ANNALS 



OF THE 



SOUTH AFRICAN MUSEUM 



(VOL. XIII.) 



1. Inscriptions left bij Early European Navigators on their II "</,// 

 to the East. By L. PERINGUEY, Director. 



IN ,a country as recently occupied permanently as 1652, relics 

 of very ancient history cannot be plentiful. 



Yet, earlier European pioneers landed on its shores as far back as 

 1485 ; others even annexed Table Valley to the Crown of their King, 

 before the Dutch founded their settlement ; and these forerunners 

 of the present Colonists have left a few relics which are the more 

 precious because of their rarity. 



These are exhibited in part of the Entrance Hall. 



PORTUGUESE COMMEMORATIVE PILLARS AND INSCRIPTIONS. 



Earliest in date is the pillar termed by the Portuguese " padrao," 

 erected by Diogo Cao in 1485 at Cape Cross, the second being that 

 erected by Bartholomew Diaz at Angra Pequena in the year 1487. 

 Both these localities are now part of German South- West Africa. 



Within a short period, dating from the end of the fifteenth and 

 the beginning of the sixteenth centuries, three geographical events of 

 unique magnitude took place. Christopher Columbus discovered 

 America on the 12th of October, 1492, some four years after Dias, 

 whom he met in Lisbon on the latter's return, had doubled the 

 Cape. Also, five years later, 1497-1499, da Gama succeeded in 

 reaching India, and Magellan in the first voyage round the world 



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