THE EARLY EXPLORERS 

 Nicholas of Lynn. 



There are vague and rather unconvincing references to an Arctic 

 voyage about 1360 carried out by a Carmelite monk named Nicholas of 

 Lynn. He certainly existed and was a scholar of considerable repute, 

 but whether he actually did voyage into the Arctic in an attempt to 

 reach the North Pole is a different matter. 



The Basques. 



Although they suffer from having no historian, the exploratory 

 work of the Basques must be mentioned. In their search for fish and 

 whales they certainly worked to the West of Iceland and realised the 

 harvest of the Grand Banks as early as the middle of the fourteenth 

 century, very possibly before that. 



Madeira and the Canaries. 



It is difficult to say just when the Canaries, or the Fortunate Isles, 

 and Madeira were first discovered. It is obvious that the Ancients 

 knew of the Canaries, although perhaps somewhat mistily, and it is more 

 than likely that the Phoenicians had visited them. The Romans men- 

 tioned them definitely, but after that they drifted into legend. In 1270 

 Lanciloto Malocello with a Genoese expedition rediscovered the islands 

 and built a castle in the most northerly, which is still known after his 

 name. Madeira also is supposed to have been known to the 

 Phoenicians and to the Romans, but its later discovery is generally put 

 down to Robert Macham, a West Country gentleman who eloped with 

 his neighbour's wife, hired a ship at Bristol and attempted to reach 

 France. Bad weather swept them out into the Atlantic but on the four- 

 teenth day the wind moderated and they found themselves within sight 

 of the Island of Madeira. They landed there, but owing to their hard- 

 ships the lovers died shortly afterwards and the seamen, attempting to 

 reach home, were captured by the Moors and imprisoned as slaves. 

 They spoke of their discoveries and, one of their companions being 

 ransomed, took the story to Prince Henry of Portugal who fitted out an 

 expedition for the discovery and seizure of the island. Meanwhile 

 Henry III of Castile had also fitted out an expedition and had reached 

 the Canaries. There is a good deal of doubt thrown on the story, but 

 it has been believed for centuries. 



Marco Polo. 



Marco Polo, the Venetian traveller, was undoubtedly the greatest 

 explorer of his time and although his voyages were by land rather than 

 by sea he aroused an interest in geography and opened up vistas that 

 caused many maritime expeditions to set out. His father and uncle 

 belonged to a noble Venetian family which did not disdain to engage 

 in trade, and it was in the course of their business that they found their 

 way to the Court of the Kublai Khan at Pekin. They returned to 

 persuade the Pope to send out missionaries to convert the Chinese to 

 Christianity, but unfortunately he only sent two instead of the hundred 

 desired, and these two turned back. The merchants went out again, 



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