268 MEMOIR on THE 
« abounding with beachtrees, which the people of Lufita~ 
“¢ nia call Faye; whence it derived its name. After this 
“he difcovered the neighbouring iflands, called by one 
“‘ general name ¢he Azores, from the multitude of hawks 
“ which build their nefts there (for the Lufitanians ufe 
«« this term for hawks, and the French too ufe the word 
“ Effos or Efores in their purfuit of this game) and left 
« colonies of the Flemiih on them; when they began to 
‘* be called Flemifh iflands, &c.” Although this record is 
contrary to the generally received opinion, that the Azores 
were difcovered by Gonfalva Velho, a Portuguefe, yet its 
authenticity cannot be doubted; it is confirmed by feveral 
cotemporary writers, and efpecially by Wagenceil, one of 
the moft learned men of the laft century; who after hav-~ 
ing travelled into Africa, and throughout all Europe, was 
made doctor of laws at Orleans and chofen fellow of the 
academy of Turin and Padua, although he was a Ger- 
man by birth. The particulars are to be found in his 
univerfal hiftory and geography. I have moreover re- 
ceived, from the records of Nurenberg, a note written in 
German on parchment, which contains the following facts. 
« Martin Behem,-efquire, fon of Mr. Martin Behem of 
« Schroperin, lived in the reign of John II. king of Portu- 
‘¢ gal, in an ifland which he difcovered, and called the ifland 
.“ of Fayal, one of the Azores, lying in the weftern ocean.” 
After having obtained from the regent Iabella a grant 
of Fayal, and refided there about twenty years, during 
which 
dantem reperit, nec minus poftea finitimas infulas, uno nomine ab accipitrum ibi nidifican- 
** tium multitudine Agores diétas (Lufitani enim hoc vocabulo accipitres efferunt, et Galli quo- 
“© que in aucupiis verbum Z/fos et Ejfores adhibent) detexit, ac fandrorum colonias in iis re- 
*¢ liquit, unde et infulz ille Flandria vocari ceperunt, &c.’” Quoique ce monument foit con= 
traire a l’opinion généralement regue que les Agores ont été decouvertés par un Portugais 
nommé Gonzalve Velho, on ne fauroit douter de fon authenticité ; il fe trouve confirmé par 
plufieurs auteurs contemporains, et furtout par Wagenfeil, un des plus grands favans du dernier 
fiecle, qui aprés avoir voyagé par l’ Afrique et par toute l'Europe, a été fait docteur en droit a 
Orleans, et academicien a Turin et 4 Padoue quoiqu’il fut né Allemand. On en trouve des 
détails dans fon hiftoire univerfelle et dans fa geographie. On m’a d’ailleurs communiqué dans 
les archives de Nurenberg une note en Allemand écrite fur parchemin, contenant les faits 
+ fuivans: ‘*M. Martin Beham, ecuyer, fils de M. Mertin Beham de Scopperin, a vecu fous le 
“© regne de Jean II. roi de Portugal, dans une ifle qu’il a trouvée lui méme, et qu’il a appellée 
“© ifle de Fayal; elle eft fituée aux Agores dans l’océan occidental.” 
Aprés avoir obtenu de la regente Ifabelle la proprieté de Fayal, et aprés y-avoir employé en- 
viron 
“e 
