274. MEMOIR on THe 
*¢ efpoufed the daughter of a great lord, in confideration 
‘* of the important fervices he had performed, and he was 
** made governor of the ifland of Fayal.” Thefe marks 
of diftin&tion conferred on a ftranger, could not be meant 
as a recompence for the difcovery of the Azores, which was 
made 20 years before; but as a reward for the difcovery of 
Congo, from whence the chevalier Behem had brought gold 
and different kinds of precious wares. This difcovery made 
much greater impreflion than that of a weftern world, made 
at the fame time, but it neither increafed the wealth of the 
royal treafury, nor fatisfied the avarice of the merchants. 
In 1492 the chevalier Behem, crowned with honors 
and riches, undertook a journey to Nurenberg, to vifit his 
native country and his family. He there made a ter- 
reftrial globe, which is looked on as a mafter-piece for 
that time, and which is ftill preferved in the library of 
that city. The tract of his difcoveries may there be feen 
under the name of weftern lands, and from their fituation 
it cannot be doubted, that they are the prefent coafts of 
Brazil and the environs of the ftraits of Magellan. This 
globe was made in the fame year that Columbus fat out 
on his expedition, from whence it is not poflible that 
Behem could have profited by the works of this naviga- 
tor, who befides, went a much more northerly courfe. 
After having performed feveral other interefting voy 
ages, the chevelier Behem died at Lifbon in July 1506, 
regretted 
*< en confidération des fervices qu’il a rendus, et il a été fait gouverneur de l’ifle de Fayal.” 
Cette grande diftinction accordée 4 un étranger, ne pouvoit étre la recompenfe de la decouverte 
des Acores, quiavoit eu lieu plus de 20 ans auparavant ; mais elle étoit le pris de la decouverte 
du Congo, d’ou le chevalier Behem avoit apporté de l’or et plufieurs marchandifes précieufes. 
Cette decouverte fit beaucoup plus d’impreffion que celle d’une terre occidentale faite dans le 
meme tems, mais qui n’offroit aucun benefice au tréfor royal ni a la cupidité des marchands. 
En 1492, le chevalier Behem, comblé d’honneur et de richeffes, entreprit un voyage 4 Nu- 
renberg, pour revoir fa patrie et fa famille. Il y compofa un globe terreftre, qui eft regardé 
comme un chef d’cuvre de fon tems, et qui eft encore confervé dans la bibiliotheque de cette 
ville. On y voit la trace de fes decouvertes fous le nom de terres occidentales, et par leur fi- 
tuation on ne peut difconvenir qu’elles ne foient les cotes actuelles du Brefil et les environs du 
détroit de Magellan. Ce globe eft fait dans la méme année ot Colomb a commengé fon 
expedition ; il eft donc impoiflible que Behem ait profité du travail de ce navigateur, qui d’ail- 
Jeurs a dirigé fa courfe beaucoup plus au nord. 
Aprés avoir achevé plufieurs autres voyages intéreffans, le chevalicr Behem mourut : Life 
onne 
