How Dinis Diaz went to the land of the Negroes, and of the Captives that
he took.
There was in Lisbon a noble squire, who had been a servant of the King
Don John (the grandfather of the king Don Affonso, and father of this
virtuous prince),[BG] who was called Dinis Diaz.
[Footnote BG: Henry.]
And he hearing news of that land,[BH] and how the caravels were already
sailing so far from this coast;[BI] and also because he was a man
desirous of seeing new things and of trying his strength (although he
was now settled in that city,[BJ] which is one of the noblest in Spain,
with profitable offices which had been given him in reward for his
services), now went nevertheless to the Infant Don Henry to beg him to
despatch him to that land. For considering that he was a servant of his
father, and that all his rise was through him, and that he had both the
courage and the youth to serve him withal, he had no mind to let his
life slip away in the pleasures of repose.
[Footnote BH: Of Guinea.]
[Footnote BI: Of Portugal.]
[Footnote BJ: Lisbon.]
The Infant thanked him for his good will, and had a caravel armed and
got ready for the aforesaid Dinis Diaz to go and accomplish his purpose.
And he, leaving Portugal with his company, never lowered sail till he
had passed the land of the Moors and arrived in the land of the blacks,
that is called Guinea.
And although we have already several times in the course of this
history, called Guinea that other land to which the first[BK] went, we
give not this common name to both because the country is all one; for
some of the lands are very different from others, and very far apart, as
we shall distinguish further on at a convenient place.[N93] And as the
caravel was voyaging along that sea, those on land saw it and marvelled
much at the sight, for it seemeth they had never seen or heard speak of
the like; and some of them supposed it to be a fish, while others
thought it to be a phantom, and others again said it might be a bird
that ran so on its journey over that sea. And after reasoning thus
concerning the novelty, four of them were bold enough to inform
themselves concerning this doubt; and so got into a small boat made out
of one hollow tree-trunk without anything else being added thereto.
[Footnote BK: Explorers.]
Now this I think must have been a kind of "coucho", like to some that
are in use on the rapids of the Mondego and the Zezere, in which the
labourers cross when they are obliged to do so in the depth of winter.
And they came a good way out towards where the caravel was pursuing its
course; and those in her could not restrain themselves from appearing on
deck. But when the negroes saw that those in the ship were men, they
made haste to flee as best they could; and though the caravel followed
after them, the want of a sufficient wind prevented their capture. And
as they[BL] went further on, they met with other boats, whose crews,
seeing ours to be men, were alarmed at the novelty of the sight; and
moved by fear they sought to flee, each and all; but because our men had
a better opportunity than before, they captured four of them, and these
were the first to be taken by Christians in their own land, and there is
no chronicle or history that relateth aught to the contrary.[N94]
[Footnote BL: Our men.]
And for certain this was no small honour for our Prince, whose mighty
power was thus sufficient to command peoples so far from our kingdom,
making booty among the neighbours of the land of Egypt; and Dinis Diaz
ought to share in this honour, for he was the first who (by his[BM]
command) captured Moors in that land. And now he pushed on till he
arrived at a great cape, to which they gave the name of Cape Verde.[N95]
[Footnote BM: The Prince's.]
And it is said that they met there with many people, but it is not
related in what way they met with them; whether our men saw them from
the sea while on board their ship; or whether[BN] as they were moving
about in their little boats, busy with their fishing. It is enough that
they did not capture any more on this voyage; except that it is said
they landed on an island where they found many goats and birds, with
which they greatly refreshed themselves; it is also said that they found
many things there different from this land of ours, as will be related
further on. And thence they turned back to this Kingdom; and although
their booty was not so great as those that had arrived in the past, the
Infant thought it very great indeed--since it came from that land. And
so he gave to Dinis Diaz and his companions great rewards on account of
it.
[Footnote BN: They were sighted.]