The Afflicted Machin Found This Last Calamity Too Severe For His
Terrified And Afflicted Companion To Endure.
Her susceptible mind and
tender frame, overcome by the severity of the scenes she had gone through,
and oppressed by consciousness of having deviated from her duty, sunk
under her afflictive situation.
From the moment it was reported that the
vessel had disappeared, she became dumb with sorrow, and expired after a
few days of silent despair. This heavy stroke was too much for the
inconsolable lover to support; though watched over with the utmost
solicitude by his afflicted friends, all attempts to administer
consolation were entirely fruitless, and he expired on the fifth day
after the death of his beloved mistress. With his parting breath, he
earnestly enjoined his surviving companions, to deposit his body in the
same grave, under the venerable tree, which they had so recently made for
the victim of his temerity; and where the altar which had been raised to
celebrate their deliverance, would now mark their untimely tomb.
Having performed this painful duty, the surviving companions of these
unfortunate lovers fixed a large wooden cross over the grave, on which
they carved the inscription which Machin had composed to record their
melancholy adventures; and added a request, that if any Christians should
hereafter visit the spot, they might erect a church in the same place,
and dedicate it to Christ. Having thus accomplished the dictates of
friendship and humanity, the survivors fitted out the boat, which had
remained ashore from their first landing, and put to sea with the
intention of returning if possible to England; but either from want of
skill, or owing to the currents and unfavourable winds, they likewise
were driven on the coast of Morocco, and rejoined their former shipmates
in slavery among the Moors.
This story is reported in a somewhat different manner by Galvano already
mentioned. According to him, one Macham, an Englishman, fled from his
country, about the year 1344, with a woman of whom he was enamoured,
meaning to retire into Spain; but the vessel in which the lovers were
embarked, was driven by a storm to the island of Madeira, then
altogether unknown and uninhabited. The port in which Macham took
shelter is still called Machico. His mistress being sea-sick, Macham
landed with her and some of the people, and the ship putting to sea,
deserted them. Oppressed with sickness and grief at seeing herself in
this hopeless state of exile, the lady died; and Macham, who was
extremely fond of her, constructed a chapel or hermitage dedicated to
Jesus the Saviour, in which he deposited her remains, and engraved both
their names, and the cause of their arrival, on a rude monument which he
erected to her memory. He afterwards constructed a boat or canoe, which
he hollowed out from the trunk of a large tree, in which he, and those of
his companions who had been left on shore along with him, passed over to
the opposite coast of Africa, without the aid of oars, sails, or rudder.
He was made prisoner by the Moors, who presented him to their king, by
whom he was sent to the king of Castile.
Madeira, in the Portuguese language, or Madera in Spanish, signifies
_wood_; and this island derived its name from the immense quantity of
thick and tall trees with which it was covered when first discovered. One
of the two capitanias, or provinces, into which this island is divided,
is named Machico, as is likewise the principal town of that district,
supposed to have originated from the traditionary story of the misfortunes
of Macham; the other capitania, with its principal town, the capital of
the island, is named Funchal, from _Funcho_, the Portuguese term for
Fennel, which abounds on the adjoining rocks.
[1] Astley, I. 11. and 586. Clarke, Progress of Maritime Discovery, I. 167.
Although in our opinion a mere romance, we have inserted this story,
because already admitted into other general collections. - E.
[2] This work was printed in 1560, and was translated by Hakluyt: There is
an abstract of it in Purchas his Pilgrims, II. 1671, and it will be
found at the commencement of the second part of this Collection. - E.
[3] In small duodecimo and large print, under the title of Relation
Historique de la Decouverte de l'Isle de Madere: containing 185 pages,
besides twelve pages of preface. - Clarke.
[4] Clarke, Progress of Maritime Discovery, I. 167.
[5] In a note, Mr Clarke says the name of this lady has been supposed by
some writers to have been Dorset, corrupted by a foreign orthography
into D'Orset, and thence into D'Arfet. It may have been D' Arcy. - E.
* * * * *
CHAP. XXI.
_Account of the Discovery and Conquest of the Canary Islands_[1].
The island of Nivaria, and others mentioned by Pliny, as known to Juba
king of Mauritania, were most probably Teneriffe and the other Canary
Islands; for Pliny notices that the summit of Nivaria was generally
covered with snow, which is frequently the case with the peak of
Teneriffe, and from this circumstance the name of Nivaria is obviously
derived. They appear likewise to have been known in the middle ages to
the Arabs of Morocco; as the Nubian geographer mentions two islands,
under the names of Mastahan and Lacos, as among the six fortunate islands
described by Ptolemy; these probably were Lancerota and Fuertaventura,
the latter of which may be seen in clear weather from the nearest coast
of Africa. All knowledge, however, of these islands had ceased in Europe,
till some time between the years 1326 and 1334, when a French ship
happened to be driven among them by a storm. Upon this discovery, Don
Luis de la Cerda, count of Claramonte, whose father, Don Alonzo, had been
deprived of his right to the inheritance of the crown of Castile,
procured a grant of these islands, with the title of king, from Pope
Clement VI., on condition of causing the gospel to be preached to the
natives[2]. Don Luis equipped a fleet from some of the ports of the
Spanish kingdom of Arragon, in order to take possession of his new
kingdom, but the design failed, and he died soon after.
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