Map of the World, until the end of the fifteenth century; exhibited only one hemisphere, and even that was not completely explored. The general outlines of Europe and Asia were correctly laid down, with the exception of the north- east corner of the latter, which was still a blank. The shores of Africa which are washed by the Mediterranean and the Red Sea were well known, as was also the Atlantic coast as far down as Cape Nun.① The remainder of the continent was a blank, which the geographers filled in at pleasure with dragons, serpents, and all manner of strange monsters.
It was not without an indefinable terror that European mariners spoke of the mysterious regions to the south, which lay beyond their ken. "He who would pass Cape Nun," said a current proverb, "will either return or not;"implying that if he had not the good sense to turn before he reached the cape, he would never have the chance of doing so afterwards. And so for long years the dreaded promontory stretched out into the waves, and all ships were careful to keep well to the north of it.
It was reserved for Portugal to tear aside the veil which hung over the greater part of Africa. Confined to a narrow strip of coast, and isolated from the Mediterranean by its position outside of the Strait of Gibraltar, it was natural that this little kingdom should turn its attention to the navigation of the Atlantic. Thanks to the wise provisions of various sovereigns, and to its admirable situation at the mouth of the greatest river in the Peninsula, Lisbon had, before the end of the fourteenth century, become an important seat of commerce.
A strong desire, however, possessed the Portuguese to find a new route to India. The Moors② had familiarized them with the luxuries of the East; but when a religious crusade was declared against these dusky neighbours, that source of supply was cut off. At the same time that this want was felt, great improvements were being made in the art of navigation.
The phenomenon of the magnet had long been known, but it was only about this period that it became more than a scientific toy, and was rendered useful for practical purposes in the shape of the mariner"s compass.③ Armed with this simple little instrument, the seaman could now steer his course even when the stars, which had hitherto been his only guides, were hidden-he ceased to be afraid of venturing out of sight of land.
The impulse which this invention gave to navigation wassudden and direct. "The compass twinkling on its card," it has been said, "was a beam from Heaven. Like a new revelation, the mysteries of an unknown world were unveiled, and the bold and noble were inspired to lead the way. Di"az doubles the Cape of Storms; De Ga"ma finds his course to the East Indies; Colum"bus treads the Baha"mas; and twelve years do not separate these discoveries."TABLE MOUNTAIN AND CAPE TOWNDon Henry, "the Navigator,"as he is usually called, the fifth son of King John of Portugal, enthusiastically promoted the exploration of Africa. Impressed with a strong conviction that the continent did not end at Cape Nun, as represented on the maps, he organized repeated voyages of discovery, and taking up his abode on the promontory of Sa"gres, in the south of Portugal, he watched the white specks of sail sink below and rise above the horizon, as they went and came on their adventurous mission.
The first expedition was despatched about 1415; and when Prince Henry died, in 1463, the farthest point explored was Cape Verd and the adjoining group of islands. For no less than fifty-two years that enlightened man had devoted almost the whole of his time, thoughts, and revenues to this work; and yet the only fruit within his lifetime was the discovery of about fifteen hundred miles of coast.
Gradually creeping on from headland to headland along the coast, the Portuguese, under Barthol"omew Di"az, in 1486,④seeking the land of Prester John,unconsciously doubled the
southern extremity of Africa, and did not learn their success until they were returning disheartened, under the belief that their voyage had been a failure.
