Book contents
- Frontmatter
- PREFACE
- Contents
- MAPS AND PLATES
- CHAPTER I THE BUSHMEN
- CHAPTER II THE HOTTENTOTS
- CHAPTER III THE BANTU
- CHAPTER IV DESCRIPTION OF THE BANTU—(continued)
- CHAPTER V DESCRIPTION OF THE BANTU—(continued)
- CHAPTER VI SPECIMENS OF BANTU FOLKLORE
- CHAPTER VII DESCRIPTION OF THE BANTU—(continued)
- CHAPTER VIII ARAB AND PERSIAN SETTLEMENTS IN SOUTH-EASTERN AFRICA
- CHAPTER IX DISCOVERY OF AN OCEAN ROUTE TO INDIA
- CHAPTER X SUCCEEDING VOYAGES AND CONQUESTS
- CHAPTER XI OCCUPATION OF SOFALA AND MOZAMBIQUE
- CHAPTER XII INTERCOURSE OF THE PORTUGUESE WITH THE BANTU
- CHAPTER XIII DISASTROUS EXPEDITIONS UNDER BARRETO AND HOMEM
- CHAPTER XIV EVENTS TO THE CLOSE OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY
- CHAPTER XV KNOWLEDGE DERIVED FROM SHIPWRECKS
- CHAPTER XIV APPEARANCE OF RIVALS IN THE EASTERN SEAS
- CHAPTER XVII PROCEEDINGS OF THE DUTCH AND ENGLISH
- CHAPTER XVIII FRUITLESS SEARCH FOR SILVER MINES
- CHAPTER XIX EVENTS OF INTEREST FROM 1628 TO 1652
- CHAPTER XX WEAKNESS OF PORTUGUESE RULE IN SOUTH AFRICA
- Plate section
CHAPTER XV - KNOWLEDGE DERIVED FROM SHIPWRECKS
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 August 2011
- Frontmatter
- PREFACE
- Contents
- MAPS AND PLATES
- CHAPTER I THE BUSHMEN
- CHAPTER II THE HOTTENTOTS
- CHAPTER III THE BANTU
- CHAPTER IV DESCRIPTION OF THE BANTU—(continued)
- CHAPTER V DESCRIPTION OF THE BANTU—(continued)
- CHAPTER VI SPECIMENS OF BANTU FOLKLORE
- CHAPTER VII DESCRIPTION OF THE BANTU—(continued)
- CHAPTER VIII ARAB AND PERSIAN SETTLEMENTS IN SOUTH-EASTERN AFRICA
- CHAPTER IX DISCOVERY OF AN OCEAN ROUTE TO INDIA
- CHAPTER X SUCCEEDING VOYAGES AND CONQUESTS
- CHAPTER XI OCCUPATION OF SOFALA AND MOZAMBIQUE
- CHAPTER XII INTERCOURSE OF THE PORTUGUESE WITH THE BANTU
- CHAPTER XIII DISASTROUS EXPEDITIONS UNDER BARRETO AND HOMEM
- CHAPTER XIV EVENTS TO THE CLOSE OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY
- CHAPTER XV KNOWLEDGE DERIVED FROM SHIPWRECKS
- CHAPTER XIV APPEARANCE OF RIVALS IN THE EASTERN SEAS
- CHAPTER XVII PROCEEDINGS OF THE DUTCH AND ENGLISH
- CHAPTER XVIII FRUITLESS SEARCH FOR SILVER MINES
- CHAPTER XIX EVENTS OF INTEREST FROM 1628 TO 1652
- CHAPTER XX WEAKNESS OF PORTUGUESE RULE IN SOUTH AFRICA
- Plate section
Summary
Of the Bantu tribes along the seaboard north of the Umzimvubu a good deal of knowledge was obtained during the sixteenth century by the crews of wrecked ships, some of whom underwent almost incredible suffering before their restoration to the society of civilised men. By order of King Sebastião a flying survey of the coast between the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Correntes was also made during the years 1575 and 1576, by which much information was supposed to have been gained.
Occasionally vessels disappeared after leaving Portugal or India, and were never heard of again. Some of these were probably lost on the African shore, though of this there is no certainty except in one instance, when part of a stranded ship was found at the mouth of the river now known as the Saint Lucia, but without a trace of any one that had sailed in her. Particulars, however, have been preserved of the loss successively of the São João, the São Bento, the Santiago, the São Thomé, and the Santo Alberto, from each of which some of the crew escaped, and after much intercourse with Bantu succeeded in reaching Mozambique.
The São João was a great galleon laden with a very valuable cargo, which left Cochin on the 3rd of February 1552 to return to Portugal. She had about two hundred and twenty Portuguese and nearly four hundred slaves on board, and, as was usual at that time, an officer of high rank who was going home was captain in command.
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- Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2010First published in: 1907