The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-02-28
Portugal's Celebration.

Prince HENRY the Navigator ushered in
an era OF adventurous voyages. Living
nearly a century before COLUMBUS. he paved
the way for the greatest OF discoveries by
kindling the spirit OF maritime adventure.
Sunday Is the five hundredth anniversary Of
his birth. and Portugal will celebrate the
event by elaborate festivities at Oporto.
where the Navigator was born In 1894.
The world had not emerged from intelec-
tual thraldom when Prince HENRY lived
The ships Of the Venetians. the greatest
sailors OF the time. were still hugging the
shore lines: and the borders OF the Mediter-
ranean were the coasts best known 10
Europeans. In that age OF timd seaman
ship, few and poor maps. and scanty geo.
graphic knowledge. Prince HENRY did his
work. He was not a sailor himself. but he
was an untiring promoter of maritime dis
covery. Laughed at as crank and derided
rs a visionary. we may be sure he was made
OF no common stuff. for in spite OF oil oppo-
sition his energy and courage never tagged
For forty years he sent out feet after fleet.
suit OF his labors was reached. the doubling
OF the Cape OF Good Hope and the discovery
Of the sea route to India.
hTuOT WAS
first inspired by conversations with Moor
ish prisoners. who told him OF caravans
that crossed the great desert and found
rich trade at Timbuctoo. Segu. Sokoto. and
Bornu. 1t was the first time European
had heard OF these places. whose CONNER
cial Importance Is believed to have been
greater then than now. The young Prince
listened eagerly also. to exaggerated stories
OF wealthy towns on Afnca's east coast,
from which. the Moors told him. the won
drous realms Of India were within easy
reach by sea. He determined TO find, IL he
could. a route around this great unknown
continent, to the East.
This was his llfe's business. and he was
diverted from it only by some intervals OF
political trouble az home. The ships in
which his sailors sklrted and mapped the
west African coast. were not even so sea-
worthy as those in which COLUMBUS sailed.
The funds he used we're placed at his dis
posal as Grand Master OF the Order OF
CHRIST. and tho mobiles often complained
that tho Prince was squandering tho
revenues OF that knightly order In mad
cap enterprises. that could rebound
neither to the glory OF COP nor to the
profit OF the king and the country. II
HENRY had been less than a prince lie
could not have triumphed over such oppo-
sition; and il he had been a small man he
would have yielded TO it. but nothing
turned him from his purpose. and before he
died. his expeditions had discovered many
an African island and mapped nearly all OF
the west African coast. lie had given an
impetus tn Portuguese enterprise that
made his country one OF the great maritime
powers, and brought her large possessions
on both coasts Of Africa and in Asia.
1t was Prince HENRY who proved 10 Eu-
rope that there was great profit In the Afri- |
can slave trade. He began the odious traf- |
fic. but the world can afford to forget this
blemish on his record. and TO remember only !
the brilliant achievements with which he |
helped 10 snpplant centuries OF stagnatlon |
by an era Of discovery and progress. Por- !
tugal does well to honor the memory OF one |
Of her sturdiest and greatest sons.