Trip to Shark's Point. 69 
out from Sao Jorge da Mina, now Elmina. He 
was accompanied by Martin von Behaim of Ntirn- 
berg (nat. circ. a.d. 1436, ob. a.d. 1506), a pupil of 
the mathematician John Muller (Regiomontanus) ; 
and for whom the discovery of the New World 
has been claimed. 
After doubling his last year’s terminus, Diogo 
Cam chanced upon a vast embouchure, and, sur¬ 
prised by the beauty of the scenery and the volume 
of the stream, he erected his stone Padrao, the first 
of its kind. Finding the people unintelligible to 
the interpreters, he sent four of his men with a 
present of hawk’s bells (cascaveis) and blue glass 
beads to the nearest king, and, as they did not soon 
return, he sailed back to Portugal with an equal 
number of natives as hostages, promising to return 
after fifteen moons. One of them, Caguta (Zacuten 
of Barbot), proved to be a “ fidalgo ” of Sonho, 
and, though the procedure was contrary to orders, 
it found favour with the “ Perfect Prince.” From 
these men the Portuguese learned that the land be¬ 
longed to a great monarch named the Mwani- 
Congo or Lord of Congo, and thus they gave the 
river a name unknown to the riverine peoples. 
Diogo Cam, on his second visit, sent presents 
to the ruler with the hostages, who had learned 
as much Portuguese and Christianity as the time 
allowed ; recovered his own men, and passed on 
to Angola, Benguela and Cabo Negro, adding to his 
