DISCOVERY OF THE CAPE. 361 



is but one river that can be btted in with his description, the 

 Keiskama. I am glad in this connection to be able to ciaim 

 the great name of Dr. Theal in my support, for, without definitely 

 giving his opinion, he has suggested the Keiskama as an 

 alternative to the Great Fish.* The identification of the Rio 

 do Infante with the Keiskama is also strongly supported by 

 the facts of Vasco da Gama's voyage, in which the padrao was 

 passed on Saturday morning; but the Rio do Infante not until 

 Sunday night. From the " Roteiro " we may gather the fact that 

 da Gama generally covered about lo leagues in a full day's 

 sailing, and the account gives the impression that on these two 

 days in particular good progress was made ; so that fifteen leagues 

 for a day and a half would be quite a normal rate. In the 

 absence of any strong evidence to the contrary, the Rio do 

 Infante must be identified with the Keiskama. 



While on the subject of the turning-point of Dias, it must 

 be noted that Professor Schwarz, in a paper read before this 

 Society in 1912, has attempted to make out a case for the Kowie 

 being the Rio do Infante. To my mind, on very insufficient 

 evidence, he has placed the last padrao at Fountain Rock, near 

 the mouth of the Kowie, and has assumed that Dias turned back 

 immediately after erecting it, an assumption which is entirely 

 in conflict with the statements of de Barros and the " Roteiro," 

 that Dias sailed for some distance further before reaching the 

 Rio do Infante. 



4. The dates of the voyage. 



Most historians give the general date of Dias's voyage as 

 1486-87, but Ravenstein has satisfactorily shown that this date, 

 derived from de Barros, is wrong.f The contemporary writers, 

 Pecheco, the grant from Joao II., the notes by Columbus, show 

 most clearly that he must have left Lisbon in July or August, 

 1487, and arrived home in December, 1488. 



His journey along the coast from the Congo onwards is 

 marked on the ancient maps by the names which he gave to 

 prominent places as he passed them. These names, in accordance 

 with the pious practice of the time, were taken from the Church 

 Kalendar, thus dating the discoveries as well as naming them. 

 The names given by Dias are well worthy of a more extended 

 notice than I have given them in this paper, in which I do not 

 propose to do more than deal very briefly with those of South 

 African -nterest. 



* " The Beginning of South African History." Dr. Theal, p. I2g. 



t Dr. Theal, in " William Adrian van der Stel and other Historical 

 Sketches," rejects Ravenstein's theory, without, however, bringing for- 

 ward any serious arguments against it, or dealing with it in detail. It 

 is maintained by Professor Beazley ("Encyc. Brit.") and Mr. K. G. 

 Tayne, " Vasco da Gama and his Successors." 



