282 THE SEA. 



country. For this important enterprise Diaz was supplied with two small caravels of fifty tons 

 each, accompanied by a still smaller vessel, or tender, to carry provisions. The preparations 

 being completed, he sailed in the end of August, 1486, steering directly to the southward. 



" We have," says Clarke, " no relation of the particulars of this voyage, and only know 

 that the first spot on which Diaz placed a stone pillar, in token of discovery and possession, was 

 at Sierra Parda,\n about 24, 40' S., which is said to have been 120 leagues further to the south 

 than any preceding navigator. According to the Portuguese historians, Diaz sailed boldly from 

 this place to the southward, in the open sea, and never saw the land again until he was forty 

 leagues to the east of the Cape of Good Hope, which he had passed, without being in sight of 

 land/' Here he came in sight of a bay on the coast, which he called Angra de los Faqueros, 

 or Bay of Herdsmen, from observing a number of cows grazing on the land. From this place 

 Diaz continued his voyage eastwards, to a small island or rock in the bay, which is now called 

 Algoa, on which he placed a stone cross, or pillar, as a memorial of his progress, and named it 

 on that account Santa Cruz, or El Pennol de la Cruz. 



It would appear that Diaz was still unconscious that he had long reached and overpassed 

 the extreme southern point of Africa, and was anxious to continue his voyage still farther. 

 But the provisions on board his two caravels were nearly exhausted, and the victualling 

 tender under the command of his brother was missing. The crews of the caravels became 

 exceedingly urgent to return, lest they should perish with famine. With some difficulty he 

 prevailed on the people to continue their course about twenty -five leagues further on, as he felt 

 exceedingly mortified at the idea of returning to his sovereign without accomplishing the dis- 

 c'overy on which he was bent. They accordingly reached the mouth of a stream now known 

 by the name of Great Fish River. 



From this river, the extreme boundary of the present voyage, Diaz commenced his return 

 homewards, and discovered, with great joy and astonishment, on their passage back, the long- 

 sought-for and tremendous promontory, which had been the grand object of the hopes and 

 wishes of Portuguese navigation during seventy-four years, ever since the year 1412, when 

 the illustrious Don Henry first began to direct and incite his countrymen to the prosecution of 

 discoveries along the western shores of Africa. At this place Diaz erected a stone cross in memory 

 of his discovery ; and owing to heavy tempests, which he experienced off the high table-land 

 of the Cape, he named it Cabo dos Tormentos, or Cape of Storms ; but the satisfaction which 

 King John derived from this memorable discovery, on the return of Diaz to Portugal, in 1487, 

 induced that sovereign to change this inauspicious appellation for one of more happy omen, and 

 he accordingly ordered that it should in future be called Cabo de Ion Esperanto, or Cape of 

 Good Hope, the title which it has ever since retained. 



Soon after the discovery of The Cape by which shorter name it is now pre-eminently dis- 

 tinguished Diaz fell in with the victualler, from whom he had separated nine months before. 

 Of nine persons who had composed the crew of that vessel, six had been mui'dered by the 

 natives of the West Coast of Africa, and Fernand Colozzo, one of the three survivors, died of 

 joy on again beholding his countrymen. Diaz and his companions were, of course, honourably 

 received by their sovereign, after a voyage of such unprecedented length and unusual success. 

 And now to the second of the great discoveries of this epoch, which, chronologically considered, 

 follows that of Diaz. 



