Then To The Gulf Of Cabesa Cattiva, The Islands Of Caperosa
And Cape Marmora; Having Discovered Two Hundred Leagues Along
The coast.
He thence returned to the island of Cuba, and from that to Jamaica, where
he laid his ships
Aground, on account of their bottoms being much eaten
by the worms.
On the tenth of February 1S02, Don Vasques de Gama, now admiral, sailed
from Lisbon for India, with nineteen or twenty caravels. On the last day
of February he reached Cape de Verd, whence he went to Mosambique, and
was the first who crossed over from thence to India. In this passage he
discovered the islands of Amirante, in four degrees of south latitude.
Having taken in a cargo of pepper and drugs, de Gama returned to Lisbon,
leaving Vincent Sodre to keep the coast of India, with four stout ships.
These were the first of the Portuguese who navigated the coast of Arabia
Felix, which is so barren, that the inhabitants are forced to support
their camels and other cattle on dried fish. The sea on that coast is so
abundant in fish, that the cats are in use to take them. One Antonio de
Saldania is reported to have discovered Socotora, formerly named Coradis,
and the Cape of Guardafu in 1503.
In 1504, Roderigo de Bastidas, formerly mentioned, with the aid of John
de Ledesma, and others of Seville, fitted out two ships, and taking John
de Cosa as his pilot, went on discovery to the Terra Firma of America,
where Carthagena now stands. He is said to have here met with Lewis de la
Guerra, and they in conjunction landed in the island of Codego, where
they made prisoners of 600 savages. Going a little farther along the
coast, they entered the Gulf of Uraba, where they found sand mingled with
gold, being the first of that kind which was brought to Spain. From
thence they sailed for St Domingo, loaded with slaves, but almost
famished for want of victuals, as the natives refused to traffic with
them for any. In the end of this year Isabella, queen of Castile, died.
While she lived, no subject of Arragon, Catalonia, Valencia, or any other
of the provinces, depending on her husband King Ferdinand, was allowed to
sail to any of the newly-discovered countries; but only her own subjects
of Castile and Biscay, by whom all these lands were discovered; excepting
only such of her husbands subjects as might be in a servile capacity to
her own, or a few that could procure special licenses.
In 1505, on the twenty-fifth of March, Francisco de Almeida, the viceroy
of India, sailed from Lisbon with a fleet of twenty-two sail. On his way
to India, he stopped at Quiloa, where he built a fort, appointing Peter
Fereira to command it. From beyond Melinda he passed over to the island
of Anguediva, of which he appointed Emanuel Passavia to be captain. He
built a fort also at Cananor, of which he gave the command to Laurence de
Brito; and one at Cochin, which was given in charge to Alphonso de
Noronha.
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