Gonzalo de Sosa died during the
outward-bound voyage; and Ruy de Sosa, his nephew, was chosen to the
command of the expedition in his stead. Arriving in Congo, the king of
that country received them with much joy, and soon yielded himself and
the greater part of his subjects to be baptized; to the infinite
satisfaction of the Portuguese, who by these means converted so many
infidels from paganism to Christianity.
[1] The only quotations used in this Section in the original translation
by Hakluyt, are from the Asia of John de Barros, Decade 1. which it
has not been deemed necessary to refer to here more particularly. - E.
[2] It is singular that a Portuguese should not be more correct. Henry was
the _fifth_ son. - Clarke.
[3] More accurately 28 deg. 40'. - E.
[4] Opportunities will occur hereafter, in particular voyages, to discuss
the circumstances of this wonderful tree.
[5] Galvano is again mistaken. Edward or Duarte was the _eldest_ son;
Pedro the _third_. - Clarke.
[6] Dr Vincent, in his Periplus, considers this as a copy of the map of
Marco Polo, which was exhibited in the church of St Michael de Murano,
at Venice. - Clarke.
[7] Even if this were fact, it proves nothing, as the Cape of Good Hope
must have been inserted merely by the fancy of the draughtsman. -
Clarke. - It may be added, that in 1528, it was no difficult matter to
wrong date a forged map, on purpose to detract from the merit of the
actual discoverers. - E.
[8] More correctly in lat. 20 deg. 54' N. There is another Cape Blanco in
Morocco in lat. 33 deg. 10' N. and this more southerly cape on the great
desert is named Branca in our best charts. - E.
[9] The mouth of the Senegal is in lat. 15 deg. 45' N. - E.
[10] More correctly, 14 deg. 45' N. - E.
[11] It is difficult to ascertain these two rivers: The Rio Grande here
meant is properly named Gambia. The river in 12 deg. N. may be the
Casamansa, the Santa Anna, or the St Dominico: which last is exactly
in 12 deg. N. the two others a little farther north, and nearer the Gambia.
- E.
[12] This is one of the many palpable and clumsy fables which were
advanced to defraud Columbus of the honour of having discovered the
new world, and is even more ridiculous, if possible, than the voyages
of Zeno, adverted to in our _First_ Part. - E.
[13] Equal to L.138: 17: 9-1/4 d. English money. - Halk.
[14] Only 6 deg. 45' S. - E.
[15] Mr Clarke explains this as _long pepper_; but besides that this by no
means answers the descriptive name in the text, long pepper certainly
is the production of the East Indies.
