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856 CHRONOLOGICAL ARRANGEMENT
“ Oct. 27th ” (Barros, and Camoens iv. 60 to 64), John II. succeeded by Manuel, fourteenth king
(Major edit Bethenc. p. 129), the Guanches of Teneriffe subdued, and the Canary
Islands now entirely in Spanish possession.
“ In this year” (art de verif,), Kayt-Bay succeeded by Mohammed Abu-l-Saadat, thirty-eighth
Memluk sultan ot Egypt.
••The same year” (narrat., and Mason ii. 28), Pegu first visited by a European, Hieronimo di
Santo Stefano, who lost his companion “ Dec. 27th.” — Proceeding Southward, he found on Sumatia
a cadi who had some knowledge of Italian ; and on his way home, touched at the Maldive Islands,
and at Cambay was assisted with money by some Moorish merchants of Alexandria and Damascus.
He wrote an account of his voyage “ at Tripoli in Syria, on the first of September, 1499.”
Lodoicea Seychdlarum of the Seychelles Islands, A remarkable palm, bearing very large
double nuts, which drifting to the Maldive were long supposed to be produced there : “ cocoa nuts of
large size” were found on the Maldive Islands by Hieronimo di Santo Stefano: —and nuts imported
from the Maldives were used as an antidote by the Javanese when visited by Nieuhoff in 1665. The
•‘ cocos maldavica” was first ascertained by Sonnerat to be a native of the Seychelles Islands; and
L. Seychellarum is also described by Commerson and Labillardiere.
“ 1497, June 24th ” (Pasqualigo, J, W. Jones introd. Hackl. p. Ixix, and Asher edit. Huds. p.
Ixviii), under letters patent from Henry V II. of England, John or Zuan Cabot sailing from Bristol
Westward “ seven hundred leagues” discovered land which he called Terra-primum-visa. He
“ coasted for three hundred leagues, and landed,” saw “ no human being,” but “ found some felled
trees,” also “ certain snares which had been set to catch game, and a needle for making nets.” He
planted a large cross “ on his new-found-Iand,” and returned to England “ about August loth.
“ In this year” (Spreng.), Schrickius editing the writings of Johannes Tollat von Vochenberg.
Ribes rubrum of Subar'ctic climates. Called in Britain red currant from the diminutive raisins
imported from Corinth, by Turner “ raisin-tree ” (Prior), at Anjou “ castilles ” (Ménage), in France
in the days of Dodoens p. 748 “ groseille d’outre mer,” names indicating foreign origin, the earliest
notice of the pl.ant being “ ribes Ioannis” in this edition by Schrickius - (Spreng.) : the thornless
“ rubra »rossula” called “ transmarina” is mentioned by Ruel i. 106, the “ ribes hortense” by Tragus
S75 and“ the “ ribes ” bearing red fruit bv Fuchsius pl. 663; but in Britain, R. rubrum is not enu-
me/ted by Tusser in 1557 among cultivated fruits (Philips), and continued rare in 1597 as appears
from Gerarde p. 1143 : Eastward, was observed bv Forskal in gardens at Constantinople, but has not
been met with in Greece nor in Egypt. Is said to grow wild from North Britain and Sweden as far
as Lapland (Pers., and Wats.) and throughout Siberia to Kamtchatka (Ledeb,, and A. Dec.) : farther
East is clearly wild from the mouth ofthe Mackenzie throughout Canada (Hook.), at the Lake of
the Woods (Schwein.), in Wisconsin (A. Gray), was observed by Michaux along the Mistassmy river
and by myself as far South as the flanks of the White mountains : but our gardens have been stocked
” (Castanheda), Vasco da Gama in three ships from Portugal passing the island of
