In the year 1344, in the reign of Peter IV. king of Arragon, the island
of Madeira, lying in 32 degrees, was discovered, by an Englishman, named
Macham, who, sailing from England to Spain with a lady whom he had
carried off, was driven to the island by a tempest, and cast anchor in
the harbour or bay, now called Machico, after the name of Macham. His
mistress being sea-sick, he took her to land, with some of his company,
where she died, and the ship drove out to sea. As he had a tender
affection for his mistress, he built a chapel or hermitage, which he
called “Jesus,” and buried her in it, and inscribed on her tombstone his
and her name, and the occasion of their arrival there. In the island are
very large trees, of one of which he and his men made a boat, and went
to sea in it, and were cast upon the shore of Africa, without sail or
oars. The Moors were infinitely surprised at the sight of them, and
presented Macham to their king, who sent him and his companions to the
king of Castile, as a prodigy or miracle.
In 1395, Henry III. of Castile, by the information of Macham, persuaded
some of his mariners to go in search of this island, and of the
Canaries.
In 1417, king John II. of Castile, his mother Catherine being then
regent, one M. Ruben, of Bracamont, admiral of France, having demanded
and obtained of the queen the conquest of the Canaries, with the title
of king for a kinsman of his, named M. John Betancourt, he departed from
Seville with a good army. And it is affirmed, that the principal motive
that engaged him in this enterprise was, to discover the island of
Madeira, which Macham had found.