In This Voyage, Diaz
Gave Those Names Which They Still Retain, To The Ports, Harbours, And
Rivers Where He Took
In fresh water, and erected certain marks, with
crosses, and the royal arms of Portugal, the last of which was
Placed on
a rock named _El pennol de la Cruz_, fifteen leagues on this side of the
before mentioned river. Diaz returned from this voyage without having
procured any intelligence concerning India, as all the inhabitants of the
coast which he visited and discovered were ignorant black savages.
On the return of Diaz, king John resolved to attempt the discovery of
India by land; for which purpose he had formerly sent friar Antonio de
Lisboa by land, in company with a lay person; but as they were ignorant
of the Arabic language, they could not travel into those parts, and went
no farther than Jerusalem, whence they returned into Portugal, without
having acquired any knowledge of the object of their journey. Yet the
king continued to prosecute this discovery of India by land, for which he
employed two of his own servants, Pedro de Covillian and Alonso de Payva,
both versant in the Arabic language, who were instructed to search out
the dominions of Presbyter John, and the country whence the spices and
drugs were brought to Venice, and to inquire whether there were any
navigation from the southern extremity of Africa to India. To these men
he gave a chart, which was extracted from a map of the world, by
Calsadilla, bishop of Viseo, an eminent astronomer. He gave them likewise
a general letter of credit and safe conduct, requiring them to be
assisted and protected, and supplied with money, in whatever kingdoms or
countries they might travel; ordering them to receive 400 crowns from the
chest of the orchard of Almeryn, for their charges. Of this sum, they
took what they deemed necessary to bear their expences till their arrival
at Valentia in Arragon, placing the rest in the bank of Bartholomew of
Florence, to be repaid at Valentia.
Receiving their audience of leave from King John, in presence of Don
Manuel, duke of Viseo, afterwards king, they departed from Santaxen on
the 7th May 1487, and came to Naples on St Johns day of that year; whence
they were forwarded by the sons of Cosmo de Medici, and went to Rhodes,
and thence to Alexandria. From this place they travelled as merchants to
Cairo, whence they went in company with certain Moors of Fez and Tremesen
to Toro, a harbour on the Arabian coast of the Red Sea. They here learned
many things respecting the Indies, and of the trade from the Red Sea to
Calicut; and, going from Toro to a place on the coast of Ethiopia, they
went to the port of Aden. The travellers here separated, Alonso de Payva
passing over to the emperor of Ethiopia, erroneously called Presbyter
John: For he, of whom Marco Polo speaks, under that title, as governing
all the Indies, and whose country joins with the great khan of Kathay,
was vanquished and slain in a battle by that sovereign; at which time his
kingdom was put an end to, and no one of that race or title has since
reigned. Yet Alonso de Payva actually believed that the emperor of
Ethiopia was Presbyter John, having learnt that he was a Christian king
over a Christian nation, as shall be more particularly declared hereafter.
At their separation they agreed to meet again at Cairo, when each had
executed his part of the royal orders.
Pedro de Covillian sailed from Aden for the Indies, in a ship belonging
to the Moors of Cananor, and went to Calicut and the island of Goa, where
he acquired complete information respecting the spices of India, the
commodities which come from other places, and the towns of the Indies;
the names of all which he inserted, but ill written, in his chart. From
India he went to Sofala, where he procured information respecting the
great island of St Lawrence, called the Island of the Moon by the Moors.
Observing that the natives of Sofala were black, like those of Guinea, he
concluded, that all the coast between was under subjection to the Negroes,
and consequently that navigation was practicable from Guinea to Sofala,
and thence to the Indies. Returning from Sofala, he went to Ormus, and
thence to Cairo, where he learnt that Alonso de Payva was dead, and meant
to have returned to Portugal. He chanced to meet at Cairo two Spanish
jews, Rabbi Abraham, a native of Viseo, and Joseph, born in Lamego; who,
after the departure of Covillian and Payva from Portugal, had told the
king that they had been in Cairo, where they had received much
information concerning Ormus, and of its trade with the Indies. From
these Jews Covillian received letters from the king, directed to him and
Payva, ordering them to return along with the Jews, if they had seen all
that he had given them in charge. If they had not executed all his
original instructions, they were now directed to send by the Jews an
exact account of all the knowledge they had acquired, and to use their
utmost efforts to visit Presbyter John, and to give all the information
in their power respecting Ormus, to Rabbi Abraham, who had sworn by his
law not to return to Portugal without visiting that place.
On receiving these letters, Covillian changed his intention of returning
into Portugal, and dispatched Joseph there with letters to the king,
giving an account of all that he had seen and learnt in India and Sofala,
and transmitted the chart on which he had inserted all the places he had
visited. In these letters he informed the king that the emperor of
Ethiopia was assuredly the same with Presbyter John; but my opinion is
that this is an error, as this sovereign has no such name in his own
dominions, as I shall more clearly shew hereafter.
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