ARRIVAL OF THE ROYAL FAMILY. 



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to sail upon this project from the Tagus, on the 1st of May, 1501, but there is 

 a considerable doubt who was the commander of them; some say it was America- 

 nus Vespuccius, others, that it was Gonsalo Coelho. Cabral met this squadron at 

 Goree on his return from India, but the commander's name is not mentioned. 

 " Che gamos ao Cabo da Boa Esperance dia de Pascoa e encontrando alii bom 

 " tempo, continuamos a viagem, e aportamos junto a Cabo Verde em Sezenegue, 

 " onde encontramos tres caravellas, que El Rey de Portugal mandara para des- 

 " cubrir a terra nova que tinhamos achado hindo para Calecute''* Francisco de 

 Cunha, author of the Geographical Description of Portuguese America, states 

 that f Gonsala Coelho fora o primeiro explorador da Costa Bazillica depots de 

 " Cabral e Lemos") Gonsalo Coelho was the first explorer of the Brazilian 

 coast after Cabral and Lemos. Americanus Vespuccius, in his own manuscript, 

 asserts that he undertook two voyages for the King of Portugal, this being the 

 first. It is difficult to arrive at a fair conclusion from this conflicting testimony, 

 whether he or G. Coelho had the command of those three caravels. The Por- 

 tuguese deny positively that it was Vespuccius ; and a French writer of " the 

 General History of Voyages" peremptorily falsifies all that Vespuccius has ad- 

 vanced upon the subject. " Les relations d'Americ Vespuce contienent le recit de 

 " deux voiages, quil Jit sur la mime cSte ( du Erezil), au nom d' Emanuel, Eio de 

 " Portugal; mats les dates en sont fausses, et c' est en quoi consist e V imposture; 

 " car il est prouvi par tons les temoignages contemporains que dans le terns quil 

 " nomme, il etoit emploie h d'autres expeditions. Antonio Galvum mentions 

 the expedition but not the commander. All the evidence however, regarding 

 this squadron, concur as to the time of its sailing, and arrival at the Brazil on 

 the 17th of August. After a long and tempestuous voyage, they made land 

 near Rio Grande, to the south of Cape St. Roque, where they met with Indians 

 of a savage nature and decidedly cannibals. Several people from the Portu- 

 guese ships were seized by them, roasted over a large fire in presence of their 



* " We arrived at the Cape of Good Hope at Easter-tide, and there met with good weather. We 

 " continued the voyage, and arrived at Besengue, near Cape Verd, where we met with three caravels, 

 " which the King of Portugal had sent to discover the new land, which we had found in going to 

 " Calcutta." — From the relation of the voyage of Cabral in Ramuzio. 



t " The relations of A. Vespuccius contain the recital of two voyages, which he made upon the same 

 " coast (the Brazil), in the name of Emanuel, King of Portugal; but the dates are false, and it is in 

 " that which the imposture consists ; for it is proved by all the cotemporary testimonies, that at the 

 " time which he names he was employed upon other expeditions." — Hist. Gen. des Voyages, torn. 

 14. liv. 6. c. 9, Paris, 1757. 



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