PORTUGUESE DISCOVERIES 



favor and the privilege of Governor over every island or islands, both in- 

 habited and uninhabited, that he may discover and find for the first time, and 

 this with such revenues [taxes], dignities, profits, and interests as we have 

 given to the Governors of the islands of Madeira and others, and for this ob- 

 servance and our remembrance we command that this letter be given him, 

 signed by us and sealed with our attached seal." i 



On May 12, 1500, King Manuel granted to Caspar Cortereal 

 letters patent, as follows: 



" We [i.e., the King] make known to all who may see this deed of gift, that 

 forasmuch as Gaspar Cortereall, a nobleman of our household, has in times 

 past made great endeavors at his own charges for ships and men, employing 

 his own fortune and at his personal danger, to search for and discover and 

 find certain islands and mainland, and in future will still continue to carry this 

 into effect, and in this way will do all that he can to find the said islands and 

 lands, and bearing in mind how much he deserves honor and favor and pro- 

 motion in our service, to our honor, and to the extension of our realms and 

 dominions through such islands and lands being discovered and found by our 

 natives [i.e., Portuguese], and through the said Gaspar Cortereall thus per- 

 forming so much labor, and exposing himself to so great danger; we are there- 

 fore pleased to decree that, if he discovers and finds any island, or islands, or 

 mainland, he be granted, by our own consent and royal and absolute power, 

 the concession and gift, with the privilege of Governor and its attendant 

 rights, etc. . . . over whatsoever islands or mainland he may thus find and 

 discover, etc. . . . and we decree that he and his heirs in our name and in 

 the name of our successors shall hold and govern those lands or islands, which 

 are thus found, freely and without any restriction, as has been said. . , , 

 The said Gaspar Cortereall and his heirs shall have one quarter free of all 

 that they can thus obtain [i.e., realize] in the said islands and lands at what 

 time soever. . . ." [Cf. Harisse, 1883, pp. 196 f.]. 



An order is preserved, dated April 15, 1501, from King 

 Manuel to the master of the bakehouse at the city gate of 

 La Cruz to deliver biscuits to Gaspar Cortereal, and further, 

 a receipt of April 21, 1501, for the biscuits, signed by Gaspar 

 Cortereal himself, proving that the latter was in Portugal on 

 that date.2 



Pietro Pasqualigo, the Venetian Minister at Lisbon, wrote as 

 follows to the Council at Venice on October 18, 1501 : 



" On the gth of this month there arrived here one of the two caravels which 

 the said King's majesty sent last year to discover lands in the direction of the 

 northern regions [verso le parte de tramontana], and they have brought seven 



1 Cf. Harrisse, 1883, p. 44. 



2 Cf. Harrisse, 1883, Supplement post scriptum, pp. 6 f. 



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