DISCOVEKY OF AZORES, &C. 
17 
was utterly impossible to traverse beyond it, 
but the officers under Prince Henry baying, at 
length doubled it, found Cape Bojador in the 
distance, whose formidable coast, clothed in foam 
and breakers, appalled and terrified them. A 
superstitious dread, respecting any who should 
dare to proceed beyond this was soon engen- 
dered, but this, together with an equally preva- 
lent one which existed ; namely, that the earth 
was girdled at the equator with a zone of into- 
lerable heat, which separated the two hemis- 
pheres, was speedily dispelled with the aid of 
science, by their enterprising leader, Prince 
Henry, 
Cape Bojador was not only doubled, but the 
Azores and Cape de Verd Islands were dis- 
covered, and the African coast explored beyond 
the tropics, so as to divest the torrid zone of all 
its fanciful horrors. 
. In 1471, the line was reached, and, in 1484, 
they had extended their explorations to fifteen 
hundred miles South of it. The death of the 
enterprising Prince Henry, which occurred in 
1473, deprived him of the gratification of be- 
holding the achievement of the purpose which 
his daring genius had so ably planned and com- 
menced. Still the thirst for geographical re- 
search and discovery, which he had awakened, 
was not permitted to expire. 
c 
