Why Aft ua was no fur- 

 ther difcovcrd. 



Who firft ventur'd into 

 the Offiu. 



Madera's, by whom peo- 

 pled. 



By whom Gtnny was dif- 

 corcr'd. 



For the Northern Con- 

 ftellations the Aflroltibe was 

 in ufe long before. 



Remarkable pifljge of 

 J*iues Cane. 



a M E%I C A. Chap. t. 



Natives , that Jfrica fpread from the Bails of Mount- Atlas , very far towards 



the South : This Mountain then was the Terminary of Navigation tJiat wav 



becaufe thereabouts a long Ridge or Shelf of Sands thruft its Point under 



Shallow Waters fo far out into the Ocean , that none durft venture to Sail in. 



to the Ojfm> being out of fight of Land to double this concealed Cape. 



The firft that attempted to find Deep Water, and get round about , di£ 

 covering feveral unknown Coafts, and Uninhabited Ides belonging to that 

 Region, were Joannes Gonfahes, Trifian Varfeus, and JEgidiws Annim \ amonaft 

 which were the Madera's > and St. George de Picbo, which Prince Henry firft 

 Planted with Portuguese , and others fince with Netherlander s. He alfo obtained 

 a Grant from Pope Martin the Fifth, of all the difcover'd Territories Eaft-ward 

 from the Canaries, for ever to be the undoubted Right, and belonging to the 

 Crown of Portugal. 



After Henrys Dcceafe, Anno 1460. the bufinefs of Navigation and Difcove- 

 riesof new Countreys, lay negle&ed , becaufe King Alpbonfo turmoyl'd in a 

 Civil War , his Crown being at ftakc , had not leifure to think or look after 

 uncertain improvements by Sea . yet at laft having quell'd his Enemies , he 

 ventur'd forth fomc Ships, who SaiPd as far as the River Zenaga, and came to 

 Anchor before the City of Genny , famous fince for Trade , which gave its de- 

 nomination to the Countrey and Coafts of Guiny, where they dealing, Barter'd 

 for Ivory, Gold, Slaves, and alfo got fo much footing into the Countrey, that 

 they fuddenly rais'd up a Fort, and Man d it with a ftrong Garrifon, Shipping 

 their Slaves for Lisbon. 



John the Second fucceeding his Father Alpbonfo , had a great defign upon Ara- 

 bia and India, and if poflible , was ambitious to open a Paffage from the Atlan* 

 tick, to the Oriental-Seas. But the difficulty lay in Steering fo often from fight 

 of Land, venturing into the Main Ocean, obftru&ed by fo many dangerous 

 Shoals that lay fo far out into the Ojfm. 



At that time flourifti'd three famous Mathematician Roderick Jofeph,znd Mar* 

 tin tBohemus , Pupils bred up by Joannes Monteregim ; with which the King 

 confulting, perfwaded, that they would by their Art invent fome Inftrument, 

 that by Southern Conftellations,the Pole being deprefs'd,the Navigator might 

 know where he was, and in what height . fo gueffing what diftance they were 

 from this or that Countrey . they accordingly Club'd Learning, and by their 

 great Study, found out what fince hath proved fo ufeful and beneficial to Sea- 

 men, the Aftrolabe- which help having obtained, the Sailers encouraged, more 

 frequently ventured into remote and unknown Seas. 



After thefe, King John of Portugal fent Jaaues Cano with a Fleet, who Sailing, 

 found the River Zaires , where he erected a Pillar with an Infcnption, Latin 

 and Portuguefe Signifying by whom,and in what Kings Reign thefe African Coafts 

 were difcover'd : Here he alfo met fome of the Natives , who more civilized 

 than the reft , told him , That they had a mighty King, who Raigning over 

 them , kept his Court fome few days Journey up in the Countrey , to whom 

 Cam fending his Agents, detained four Africans as Pledges, which he carry'd 

 with their free confent to Portugal, promifing to bring them back in fifteen 

 Months, who before that time having got fome fmatterings of their Ton<me, 

 informed them, that their Native Soyl was call'd Congo, whither returning by 

 the appointed time, they were according to their agreement, exchang'd for the 

 Portuguefe, znd Cano addrefs'd himfclf with rich Prefents to their King,whom he 

 found fitting in their manner on an Ivory Throne, being from the middle up- 



ward 





