nd.

So Porto Santo was colonised by the Portuguese, and one Perestrello
was made Governor of the island; and it is interesting to note that
his daughter became the wife of Christopher Columbus. But the original
founders, Zarco and Vaz, had observed from time to time a dark spot
on the horizon which aroused their curiosity. Sailing towards it, they
found an island of considerable size, uninhabited and very attractive,
but so covered with woods that they named it Madeira, the Island of
Woods.

But although these two islands belong to Portugal to-day, and although
Portugal claimed their discovery, it has been proved that already an
Englishman and his wife had been there, and the names of the islands
appear on an Italian map of 1351.

[Illustration: AFRICA--FROM CEUTA TO MADEIRA, THE CANARIES, AND CAPE
BOJADOR. From Fra Mauro's map, 1457.]

The story of this first discovery is very romantic. In the reign of
Edward III. a young man named Robert Machin sailed away from Bristol
with a very wealthy lady. A north-east wind carried them out of their
course, and after thirteen days' driving before a storm they were cast
on to an island. It was uninhabited and well wooded and watered. But
the sufferings and privations proved too much for the poor English
lady, who died after three days, and Machin died a few days later of
grief and exposure. The crew of the ship sailed away to the coast of
Africa, there to be imprisoned by the Moors. Upon their escape in 1416
they made known their discovery.

So Zarco and Vaz divided the island of Madeira, calling half of it
Funchal (the Portuguese for fennel, which grew here in great
quantities) and the other half Machico after the poor English
discoverer Machin. The first two Portuguese children born in the
island of Madeira were called Adam and Eve.

Year after year Prince Henry launched his little ships on the yet
unknown, uncharted seas, urging his captains to venture farther and
ever farther. He longed for them to reach Cape Bojador, and bitter
was his disappointment when one of his squires, dismayed by
travellers' tales, turned back from the Canary Islands.

"Go out again," urged the enthusiastic Prince, "and give no heed to
their opinions, for, by the grace of God, you cannot fail to derive
from your voyage both honour and profit."

[Illustration: THE VOYAGE TO CAPE BLANCO FROM CAPE BOJADOR. From Fra
Mauro's map, 1457.]

And the squire went forth from the commanding presence of