Freiburger historische Bestände - digital

voyage. Of course, Behaim may have made a mistake in
his dates, and if instead of 1484-5 we read 1485-6 he may
indeed have accompanied Cao in his memorable second
voyage. But here again Behaim's own statements
render this most unlikely. Cao, being bound on a voyage
of discovery, would naturally have made haste to reach the
Congo. He certainly would not have delayed in the
Gambia to get rid of his horses and their costly harness, or
wasted time in tedious barter with Jalof and Sin. Neither
is it likely that many of Cao's men died owing to the heat,
which may well have happened to an expedition which
stayed for some time in the Gulf of Guinea. Indeed, it
was the great mortality among the Portuguese who were
sent to Benin in 1486 which caused a factory occupied by
them in that kingdom to be abandoned soon afterwards.1

Lastly there is the Guinea pepper, brought home in
proof of the discoveries that had been made. In fine, all
that Behaim tells us might have happened in connexion
with a trading voyage, such as that of Joao Affonso
d'Aveiro. If that Captain sailed in 1484 and Behaim
joined his ship at the end of June or in the beginning of
July, soon after his arrival in Portugal, he might have
been back in Lisbon after an absence of seven months, in
time to be knighted by the King in February 18, 1485.
A voyage to Benin and back would have occupied about
four months, and there remained thus three months
available for trading on the Gambia and elsewhere.
Proceeding twelve leagues up the Rio Formoso, which
according to D. Pacheco Pereira was navigable only for
vessels of fifty tons burthen,2 J. A. d'Aveiro reached Gato,
the deadly climate of which carried off not only the leader
himself but also many of his companions.3 Having taken
on board the ambassador of the King of Benin and a cargo
of pimenta de rabo, the expedition left for Portugal. On
the homeward route, when making for the serviceable
equatorial current, the Insula Martini of the Globe was
sighted. Lisbon was reached after an absence of only
seven or eight months, and Behaim, in recognition of the
services he had rendered, was knighted on February 18,
1485. But if we suppose d'Aveiro to have started only in

1 De Barros, ' Asia,' F. I., p. L, p. 179.

a D. Pacheco Pereira, ' Esmeraldo,' p. 72, had visited Gato four times,
but refers neither to the factory established there nor to J. d'Aveiro.

3 I agree with J. Codine ('Bull, de la Soc. de Geographie,'Paris, 1869,
II., and 1876, I.) that d'Aveiro died during the first voyage to Gato and
not in the course of a second expedition after a factory had been
established at the place. I cannot, however, accept the remainder of his
speculations concerning the expeditions of Cao and d'Aveiro. He assumes
both navigators to have started in October, 1484, both bound for southwestern
Africa. He credits Cao with having set up three padroes : the
first on the Congo in 1485, the second (that of S. Agostinho, in 13° 23' S.)
on August 15, 1486, the third at Cape Cross. J. A. d'Aveiro, who was
accompanied by Behaim, is supposed to have set up two padroes, viz., one
on Monte Negro in 15° 40' S., on January 12, 1485, as stated on the Globe,
the second at Cape Frio, which he identifies with San Bartholemeu Viego,
in August, 1485. Benin was visited on the homeward voyage, and the
vessel returned to Lisbon in May, 1486. The death of d'Aveiro enabled
Behaim to claim credit for an expedition in which he only held a subordinate
position. Cao came back to Lisbon in April, 1486.

1485, immediately after this honour had been conferred
upon Behaim, sixteen months might have been expended
upon this voyage, and yet he would have been back in
Lisbon in July 1486, in time to accede to the agreement
about a proposed search for the island of the Sete cidades.

Having given this subject the most careful consideration
, it is my belief that Behaim was not a member of Cao's
expedition, but that he may have made, and probably did
make, a voyage to Guinea, and that he probably did so on
board the vessel of Joao Affonso d'Aveiro. The Globe
with its legends and the account of his voyage given to
the editor of the ' Chronicle' were calculated to convey
an idea that the expedition which he had joined was the
first to cross the fine into " another world," and ultimately
doubled the southern cape of Africa. In Portugal, where
the facts were known, he would not have dared to put
forth such claims or such an incorrect delineation of the
west coast of Africa. It was easy, however, to deceive
the worthy burghers of his native town, who knew little
or nothing about the maritime enterprise of the Portuguese,
and looked upon their townsman as a great traveller,
as indeed he was, and a successful discoverer, which he
was not.

VIII. BEHAIM'S KNIGHTHOOD, 1485.

We learn from a memorandum in the archives of the
Behaim family, that Martin Behaim was knighted on
Friday, February 18, 1485. It is not in Behaim's handwriting
, but is evidently based upon information furnished
by him, and reads as follows :— 4

1485 adj 18 Febrer auf einen
Freitag jn Portugal jn der Jladt
albaj/auas (Alcacovas) jn sandt
/alvators kirchen nach der tag mes
toartt titter ge/chlagen M. B. von
Nurmberg von der Hand des Qrqfs-
mechtigen Konig Hern Johann/e des
andern von Portigal, vnnd Konig von
algarbia vnnd Konig in affrica vnd
Konig in Oenea, unnd fein totten
darzu was des Konig felb der jm
vmbgiirtett fein /wertt vnd der Herzog
von begia der ander dot der im
vmburtet den reehten/porn, vnnd der
drit dode der graue cri/loffel de melo
des conicks vetter gurtot jm den linken
/porn, vnnd der virt dott was der
Qraff Fernando Martins Ma/karinis
(Mascarenhas) der den ritter den
renhut aujf/ezett vnnd jn wapet vnnd
der Konig der jn ritter /chlug dis
ge/chach jn beibe/en oiler fur/l vnnd
ritter/cliaft vnnd der Kongin.

1485, on Friday the 18 of
February, M. B. of Nurnberg was
knighted in the Church of the
Saviour at Alcacovas in Portugal,
after the morning mass, by the
hand of the most potent King
John II. of Portugal, King of
Algarve, King in Africa and King
in Guinea. And his sponsors were
the King himself, who girth on his
sword, and the second sponsor was
the Duke of Beja, who girth on his
right spur, and the third the grey
Cristopher de Mello, the King's
cousin, who girth on his left spur,
and the fourth sponsor was Count
Fernando Martins Mascarenhas,
who put on his morion (helm) and
armed him, and the King who
dubbed him Knight. This was
done in the presence of all the
Princes and Knights, and of the
Queen.

4 First published by Doppelmayr, ' Histor. Nachrichten von den
Nurnberg. Mathematicis u. Kiinstlern,' Nurnberg, 1730, p. 30. Murr,
p. 130, published a more correct version.