A Wind From the North (31 page)

King John’s stratagem in formally declaring war on Count William of Holland served a double purpose. There had, in fact (as we learn from Azurara), been cause for complaint about the Dutch treatment of Portuguese merchantmen. After the visit of King John’s ambassadors, these acts of piracy ceased. In this way, King John managed to “kill two birds with one stone.”

The description of the Portuguese fleet is based on the Livro da Guerra de Ceuta by Mateus Pisano, translated from the Latin into Portuguese by Roberto Pinto. A painting in the National Maritime Museum, at Greenwich, England, by Joachim Patinir (1485-1525) shows a collection of fifteenth-century Portuguese vessels. Among them is a typical galley of the period, with a lateen sail.

For the details of the attack on Ceuta, I have relied on Azurara’s Cronica da Tomada de Ceuta and, to a great extent, on the English translation by Bernard Miall of Virginia de Castro e Almeida’s edition.

King John’s action in conferring the title “Duke” on his two sons Prince Peter and Prince Henry was a signal mark of his favor. Prior to this, the title had never been conferred in Portugal.

For the description of the Phoenician circumnavigation of Africa, I have used Henry Cary’s translation of Herodotus (1891). My reason for considering at some length the exact order of the motives which prompted Prince Henry to his African expeditions is the fact that it has been often maintained that his aims were those of a medieval knight, or were solely guided by the desire for material gain. E. J. Payne, in the Cambridge Modern History (Volume I, 1934), and J. P. Oliveira Martins, in Os Filhos de D. Joao I, incline to these views, which in my opinion are not substantiated by the known facts.

I refer to the voyages to Porto Santo and Madeira as “a rediscovery.” The Laurentian Portolano (1351) in Florence shows the Madeira group quite clearly. There is some reason to think that the Genoese had known of the islands even before this date. It is not an impossibility that the Phoenicians may have called there on their way to the tin mines of Cornwall, although as far as I know there is no archaeological evidence to support this.

Some historians have been more than skeptical about the story of Robert Machin. R. H. Major, however, in The Life of Prince Henry the Navigator seems to have made a fair case for putting some trust in it. It is also dealt with in his The Discoveries of Prince Henry the Navigator.

The derivation of the place name “Machico” from Machin is highly disputable. As a place name and a surname, it had been known in Portugal long before the discovery of Madeira.

For much of the information on early navigational methods, I am indebted to From Lodestone to Gyro-Compass, by H. L. Hitchins and W. E. May.

There are numerous theories as to the first discoverers of the Azores. The subject is dealt with at some length in W. F. Walker’s The Azores and in J. Mees’s Histoire de la decouverte des lies Azores.

The main source of information for the aftermath of the Tangier disaster is the Cronica de D. Duarte by the historian Ruy de Pina (1440-1521). Calderon’s play The Constant Prince portrays Prince Henry in an unsympathetic light when contrasted with his brother Fernando—a fact that may have helped to bias some historians against the Navigator.

The last years of Prince Fernando are described in the chronicle of Joao Alvarez, who was Fernando’s confessor and fellow prisoner. Alvarez wrote this chronicle at the instigation of Prince Henry, who desired it to be a permanent monument to his dead brother.

There is no mention in Azurara of the type of vessel in which Balthazar set sail from Lagos for Africa. I have assumed that it was a barinal, for the reason that Azurara specifically mentions Nuno Tristao’s command as being a caravel. This suggests that, whatever Balthazar’s vessel was, it was not of the new type. For the description of the barinal, I am indebted to Quirino da Fonseca’s Os Navios de D. Henrique.

Here, as elsewhere, my basis for assessing Prince Henry’s character is the work of Azurara. Although the chronicler was undoubtedly con-cemed to eulogize the Prince, he was meticulous in his record of facts—facts which do not seem to contradict Azurara’s character assessment.

The downfall of Prince Peter presents a difficult problem. There are certainly some grounds for thinking that Prince Henry was not as active in his brother’s support as he might have been. It is unlikely that the truth will ever be known. Azurara’s chronicle stops at this point, and, as I have indicated, there is reason to think that Ruy de Pina’s account is biased against Prince Henry.

