486 
tome atpresent. In themeantime it may be accept- 
able to Mr. Strickland to know, that there is a 
detailed account of Portuguese discoveries in a 
book whose title would hardly indicate it, in which 
one passage will probably interest him. I allude 
to the rare and interesting folio volume printed at 
Lisbon in 1571, De Rebus Emanuelis Regis Lusi- 
tanie, invictissimi Virtute et Auspicio Gestis, auc- | 
tore Hieronymo Osorio Ejpiscopo Silvensis. These 
annals embrace the period from 1495 to 1529. In 
narrating the principal events of Vasco de Gama’s 
first voyage, after he had rounded the Cape of 
Good Hope on the 25th November, 1497, steering 
to the east along the southern coast of Africa, the 
vessels anchor in the bay of St. Blaize, where — 
“Tn intimo sinu est parva quedam Insula, ad quam 
Nostri aquandi gratia naves appulerunt. Ibi phocarum 
armenta conspexere admiranda quedam multitudine. 
In quibus inerat tanta feritas et truculentia, ut in ho- 
mines itruerent- Aves etiam eo in loco vise sunt, 
quas incolas apellant sonticArios, pares anseribus mag- 
nitudine : plumis minime vestiuntur, alas habent similes 
alis vespertionum: volare nequeunt, sed explicatis 
alarum membranis, cursum celeritate summa confi- 
eiunt.” 
The islet was probably that of Za Cruz; but 
what were the birds ? and what was the indigenous 
name which is represented by Solticarios? It is 
possible that some of your correspondents may be 
familiar with the original narration which Osorio 
follows, or Mr. Strickland may be able to solve 
the question. 
I may just remark, that my observation respect 
ing the improbability of Tradescant’s stuffed spe- 
cimen having been a fabrication could hardly be 
considered superfluous, seeing that some natu- 
ralists, Dr. Gray, I believe, among others, had 
suggested that it most probably was one. 
S. W. Srxcer. 
May 3. 1850. 
ABBEY OF ST. WANDRILLE. 
In reply to the Vicar of Ecclesfield (No. 24. 
p- 382.), I am sorry to say that the “Chronicle of 
the Abbey of St. Wandrille,” to which I alluded 
(No. 21. p. 338.), contains nothing relating to the 
subject of his inquiry. The Abbey of Fontanelle, 
or St. Wandrille, was founded a.p. 645; and this 
chronicle contains a very concise account of a 
few only of its abbots and most celebrated 
members, down to the year 834: written, it is | 
supposed, by a cotemporary of Ansegisus, the last 
abbot therein mentioned. It is followed by an 
appendix containing a compilation from a book on 
miracles wrought in the translation of the body of 
St. Wilfran, by an “ eye-witness,” which also re- 
counts incidentally some of the acts of the abbots 
of St. Wandrille to the year 1053. Acheri speaks 
of persons who had been long engaged in collect- 
NOTES AND QUERIES. 
[No. 30. 
| ing memorials of the history of this abbey up to 
the time of his writing, 1659. Whether these have 
ever been published, I have not the means at this 
moment of ascertaining. Some account of this 
abbey, with views of its ruins, will be found in 
that splendid work, Voyages dans L’Ancienne 
France, by Nodier, &e., vol. i. 
The following notes from this chronicle may 
not be without interest, as showing an early con- 
nection between the abbey and this country, and 
our attachment to the See of Rome. 
Chapter V. is devoted to the praise of Baaea, 
amonk and presbyter of this abbey, who is said 
to have been “ex Britannia Oceani insula Sax- 
onico ex genere ortus.” He died, and was buried 
in the abbey, between the years 707 and 723; on 
which occasion the Abbot Benignus is said to have 
exclaimed, “O signifer fortissime Christi militize 
Bace@a, nune mercedem laborum letus accipis tu- 
orum, Deprecare ipsum benignum Dominum, ut 
una tecum mereamur gaudere consortiis justorum 
per zvum.” Here is a prayer not for, but ¢o the 
dead. 
During the presidency of Austrutruus (ch. 13.), 
which began in 747 and ended in 753, a certain 
receptacle, ia the form of a small pharos, was 
driven ashore in the district of Coriovallum, which 
contained a very fair copy of the four Gospels, 
beautifully written m Roman characters on the 
purest vellum; and part of the precious jaw of 
St. George the Martyr, as well as a portion of the 
‘“‘health-bearing” wood of the true cross, duly 
labelled. ‘The acquisition of this treasure was of 
course ascribed to the immediate interposition of 
God. And as about the same period the head of 
St. George was discovered at Rome, through the 
intervention of Pope Zachary, it was conjectured 
that this pontiff lad given the wender-working 
relic to some venerable men from Britain, a country 
described as being “ always on the most intimate 
footing (maximé familiares) with the Apostolic 
See ;” and that, these being wrecked on their 
voyage home, or through some other adventure, 
the said treasure was providentially driven ashore 
at Coriovallum. 
Chapter XV. gives us an account of Grr- 
votpus, who ruled this abbey eighteen years, 
dying a.p. 806. He had been ambassador from 
Charlemagne to Offa, King of Mercia. The son 
of Charlemagne demanded the daughter of Offa 
in marriage, who refused his consent, unless his 
own son should receive the hand of Bertha, the 
daughter of the French king. Charles, in conse- 
quence, inhibited the subjects of Offa from trading 
on the French coast. This inhibition was, how- 
ever, withdrawn through the mediation of the 
Abbot Gervoldus, who seems to have been in 
great favour with Charles. 
I need hardly say, that throughout the chronicle 
there is a tolerable sprinkling of the marvellous, 
