The new country was
absolutely outside the farthest limits of earlier exploration, and
discovery would have to begin afresh. Cadamosto had no mind to risk
anything more. His crew were sick and tired, and he turned back to
Lisbon, observing, before he left the Ra or Rio Grande, as he noticed in
his earlier voyage, that the North Star almost touched the horizon and
that "the tides of that coast were very marvellous. For instead of flow
and ebb being six hours each, as at Venice, the flow here was but four,
and the ebb eight, the tide rising with such force that three anchors
could hardly hold the caravel."
CHAPTER XVIII.
VOYAGES OF DIEGO GOMEZ.
1458-60.
The last voyage of Henry's lifetime was that of his faithful servant,
Diego Gomez, by which the Cape Verde islands first became clearly and
fully known. It followed close upon Cadamosto's venture.
"No long time after, the Prince equipped at Lagos a caravel, called the
_Wren_, and set over it Diego Gomez, with two other caravels, of which
the same Gomez was captain-in-chief. Their orders were to go as far as
they could.
"But after passing a great river beyond the Rio Grande, we met such
strong currents in the sea that no anchor could hold.
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