The quotation “The shore has faded! The last fetter has fallen from me…” is taken from Friedrich Nietzsche’s Also Sprach Zarathustra. I am not aware whether Nietzsche was familiar with the life and achievements of Henry the Navigator. If he was, he may well have seen in him many of the qualities which he was to ascribe to his Ubermensch.

Affonso, Prince, 157; King, 198199; troubles, 200-211; and Alfarrobeira, 212, 221; and Alcagar, 243-248, 250, 255 Africa Pilot, 124 Agincourt, 12, 129, 205 Albergaria, Vasco Martins d\ 48 Alcagar, 87, 125, 243-248, 251, 254 Alentejo, 27 Alexandria, 114 Alfarrobeira, 210-212 Algarve, 51, 204, 214, 243-244 Algeciras, 25, 40-42, 44 Alhos Vedros, 9 Aljubarrota, 12, 18, 27, 32, 100 Almina Point, 23, 25, 46, 48 Alvares, Father, 241-242 Amalfi, 114

America, 63,170, 176, 231, 252

Andeiro, Fernando, Count of Ourem, 12 Angra dos Ruivos, 122 Antilia, 234 Arabia, 93

Arabs, 17, 26, 91, 95, 146, 168, 180, 225

Aragon, 28, 30, 116 Arfet, Anne d’, 80-81 Arguim Bay, 170, 173, 180, 183184, 218, 224, 249 Arguim Island, 171, 184,192, 224 Arzila, 125, 139, 142 Atlantis, 194 Atlas Mountains, 105 Aviz, 11-13, 53

Azores, 87, 97-99, 181, 192-193, 218, 232-235, 249, 254 Azores current, 232-233 Azurara, 31, 67-68, 101, 111, 137, 146, 169, 173, 175-177, 184, 196,

204, 216

Baldaia, Affonso Gongalves,

121-124 Balearic Islands, 17

Balthasar, 163-168, 171 Baltic, 91

Barbary Coast, 55, 87 Barcellos, Count of (later Duke of Braganga), 15, 38,44,48, 55,118, 143-144, 153, 156-157, 198-200, 202, 205-208, 212, 215 Barcelona, 114

Barredo (court secretary), 202 Batalha, 100, 210, 242, 255 Beatrice, daughter of Prince John, 241

Beatrice, Queen of Castile, 12 Beira, 33 Belem, 4, 254 Belgrade, 242 Benin, Bight of, 237 Berbers, 123, 146, 150, 164, 167168, 174, 178-179, 187, 193, 218, 225

Beseguiche, 239-240 Bethencourt, Jean de, 66 Bethencourt, Maciot de, 192-193 Bianco, Andrea, 250 Bilad Ghana, see Guinea Bissagos Islands, 237, 252 Blanco, Cape, 147, 170, 177, 224, 235

Bojador, Cape, 57, 66-67,73, 86, 96, 103-110, 115,149-151 Boa Vista, 235 Bonavista, 233 Borgia, Rodrigo, 243 Braganga, Duke of, see Barcellos Braganga, House of, 15, 198, 203, 221, 251 Brazil, 234, 236 Bristol, 170. 233 Budomel, 226, 228

Cabot, John, 233

Cabral, Fernando Alvares, 38-39

Cabral, Gongalo Velho, 97-99 Cadamosto, Alvise, 86, 90, 221-230,

235-237, 250 Cairo, 114, 224, 238 Calais, 13 Calderon, 142 Calixtus III, Pope, 243 Camoens, 37, 186 Canary Islands, 57, 77, 80, 103.

149, 191-196, 219, 224 Cantor, 237-238

Cape Verde, 180-181,186, 217, 255, 239

Cape Verde Islands, 87, 193, 235236,254 Carnota, 100 Carta Pisana, 94 Carthaginians, 64

Castile, 11-13, 18-20, 24, 28, 30, 77-78, 149, 157-158, 174, 191, 193

Castile, King of, 12, 58-59, 77 Castile, Queen of, 193 Catherine, daughter of John of Gaunt, 13 Ceuta, 16-27, 40-46, 48, 50-58, 87, 111, 115, 127, 129-130, 133-144, 158-159, 212-214, 219 Ceuta, Bishop of, 130, 134 Chaucer, 6 China, 93, 184 Cicero, 117 Cintra, 100

