Landers Travels | Page 7

divine, and which, with respect to himself, by this process,
becomes deified, and exercises a peculiar fatality over his fortune. The
barbarism of Africa, may be attributed in part its great fertility, which
enables its inhabitants to live without are but chiefly to its

imperviousness to strangers. Every petty state is so surrounded with
natural barriers, that it is isolated from the rest, and though it may be
overrun and wasted, and part of its inhabitants carried into captivity, it
has never been made to form a constituent part of one large
consolidated empire and thus smaller states become dependent, without
being incorporated. The whole region is still more inaccessible on a
grand scale, than the petty states are in miniature; and while the rest of
the earth has become common, from the frequency of visitors, Africa
still retains part of the mystery, which hung over the primitive and
untrodden world.
Passing over the attempts of the very early travellers to become
acquainted with the geographical portion of Africa, in which much
fiction, and little truth, were blended, we arrive at that period, when the
spirit of discovery began to manifest itself amongst some of the
European states. The darkness and lethargy, which characterised the
middle ages, had cast their baneful influence over every project, which
had discovery for its aim, and even the invaluable discovery of the
mariner's compass, which took place at the commencement of the
thirteenth century, and which opened to man the dominion of the sea,
and put him in full possession of the earth had little immediate effect in
emboldening navigators to venture into unfrequented seas. At a
somewhat earlier period, it is true, the Hanse Towns and the Italian
republics began to cultivate manufactures and commerce, and to lay the
foundation of a still higher prosperity, but they carried on chiefly an
inland or coasting trade. The naval efforts, even of Venice or Genoa,
had no further aim than to bring from Alexandria, and the shores of the
Black Sea, the commodities of India, which had been conveyed thither
chiefly by caravans over land. Satisfied with the wealth and power, to
which they had been raised by this local and limited commerce, these
celebrated republics made an attempt to open a more extended path
over the ocean. Their pilots, indeed, guided most of the vessels engaged
in the early voyages of discovery, but they were employed, and the
means furnished, by the great monarchs, whose ports were situated
upon the shores of the Atlantic.
The first appearance of a bolder spirit, in which the human mind began

to make a grand movement in every direction, in religion, science,
freedom, and liberty, may be dated from about the end of the fifteenth
century. The glory of leading the way in this new career, was reserved
for Portugal, then one of the smallest, and least powerful of the
European kingdoms.
When in 1412, John I. sent forth a few vessels, to explore the western
shores of Africa, while he prepared a great armament to attack the
moors of Barbary, the art of navigation was still very imperfect, nor
had the Portuguese ever ventured to sail beyond Cape Non. But what
most powerfully contributed to give impulse and direction to the
national ardour, was the enlightened enthusiasm, with which prince
Henry of Portugal, a younger son of John I., espoused the interests of
science, and the prosecution of nautical discovery. In order to pursue
his splendid projects without interruption, he fixed his residence at
Sagres, near Cape St. Vincent, where the prospect of the open Atlantic
continually invited his thoughts to their favourite theme. His first effort
was upon a small scale. He fitted out a single ship, the command of
which was entrusted to two gentlemen of his household, who
volunteered their services, with instructions to use their utmost
endeavours to double Cape Bojador, and thence to steer southward.
According to the mode of navigation, which then prevailed, they held
their course along the shore, and by following that direction, they must
have encountered almost insuperable difficulties, in the attempt to pass
the cape; their want of skill was, however, compensated by a fortunate
accident. A sudden squall drove them out to sea, and when they
expected every moment to perish, landed them on an unknown island,
which, from their happy escape, they named Porto Santo. They returned
to Portugal with the good tidings, and were received with the applause
due to fortunate adventurers. The following year, prince Henry sent out
three ships to take possession of the new island; a fixed spot on the
horizon, towards the south, resembling a small black cloud, soon
attracted the attention of the settlers, and the conjecture suggested itself
that it might be land. Steering towards it, they arrived at a