no TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



Don Emmanuel, then king, having no fuch apprehen- 

 fions, refolved to abide the confequences of a meafure the 

 moll arduous ever undertaken by any nation, and which, 

 though it had cofl a great deal of time and expence, had yet 

 fuccceded beyond their utmoft expedlations. It was not till 

 after long deliberation that he fixed upon Vafques de Gama, 

 a man of the firft diflin<5lion, remarkable for courage and 

 ^reat prefence of mind. Before his departure, the king put 

 into his hands the journal of Peter Covillan, with his chart, 

 and letters of credit to all the princes in India of whom he 

 had obtained any knowledge. 



The behaviour of Vafques de Gama, at parting, was far 

 from being chara6lerillic of the foldier or great man : his 

 proceflions and tapers favoured much more of the oftenta- 

 tious devotion of a bigotted little-minded prieft, and was 

 much more calculated to deprefs the fpirits of his foldiers, 

 than to encourage them to the fervice they were then about 

 to do for their country. It ferved only to revive in their 

 minds the hardlliips thatDias had met off the Terrible Cape, 

 and perfuade them there was in their expedition much 

 more danger than glory. I would not be underflood as 

 meaning to condemn all afts of devotion before military 

 expeditions, but would have them always ihort, ordinary, 

 and uniform. Every thing further infpires in weak minds 

 a fenfe of danger, and makes them defpond upon any feri- 

 ous appearance of difficulty. 



July 4th, 1497, Vafques, with his fmall fleet, failed from 

 Lifbon ; and, as the art of navigation was confiderably im- 

 proved, he flood out to fea till he made the Canary Illands, 

 and then thofe of Cape de Verde, where he anchored, took 



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