Cintra, Gongalo de, 177,183 Citra, Pedro de, 251 “City of the Prince,” 61, 112 Coimbra, 156-157, 161, 210 Coimbra, Duke of, see Peter, Prince Colonna, 117

Columbus, Christopher, 78, 90, 110, 194, 231-232, 234 Columbus, Diego, 231

Columbus, Ferdinand, 231-232 Constantinople, 114, 242 Cortes (senate), 140-141, 154, 157, 199, 201-202 Corvo, 99, 233-234 Covilham, Lord of, see Henry the Navigator Crecy, 9, 12 Cresques, Abraham, 95 Cresques, Jaime, 95, 112 Crete, 85

Desnaricado Point, 26, 46

Dias, Bartolomew, 114, 180-181

Dias, Denis, 181

Dijon, 119

Diniz, King, 63, 90

Diocletian, Emperor, 36

Djomboss, 228

Douro River, 29-30

Drake, Sir Francis, 110, 112

Eannes, Gil, 103-109, 115, 173, 222 Edward, Prince, 6, 8, 10, 14-15, 18, 20, 22, 30, 39, 44, 47-48, 50, 55, 60; King, 101, 115-119, 124-127, 130-131, 135, 138-142, 153, 166; death of, 143-144 Edward III of England, 13 Egypt, Sultan of, 114 England, 12, 28, 31, 93, 110 English Channel, 250 Eugenius IV, Pope, 118, 140, 150151, 159 Euripides, 18 Europa Point, 41

Faber, Felix, 94 Far East, 16, 22, 252 Faro, 37 Fayal, 99

Ferdinand, King, 11-12 Fernandes, Joao, 178-180, 219-220 Fernando, Prince (brother of Henry), 119, 127, 129-130; imprisoned in Tangier, 133-135, 138-139, 141-143, 15&-160, 161, 242; death of, 160 Fernando, Prince (son of Edward),

117, 157, 241, 244, 247, 254r-255 Ferreira, Gongalo, 86 Fez, 42, 50, 142, 159 Fez, King of, 131, 251 Flores, 99, 232-234 Formigas, 97-98

Fortunate Islands (Canaries), 66, 193

Foscari, Francesco, 250 France, 28, 93, 110, 170 Frederick III, Emperor, 163 Fuerteventura, 106, 191-192 Funchal, 85, 181 Furtado, Affonso, 22-24, 26

Galley Rock, 147 Galway, 220

Gama, Vasco da, 114, 250 Gambia, 180, 187, 218, 228-229,

236-238, 249 Genghis Khan, 69 Genoa, 95, 111, 114 Genoese, 35, 76, 78, 99, 111, 113 Gibraltar, 16-18, 25, 40-42, 44-45, 54, 56, 58 Gomera, 192-193, 196 Gomes, Diogo, 232, 235, 237-240, 252, 254-255 Gongalves, Antao, 145-146, 164165, 168, 171, 179 Gongalves, Nuno, 214-215 Gongalves, Ruy, 47 Good Hope, Cape of, 63, 65, 115, 181, 250

Graciosa, 254

Granada, 17, 20, 24, 28, 30-32, 59, 87, 193 Grand Canary, 194-195 Greece, 59, 93 Greeks, 64

Guanches, 191, 193-196 Guinea, 66, 87, 169, 177, 192, 249, 252

Gulf Stream, 232-233 Gurnard Bay, 122, 218

Hacko, Mount, 17-18, 25-26, 46 Harrison, John, 92 Henry V of England, 59-60, 129, 205

Henry VI of England, 182, 216 Henry VII of England, 100 Henry the Navigator: from age 21 to capture of Ceuta, 3-52; governor of Ceuta, 55; explorations and discoveries made under, of Madeira, 72-83, of Azores, 9799, rounding of Cape Bojador, 103-108, of Rio de Ouro, 121124, of Cape Blanco, 145-147, of Cape Verde Islands, 235-236; voyages made under, to Rio de Ouro, 145-149, 163-171, to Arguim Bay, 170, to Senegal and Cape Verde, 178-186, to Gambia, 187, to Guinea, 221-230, to Newfoundland, 233; expedition against Tangier, 115-135; return to Court, 204-205, 207-209; and Alfarrobeira, 210-212; capture of Alcagar, 242-248, return to Portugal, 249-255; death of, 255 Herodotus, 65 Heron Island, 171, 184 History of the Indies, 231 Holland, 28, 32, 110

