The intellif_'On«: w hirlt Cm illun transmitted from Abyssinia, «affirmed these cue iur Bing hopes ; and the Portuguese monarch, as he it the completion of his great design, was so totally occupied with forming plans for that purpose, and agitated with such anxiety for their succe:-s, that he could bestow no attention on the other duties of his govurbment. At length, he equipped a pow erlul squadron, on the success of is hieli the result of his favourite project was destined to de pend. The conduct of this eventful voyage was com mitted to Vasquez do Gama, a man of noble birth, pos sessed ()Indents and intrepidity equal to such an arduous enterprise. Not yet acquainted with the proper seasons for navigating the .Atlantic ocean, he set sail in July, and had to struggle for four months with contrary winds be fore he reached the Cape. A calm at length succeeded, which enabled him to accomplish the important object of his voyage. Ile passed the southern extremity of Africa ; explored its eastern shores as far as Melinda, in Zanguebar ; and, sailing thence towards India, arriv ed at Calicut on the 22d of May 1498. Unprovided with a military force sufficient to attempt a settlement on that coast, Or. W ttil the commodities necessary for trading with the Indians, he hastened to return to Europe ; and land ed at Lisbon on the 14th of September, 1499, after an absence of two years, two months, and five days. To
this voyage, the longest, the most difficult, and, next to that of Columbus, which had been accomplished about seven years before, the most important that had ever been undertaken, we are indebted for the discovery of the southern and eastern boundaries of Africa ; and for the origin of the maritime trade with India, from which Europe in general, and our own country in particular, has since derived such extensive advantage.
The knowledge of Europeans, is ith regard to the in terior of Africa, did not keep pace with the discoveries on its coasts. Early in the sixteenth century, indeed, Leo Africanus had given an ample description of its northern regions, though he appears to have been im perlectly acquainted with this continent in general. Al varez published a minute account of Abyssinia, which lie had visited in 1520, and in which he had resided for a considerable time : and the geography of that country was further illustrated by the Journals of Lebo and Tel lez. From the Portuguese, w ho had many factories and settlements in the west and whose sovereigns had assum ed the additional title of king of Guinea, we derive our earliest knowledge of some of its interior countries, and of its most considerable kingdoms and empires. ABYS