Henrythe Navigator

Henry the Navigator, Prince, third son of John I. of Portugal, by Philippa, granddaughter of Edward III. of England, was born in 1394, and first distinguished himself at the capture of Ceuta in 1415. From that time he devoted himself to the extension of maritime discovery and commerce. He established a school of navigation at Sagres, and, as a first measure, sent out expeditions to round Cape Bojador, the southernmost point then known. In these efforts Madeira and Porto Santo were discovered. Bojador was first rounded by Gil Eannes and John Diaz in 1434. Two years later another expedition under Baldaya proceeded 120 miles farther to the southward, and so, little by little, Cape Blanco, the isle of Arguin, Cape Verde, and the mouth of the Gambia were added to the maps. Prince Henry, after a most useful and well-spent life, died at Sagres in 1460. He deserves to be regarded as the father of modern maritime discovery.