Holy Land, 28 Homer, 74, 148 Honorius of Augsburg, 103 Horses, Bay of, 123-124 Horta, 99

Iberians, 74 Ibn Said, 66 Idrisi, Xerife, 66

India, 16, 22, 63, 113, 115, 184, 235, 252

Indian Ocean, 65, 181 Indies, 193, 201

Isabel, daughter of Prince Peter, wife of Affonso, 198-199, 208209

Isabel, Princess (sister of Henry), 31, 60, 118 Isabella, wife of King Diniz, 90 Italy, 28, 93

Jews, Catalan, 95 John, Father, of Xira, 37 John of Gaunt, 6-7, 13, 19, 22 John, King of Portugal, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11-15, 18-20, 28, 30-33, 38, 40, 42, 53-58, 78, 101, 115, 120, 153, 156, 174, 191; and Ceuta, 44-47, 49-51; death of, 100 John XXII, Pope, 63 John XXIII, Pope, 37 John, Prince, 57, 118, 139, 143144,154,156,158; death of, 160

Lagos, 37, 75, 90, 111-112, 164, 174-176, 182-184, 189, 214, 217, 223, 227, 235, 238, 244-245, 249, 255

Langarote (customs officer), 173, 183-184, 186 Langarote (is.), 57, 191-193 Lancaster, House of, 6, 13, 19, 27

Las Casas, Bishop, 231 Lawrence, T. E., 82 Lazurac, Vizier, 142-143, 159-160 Leonora, wife of King Edward, 116-117, 139, 144, 153-157 Leonora, wife of King Ferdinand, 11-12 Les Mamelles, 181 Levant, 93, 225, 238 Levanter, 41-43 Levrier Bay, 170

Lisbon, 3, 6-7, 15, 20, 28-30, 74, 90, 100, 112, 139, 141, 157-158, 161, 174, 182, 184, 243 Lisbon, University of, 254 Liverpool, 170 London, 31, 114 Lopez, Gregorio, 89 Lourengo, Teresa, 11 Lull, Ramon, 24, 95 Lusiads, 186 Lyautey, Marshal, 60

Macchiavelli, 21 Machico, 85, 181, 223 Machin, Robert, 80-81, 85, 92 Madeira Islands, 76, 78, 83-87, 92, 181, 184, 192-193, 218, 222-224, 232, 235, 249, 250, 254 Malaga, 41-42 Mallorca, 95 Mandeville, Sir John, 69 Manuel II Palaeologus, 59 Marche, Olivier de la, 211 Marco Polo, 69, 95,117 Mare, Uso di, 235 Marseilles, 114 Martin V, Pope, 59 Martino I of Sicily, 22 Masts, Cape of, 186-187 Mauro, Fra, 250 Mena, Juan de, 118

Menezes, Dom Pedro de, 54, 127128

Mickle, William, 186 Mohammed II, Sultan, 242 Mohammedans, 53-54, 111, 114, 229, 242 Moluccas, 114 Mondego, 156 Moniz, Garcia, 50 Montemor, 27

Moors, 16-17, 28, 30-32, 39-41, 46-48, 54, 56-59, 120, 169, 220, 248

Morales, Juan de, 80-82 Morocco, 18, 22, 56, 86, 111, 132, 237-238, 242-243, 248, 251 Morocco, King of, 131 Moslems, 21-22, 174 Murano, 250 Musa, Mount, 26

Nam, Cape, see Not, Cape Narbonne, 114 Neckham, Alexander, 93 Neco, King of Egypt, 65 Negroes, 145-146, 168-169, 171, 174-176, 179, 218, 220, 224, 226228

Netherlands, 221 Newfoundland, 194, 233-234 Newfoundland current, 233 Nicholas V, Pope, 235 Niger, 150, 237 Nile, 150, 180, 185, 219 Nimes, 114

Nomi Mansa, 238-240, 249 Not, Cape, 57, 66, 103, 105, 149, 193, 252 Nubia, 69

Ocean of Darkness, see Sea of Darkness

Odivelas, 6, 13 Olisipo, 74

Order of Christ, 63, 69, 71, 86, 151, 213, 251, 254 Order of the Garter, 182, 205 Order of the Golden Fleece, 119 Orient, 93