemed to profefs a Religion nearly refembling the Chriftian. These Informations compared with each other, and with the current Accounts of Prefter John, induced the King to an Opinion, which though formed fomewhat at hazard, is ftill believed to be right, that by paffing up the River Senegal his Dominions would be found. It was therefore ordered that when the Fortress was finifhed, an Attempt should be made to pafs upward to the Source of the River. The Defign failed then, and has never yet fucceeded.

Other Ways likewife were tried of penetrating to the Kingdom of Prefer John, for the King refolved to leave neither Sea or Land unfearched till he fhould be found. The two Meffengers who were fent first on this Defign, went to Jerufalem and then returned, being perfuaded that for Want of understanding the Language of the Country, it would be vain or impoffible to travel farther. Two more were then difpatched, one of whom was Pedro de Covillan, the other Alphonfo de Paiva; they paffed from Naples to Alexandria, and then travelled to Cairo, from whence they went to Aden, a Town

of

of Arabia, on the Read Sea near its Mouth. From Aden, Paiva fet Sail for Ethiopia, and Covillan for the Indies. Covillan vifited Canavar, Calicut, and Goa in the Indies, and Sofula in the eaftern Africa, thence he returned to Aden, and then to Cairo, where he had agreed to meet Paiva. At Cairo he was informed that Paiva was dead, but he met with two Portugueze Jews, one of whom had given the King an Account of the Situation and Trade of Ormus: They brought Orders to Covillan, that he fhould fend one of them home with the Journal of his Travels, and go to Ormus with the other.

Covillan obeyed the Orders, fending an exact Account of his Adventures to Lisbon, and proceeding with the other Meflenger to Ormus; where having made fufficient Enquiry, he fent his Companion homewards with the Caravans that were going to Aleppo, and embarking once more on the Red Sea, arrived in Time at Abiffinia, and found the Prince whom he had fought fo long with fo much Danger.

Two Ships were fent out upon the fame Search, of which Bartholomew Diaz had the chief Command; they were attended by a fmaller Veffel laden with Provifions, that they might not return upon Pretence of Want either felt or feared.

Navigation was now brought nearer to Perfection. The Portugueze claim the Honour of many Inventions by which the Sailor is affifted, and which enable him to leave Sight of Land, and commit himfelf to the boundless Ocean. Diaz had Orders to proceed beyond the River Zaire, where Diego Can had stopped, to build Monuments of his Difcoveries, and to leave upon the Coafts Negroe Men and Women well inftructed, who might Enquire after Prefter John, and fill the Natives with Reverence for the Portuguese.

In his

Diaz with much Oppofition from his Crew, whofe Mutinies he repreffed partly by Softnefs and partly by Steadinefs, failed on till he reached the utmoft Point of Africa, which from the bad Weather that he met there, he called Cabo Tormentofo, or The Cape of Storms. He would have gone forward, but his Crew forced him to return. Way he met the Victualler, from which he had been parted nine Months before of the nine Men which were in it at the Separation, fix had been killed by the Negroes, and of the three remaining, one died for Joy at the Sight of his Friends. Diaz returned to Lisbon in December 1487, and gave an Account of his Voyage to the King, who ordered the Cape of Storms to be called thenceforward Cabo de buena Esperanza, or The Cape of Good Hope.

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Some Time before the Expedition of Diaz, the River Zaire and the Kingdom of Congo had been difcovered by Diego Can, who found a Nation of Negroes who fpoke a Language which thofe that were in his Ships could not understand. He landed, and the Natives whom he expected to fly like the other Inhabitants of the Coaft, met them with Confidence, and treated them with Kindnefs; but Diego, finding that they could not underftand each other, feized fome of their Chiefs, and carried them to Portugal, leaving fome of his own People in their Room to learn the Language of Congo.

The Negroes were foon pacificed, and the Portuguese left to their Mercy were well treated, and as they by Degrees grew able to make themfelves understood, recommended themselves, their Nation, and their Religion. The King of Portugal fent Diego back in a very fhort Time with the Negroes whom he had forced away; and when they were fet fafe on Shore, the King of Congo conceived fo

much

much Efteem for Diego, that he fent one of thofe who had returned, back again in his Ship to Lisbon, with two young Men dispatched as Ambaffadors, to defire Inftructors to be fent for the Conversion of his Kingdom.

The Ambaffadors were honourably received, and baptized with great Pomp, and a Fleet was immediately fitted out for Congo, under the Command of Gonsalvo Sorza, who dying in his Paffage, was fucceeded in Authority by his Nephew Roderige.

When they came to Land, the King's Uncle, who commanded the Province, immediately requefted to be folemnly initiated in the Chriftian Religion, which was granted to him and his young Son, on Eafter Day 1491. The Father was named Manuel, and the Son Antonio. Soon afterward the King, Queen, and eldest Prince received at the Font, the Names of John, Eleanor, and Alphonfo ; and a War breaking out, the whole Army was admitted to the Rites of Chriftianity, and then fent against the Enemy. They returned victorious, but foon forgot their Faith, and formed a Confpiracy to restore Paganism; a powerful Oppofition was raifed by Infidels and Apoftates, headed by one of the King's younger Sons; and the Miffionaries had been deftroyed had not Alphonfo pleaded for them and for Chriftianity.

The Enemies of Religion now became the Enemies of Alphonfo, whom they accufed to his Father of Difloyalty. His Mother, the Queen Eleanor, gained Time by one Artifice after another, till the King was calmed; he then heard the Cause again, declared his Son innocent, and punished his Accufers with Death.

The King died foon after, and the Throne was difputed by Alphonfa, fupported by the Chriftians, and Aquitimo his Brother, followed by the

Infidels.

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