THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 103 



ter having coft little lefs than all prince Henry's difcoveries 

 together had done. 



B0T Heaven rewarded the wifdom of the king In' a dif. 

 covcry, the confequences of which more than overpaid hinri, 

 in his mind, for his lofs. Prince Henry's principal view was 

 to difcover the way to India by the fouthern Cape of Africa; 

 but this as yet was not known to be pollible. In order to 

 remedy a difappointment, if any fuch happened in this 

 fea-voyage, another was attempted by land. We have fcen 

 that the common track for the Indian trade was from the 

 eaft to the weft fea, through the defert, the whole breadth 

 of Africa. Prince Henry had projeftcd a route parallel to 

 this to the fouthward, through a Chriftian country : For it 

 had been long reported by the Chriftians from Jcrufalem, 

 that a number of monks refortcd thither, fubjecHrs of a 

 Clu-iftian prince in the very heart of Africa, whofe domi- 

 nions were faid to reach from the caft to the weft fea. Se- 

 veral of thefe monks had been met ar Alexandria, whofe 

 patriarch had the fole right to fend a metropolitan into that 

 country. Thefe fa61s, though often known, had been as 

 often forgot by the weftem Chriftians. • Marco Paulo*, a Ve- 

 netian traveller, had much confufed the ftory, by faying he 

 had met, in his travels through Tartary, with this princ e,, 

 who they all agreed was a prieft, and was called Joannes 

 Prefbyter Prete Janni, or Prefter John. 



The king of Portugal,,thereforc, thofe Peter Covillan and' 

 Mphonfo de Paiva for his ambafladors. Covillan was a man 



qualilicd; 



* See Mateo Paulo's. Tiavels into Tartavy. 



