io8 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



nued greatly in the favour of feveral fucceeding princes, 

 and was preferred to the principal offices, in which, there 

 is no doubt, he appeared with all the advantage a polifhed 

 and inflruded mind has over an ignorant and barbarous 

 one. Frequent difpatches from him came to the king of 

 Portugal, who, on his part, fpared no expence to keep open 

 the correfpondence. In his journal, Covillan defcribed the 

 feveral ports in India which he had feen ; the temper and 

 difpofition of the princes ; the fituation and riches of the 

 mines of Sofala : He reported that the country was very 

 populous, full of cities both powerful and rich ; and he ex- 

 horted the king to purfue, with unremitting vigour, the paflage 

 round Africa, which he declared to be attended with very 

 little danger; and that the Cape itfelf was well known in 

 India. He accompanied this defcription with a chart, or 

 map, which he had received from the hands of a Moor in 

 India, where the Cape, and cities all around the coaft, were 

 exactly reprefented. 



Upon this intelligence the king fitted out three fliips 

 under Bartholomew Dias, who had orders to inquire after 

 the king of Abyffinia on the wellern. ocean. Dias pafTed on 

 to lat. 244 deg. fouth, and there fet up the arms of the king of 

 Portugal in token of poffeffion. He then failed for the har- 

 bour of the Herdfmen, fo called from the multitude of cows 

 feen on land; and, as it fhould feem, not knowing whither 

 he was going, came to a river which he called Del Infants^ 

 from the captain's name that firil difcovered it, having, with- 

 out dreaming of it, pafTed that formidable Cape, the objecfl 

 fo much defired by the Portuguefe. Here he was toffed for 

 many days by violent ftorms as he came near land, being 

 more and more in the courfe of variable winds, but, oblli- 



3 nately. 