Cruz containin» the last landmark left by Diaz. The wind favouring “ for three or four days,” on
Christmas he g/e the name of “ Natal ” to the new country. - “ Jan. 24th,” anchored within a large
bay at the mouth of a large river, careened the ships, and left on “ Sunday, Feb. 24th : ” following the
coast a sambuc at anchor contained a “ Moor ” from Cambay who understood a few words of Arabic,
and a crew of caffres : after passing the shoals and bank of Sofala, another sail was sighted, and
a “ caffre ” obtained from it who could converse with one of Da Gama’s men, “ a cafre of Guiñé
(through the Congo Language, Stanley edit. C. Correa 79) - “ Thursday, March ist ” (Castanh ami
Barros) Da Gama “ saw the four islands of Mozambique,” his crew on entering the port giving than£
that they could now see houses and people. “ April ist,” he finally left Mozambique, “on the
7th” arrived at Mombaza ; “ on the 15th, Easter Sunday,” at Melinda; and “ on the 24th (Bairos),
having p r o c u r e d “ a G u z a ra t p ilo t ,” s a ile d fo r H in d u s ta n . , , ,■
Ximenia sfinosa of the Tropical shores of America, Africa, and as far as the Malayan archi-
pelago A small submaritime tree, more or less spinescent, called in Telinga “ oora-nechra ” (Drur.),
in s tah ili “ m’peenjee,” in Kinyoro ‘-m’toondwah ” (Grant) ; and the “ yellow fruit of the size of w£
nuts •’ eaten by the natives around the bay where the ships were careened — (C. Corr. 1. 10), may be
compared- X. spinosa was observed by Grant in Unyoro and Ugani, oil extracted from its kernels.
Eastward was observed by Roxburgh, and Wight, in the Circars, its “ yellow fruit, which is about
the size of a pigeon’s egg ” eaten by the natives, and its pulverized wood used by the brahmins on the
Coromandel coast in their religious ceremonies (Drur.) : but possibly through Arab or Banian tradeis
carried to Hindustan and Timor (Decaisne, and A. Dec.). Westward, is known to grow re the
Atlantic shore of Equatorial Africa, in the maritime sands of Senegal (fl. Seneg., and fl, Nigr.),
was observed by Chr. Smith as far as the Congo : also on the opposite American shore, , observed
OF ACCOMPANYING ANIMALS AND PLANTS. 857
by niyself around the Bay of Rio Janeiro ; by A. Saint-Hilaire, inland in Brazil as far as the Catingas
forest; by Aublet pl. 125, in Guyana, and termed “ heyniassoli ” (Steud.) ; by Plumier pl. 261, and
Jacquin am. pl. 277, in the West Indies ; is known to grow as far as Key West in Florida (Chapm.),
and on the Pacific side of the Isthmus (Benth. voy. Sulph. 160).
“ Vitis sp." of Eastern Equatorial Africa. A shrub three feet high called “ m’peengee-peengee ”
(Grant) ; and from early times. Its one-stoned pear-shaped fruit eaten : —observed in Madi woods,
having “ neither tendrils nor thorns” (cf. Ximenia).
“ May 20th, 1498” (Barros), arrival of Vasco da Gama in Hindustan, two leagues below Calicut.
At the city, the commercial jealousy of the Moors was aroused, and during his stay. Da Gama
derived assistance from the secret promptings of one of them, “ a native of Seville” (C. Correa i, 16).
On “ Friday, Oct. 5th” (Castanh., and Goes), he left Hindustan, —and on “ Monday, Feb. 7th”
in the following year, arrived at Melinda. Having procured Moorish pilots, he continued his
voyage homewards, finding the pilots familiar with the Mozambique current and African coast
almost to the Cape of Good Hope, but not beyond. “ On the 20th March ” (Castanh.), he doubled
the Cape.
