PRINCE HENRY THE NAVIGATOR

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22305, 20 January 1938, Page 5 (Supplement)

PRINCE HENRY THE NAVIGATOR

The great discoveries made at the end of the fifteenth century—the Cape route to India (1480) and the new continent of America—were largely due to the enterprise of the man who gave his whole Jifa to encouraging exploration. He was “Prince Henry the Navigator, the third son of the King of Portugal, and English people like to remember that his mother was -an Englishwoman.

Prince Henry settled at Cape Sagres, a lonely spot on the southern shore of Portugal, and built for himself 'there a palace, a chapel, and an observatory. Hera he collected maps and charts and books on geography, from here he planned expeditions to discover new lands, and in the shipyards close by he carried out experiments) leading to great improvements in shipbuilding. Medieval ships were heavy and clumsy, nearly round, to shape, and often undecked, A single mast- supported a square sail, and instead of reefing down to a storm extra bonnets of canvas were laced on in fair weather. From the fifteenth century onwards, improvements in design and riggtog were introduced, so that the ships became much more seaworthy and could sail closer to the wind.

Prince Henry sent out his sad? 1 * with instructions to round A®”, and to find a sea route to India. They were terrified of venturing out into the Atlantic Ocean, wlucn the Moslems called the Green Sea of Darkness. They kept close in* shore, and by degrees explored tne coast lin' of Africa as far as Capa Bojador. After passing this P oll }l it was said that a white man would turn black, and there were homo tales of sea monsters which w ore supposed to infest these waters. Prince Henry inspired his men witn his own adventurous spirit, ana they passed on as far as tne Guinea Coast. Here they f° ul ?T some gold dust, and they brougm home a few natives as curiosities. The sailors realised that tne voyages might mean profit, ana from that time on Prince Henry found it easier to get recruits.

AUSTRALIAN ADDRESS

Delphine Crockett would kk e . girl about her own age dl) * write to her. She collects and is interested in poetry. “ e address is:— Miss Delphine Crockett, C/o Mr G. Crockett, Box 66, Lake Cargelligo, New South Wales.

LETTERS WANTED

Frances Wheat, Gull Lake, ag 12 years, would like a New Zealand pen-friend. ■ Jim Wheat, Gull Lake, would to exchange stamps with a New * land boy. Hazel Wenaus, Verwood, aged,l years, would like someone to wr and tell her about New Zealan She lives in the dried out area „ Saskatchewan, where this year have no crops. She learns by e respondence and finds it hard. * , is in grade IX. which is about equ to our form 111.

All these addresses are in Saska* chewan, Canada; they were sent t Jessie Mould, Robinson’s Bay, Ban" Peninsula.