not care for gain, for, of the forty-six souls which fell to his fifth,
he speedily made his choice, as all his principal riches were in his
contentment, considering with great delight the salvation of those souls
which before were lost. And certainly his thought was not vain, for as
soon as they had knowledge of our language they readily became
Christians; and I, who have made this history in this volume, have seen
in the town of Lagos young men and young women, the sons and grandsons
of those very captives, born in this land, as good and as true
Christians as if they had lineally descended, since the commencement of
the law of Christ, from those who were first baptized."

The good Azurara wished that these captives might have some foresight
of the things to happen after their death. I do not think, however, that
it would have proved much consolation to them to have foreseen that they
were almost the first of many millions to be dealt with as they had
been; for, in this year 1444, Europe may be said to have made a distinct
beginning in the slave trade, henceforth to spread on all sides, like
the waves upon stirred water, and not, like them, to become fainter and
fainter as the circles widen.

In 1445 an expedition was fitted out by Prince Henry himself, and the
command given to Gonsalvo de Cintra, who was unsuccessful in an attack
on the natives near Cape Blanco. He and some other of the principal men
of the expedition lost their lives. These were the first Portuguese who
died in battle on that coast. In the same year the Prince sent out three
other vessels. The captains received orders from the Infante, Don Pedro,
who was then Regent of Portugal, to enter the river D'Oro, and make all
endeavors to convert the natives to the faith, and even, if they should
not receive baptism, to make peace and alliance with them. This did not
succeed. It is probable that the captains found negotiation of any kind
exceedingly tame and apparently profitless in comparison with the
pleasant forays made by their predecessors. The attempt, however, shows
much intelligence and humanity on the part of those in power in
Portugal. That the instructions were sincere is proved by the fact of
this expedition returning with only one negro, gained in ransom, and a
Moor who came of his own accord to see the Christian country.

This same year 1445 is signalized by a great event in the progress of
discovery along the African coast. Dinis Dyaz, called