Ficus elastica of the mountains of Assam and Eastern Hindustan. The inclia-rnbberfig-tree is
called “ kasmeer” by the inhabitants of Pundua and the Juntipoor mountains, in Bengalee “ kusneer
(Drur.) ; and boiled" rice “ on green fig leaves, which were as broad as a sheet of paper,” were set
before Da Gama at Calicut —(C. Corr. i. 17): “ leaves of the Indian fig-tree which are very large and
stiff” used for plates by the king of Calicut and invited brahmins, are mentioned by Barbosa : F.
elastica is described by Roxburgh iii. 541, Howison as. soc. Calcutt. v, Falconer, and Royle him.
338 ; is known to grow also on the Khassya mountains, ancl according to Drury is “ cultivated in
Malabar;” was observed by Graham “ in gardens about Bombay;” by Mason v. 523, mtroduced
“ within a dozen years ” into Tenasserim, and “ appears to grow as well as an indigenous plant.” By
European colonists, was carried to Northeast America, where it has become frequent in greenhouses.
Its milky juice is used by the natives of Silhet to smear and render baskets water-tight (Drur.), and
according to Lindley “ inspissates into an excellent kind of caoutchouc, which is now imported.”
(Compare F. tsiela.)
“ In May” (Churchill coll., and Asher edit. Huds.), under instructions from Henry V II. of England
Sebastian Cabot, son of John, sailing Westward “ by way of Iceland.” On reaching the newly-
discovered country, he found land extending continuously in the desired Northwestern direction as
far as “ 56'’ N.,” at which point he turned back; visited Newfoundland, brought away three natives,
and continued Southward along the continent to “ 38°.”
“ Aug. 1st” (F. Columb. 47 and 68 to 73, Columb. lett. 3 gives “ July 31st”), an island discovered
and named Trinidad by Columbus, seeking on his Third voyage the “ vast land Southward ” he had
heard of from the Caribbes. On the same day, the continent was in sight, but was at first mistaken
for another island. Continuing along the South coast of Trinidad, Columbus entered the Gulf of
Paria, finding the sea freshened by large rivers and the land continuous, “ which he certainly concluded
to be the continent.” Of the natives, the men wore a covering in front, and the women were
entirely naked ; and strings of pearls in their possession, were explained by signs to have been
brought from the Northwest. Columbus continued around through the straits ; and turning Westward,
followed the coast of Paria to and beyond an outlying island which he named “ Margarita ; ”
and thence sailed Northward direct to Hayti, arriving “ Aug. 30th ” (Major 2d edit. lett. p. 156).
Coesalpinia echinata of Eastern Equatorial America. A large tree affording the brazil-wood oi
commerce, called by the aboriginals of Brazil “ araboutam” (Ler.) : the “ brasil” in great quantities
mentioned by Columbus in a letter from Playti giving an account of his Third voyage — (Major
2d edit. 112), may be compared: much ‘-brasil” along the river Maranon, is mentioned by Oviedo
nat. hyst. f. 10; and C. echinata was observed in Brazil by Lerius. From transported specimen.s, is
termed pseudo-santalum rubrum s. arbor brasilia” by C. Bauhin pin. 393; is described also by
Lamarck enc. i. 461 ; and has usurped the Oriental name of C. sappan from its wood equally dyeing
red (see Cabral).
•‘ In this year” (art de verif.), Mohammed Abu-l-Saadat succeeded by Kansu Abu-Said, thirty-
ninth Memluk sultan of Egypt.
“ The same year” (Alst. p. 308), Dalmatia again overrun by the Turks : and an army of them
“ seventy thousand” strong, sent by Bajazet II. into Russia.
“ The same year ” (Alst. p. 378), Savanarola a Dominican monk, having written against the
supremacy of the pope, burned alive at Florence.
'• 1499 A. D.” (Marcel), Kansu Abu-Said succeeded by Kansu Djan-balat, fortieth Memluk sui-
tan of Eoypt.
“ The same year” (Ohiirchill coll.), in a ship from Spain, Alonso de Ojeda '‘ and some other pn-
vate men,” including Americus Vespucius “ as merchant,” followed the North coast of the new con-
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