i.] THE HISTORICAL ASPECT. 53 



by the Romans, but with no results at all commensurate with 



the enterprising spirit of the two nations, and with their great 



national resources. Ptolemy was extensively acquainted with 



central North Africa, especially with its river system. In 



truth, after ample allowance has been made for the loss of 



ancient literature, especially for that of the great libraries at 



Alexandria, — we can fairly conclude that the ancients pos - 



sessed little accurate knowledge of central Africa. Farther 



we may say, that they knew far less of central South Africa 



than we do now through the publication of Dr Livingstone's 



single Book of Travels. 



, The Arabians at various times have made 

 A notice of .... 



the modern at- themselves far better acquainted with interior 



tempts to ex- Africa than we give them credit for. These 



plore the Am- m n 



can continent, restless spirits not alone overran parts of Asia 



up to the time an( j Europe during the middle ages, but also 



of Dr Living- . ! e f„ . _,. J? \. 



stone, large portions of Africa, since the time that 



the power both of their arms and science wand 

 in the 14th century, European enterprise has almost exclusively 

 carried on these explorations. 



About the time of the discovery of America by Columbus, 

 Portuguese navigators by degrees ploughed their way down the 

 African coast, round the Cape of Good Hope and up two- 

 thirds of the eastern side ; still the great enigma of the interior 

 was unsolved by them. The chief of these were Tristan Vaz, 

 Gileanez, Diege Cam, Covillan, Payna, Bartholomew Diaz, 

 and Vasco de Gama, sent out by Portuguese monarchs during 

 the loth century. 



The first European navigator who doubled the Cape, 

 was a Portuguese, Bartholomew Diaz, in 1492, who called it 

 Cabo Tormentoso, a name which was afterwards converted by 

 his master, King John of Portugal, into the Cape of Good 

 Hope. In 1496, Vasco de Gama doubled this Cape, and in 

 1510, Francis Almeida was defeated and killed in an engage- 

 ment w r ith the Hottentots, not far from the site of the present 



12— 2 



