was too numerous to be maintained by the country. The king of Caftile afterwards claimed them, as conquered by his fubjects under Betancour, and held under the crown of Caftile by fealty and homage; his claim was allowed, and the Canaries were refigned.

It was the conftant practice of Henry's navigators, when they stopped at a defart ifland, to land cattle upon it, and leave them to breed, where, neither wanting room nor food, they multiplied very fast, and furnished a very commodious fupply to those who came afterwards to the fame place. This was imitated in fome degree by Anfon, at the isle of Juan Fernandez.

The islands of Madera, he not only filled with inhabitants, affifted by artificers of every kind, but procured fuch plants as feemed likely to flourish in that climate, and introduced fugar canes and vines, which afterwards produced a very large revenue.

The trade of Africa now began to be profitable, but a great part of the gain arose from the fale of flaves, who were annually brought into Portugal, by hundreds, as Lafitau relates, and without any appearance of indignation or compaffion; they likewife imported gold duft in fuch quantities, that Alphonfus V. coined it into a new fpecies of money called Crufades, which is ftill continued in Portugal.

In time they made their way along the fouth coaft of Africa, caftward to the country of the negroes, whom they found living in tents, without any political inflitutions, fupporting life with very little Labour by the milk of their kine, and millet, to

which thofe who inhabited the coaft added fish dried in the fun. Having never feen the natives or heard of the arts of Europe, they gazed with aftonishment on the fhips when they approached their coafts, fometimes thinking them birds, and sometimes fishes, according as their fails were spread or lowered; and fometimes conceiving them to be only phantoms, which played to and fro in the ocean. Such is the account given by the hiftorian, perhaps with too much prejudice against a negroe's understanding; who though he might well wonder at the bulk and fwiftness of the firft fhip, would fcarcely conceive it to be either a bird or a fifh; but having feen many bodies floating in the water, would think it what it really is, a large boat; and if he had no knowledge of any means by which feparate pieces. of timber may be joined together, would form very wild notions concerning its conftruction, or perhaps fuppofe it to be a hollow trunk of a tree, from fome country where trees grow to a much greater height and thickness than in his own.

When the Portuguefe came to land, they increased the aftonishment of the poor inhabitants, who faw men clad in iron, with thunder and lightning in their hands. They did not understand each other, and figns are a very imperfect mode of communication even to men of more knowledge than the negroes, fo that they could not eafily negociate or traffick at last the Portuguese laid hands on fome of them to carry them home for a fample; and their dread and amazement was raifed, fays Lofitau, to the highest pitch, when the Europeans fired their cannons and muskets among them, and they faw

their companions fail dead at their feet without any enemy at hand, or any viable case of their deftruction.

On what occafion, or for what popote, cannons and muskets were discharged among a people harmlefs and fecure, by ftrangers who without any right vifited their coaft; it is not thought necesary to inform us. The Portuguese could fear nothing from them, and had therefore no adequate provocation; nor is there any reafon to believe but that they murdered the negroes in wanton merriment, perhaps only to try how many a volley would deftroy, or what would be the confternation of theie that fhould efcape. We are openly told, that they had the lefs fcruple concerning their treatment of the favage people, because they fcarcely confidered them as diftinct from beafts; and indeed the practice of all the European nations, and among others of the English barbarians that cultivate the fouthern iflands of America, proves, that this opinion, however abfurd and foolish, however wicked and injurious, ftill continues to prevail. Intereit and pride harden the heart, and it is in vain to difpute against avarice and power.

By thefe practices the first difcoverers alienated the natives from them; and whenever a fhip appeared, every one that could fly betook himfelf to the mountains and the woods, fo that nothing was to be got more than they could fteal: they fometimes furprifed a few fishers, and made them slaves, and did what they could to offend the negroes, and enrich themfelves. This practice of robbery continued till fome of the negroes who had been en

3

flaved

which thofe who inhabited the coaft added fish dried in the fun. Having never seen the natives or heard of the arts of Europe, they gazed with aftonishment' on the fhips when they approached their coafts, fometimes thinking them birds, and fometimes fishes, according as their fails were spread or lowered; and fometimes conceiving them to be only phantoms, which played to and fro in the ocean. Such is the account given by the hiftorian, perhaps with too much prejudice against a negroe's understanding; who though he might well wonder at the bulk and fwiftness of the firft fhip, would fcarcely conceive it to be either a bird or a fifh; but having feen many bodies floating in the water, would think it what it really is, a large boat; and if he had no knowledge of any means by which separate pieces of timber may be joined together, would form very wild notions concerning its conftruction, or perhaps fuppofe it to be a hollow trunk of a tree, from fome country where trees grow to a much greater height and thickness than in his own.

When the Portuguese came to land, they increafed the aftonishment of the poor inhabitants, who faw men clad in iron, with thunder and lightning in their hands. They did not understand each other, and figns are a very imperfect mode of communication even to men of more knowledge than the negroes, fo that they could not eafily negociate or traffick: at laft the Portuguese laid hands on fome of them to carry them home for a fample; and their dread and amazement was raifed, fays Lofitau, to the highest pitch, when the Europeans fired their cannons and mufkets among them, and they faw

the world. What mankind has loft and gained by the genius and defigns of this prince, it would be long to compare, and very difficult to estimate. Much knowledge has been acquired, and much cruelty been committed; the belief of religion has been very little propagated, and its laws have been outrageoufly and enormously violated. The Europeans have scarcely vifited any coaft, but to gratify avarice, and extend corruption; to arrogate dominion without right, and practife cruelty without incentive. Happy had it then been for the oppreffed, if the defigns of Henry had flept in his bofom, and furely more happy for the oppreffors. But there is reafon to hope that out of fo much evil good may fometimes be produced; and that the light of the gofpel will at laft illuminate the fands of Africa, and the defarts of America, though its progrefs cannot but be flow, when it is fo much obftructed by the lives of chriftians.

The death of Henry did not interrupt the progrefs of king John, who was very ftrict in his injunctions, not only to make difcoveries, but to fecure poffeffion of the countries that were found. The practice of the firft navigators was only to raise a crofs upon the coaft, and to carve upon trees the device of Don Henry, the name which they thought it proper to give to the new coaft, and any other information, for thofe that might happen to follow them; but now they began to erect piles of ftone with a crofs on the top, and engraved on the ftone, the arms of Portugal, the name of the king, and of the commander of the fhip, with the day and year of the difcovery. This was accounted fufficient to