THE VOYAGES OF CADAMOSTO Edited by G. R. Crone
The narrative of Alvise Cadamosto, the scholarly young Venetian who in 1454-6 made two voyages down the West African coast for Prince Henry of Portugal, is for the first time fully published in English by Mr. Crone in this new volume of the Hakluyt Society's publications (Quaritch, 25s.). Cadamosto sailed up the Gambia, and his claim to have dis- covered the Cape Verde islands is stoutly defended by the learned editor. In any case Cadamosto's clear and terse account of his voyages and of the negro peoples that he visited is exceptional for its period, and its general accuracy is con- firmed by the notes. He was tactful in his dealings with the natives and he was a keen observer of the African beasts and birds that were new to him : he was specially proud of having eaten elephant steak, though he found it tough. Mr. Crone adds translations of other documents bearing on Portuguese discovery in this region, down to the founding of the fort at Elmina on the Gold Coast in 1482. One of them is Diego Gomez' account of his landing on the Cape Verde Islands in 1458. Mr. Crone's excellent introduction shows that the Portuguese object was to get direct access to the mines from which gold reached Europe through Morocco while they also found the slave trade easy and profitable.
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