trade of spiceries, drugs, and merchandize from India, by the Red Sea; at
which time they unloaded the goods at the port of Judea[45], and carried
them to Mecca; whence they were distributed by the Mahometan pilgrims[46],
so that each prince endeavoured to increase the honour and profit of
his own country. The soldans translated this trade to their own city of
Cairo; whence the goods were carried to the countries of Egypt, Lybia,
Africa, Tunis, Tremessen, Fez, Morocco, and Suz; and some of them were
carried beyond the mountains of Atlas, to the city of Tombuto, and the
kingdom of the Jalophos; till afterwards the Portuguese brought the
Indian trade round the Cape of Good Hope to Lisbon, as we propose to shew
more at large in a convenient place.

A.D. 1344, Peter IV. reigned in Arragon, and the chronicles of his reign
report that Don Lewis de Cerda, grandson of Don John de Corda, requested
his aid to go and conquer the Canary Islands, which had been gifted to
him by Pope Clement VI. a Frenchman. About this time, too, the island of
Madeira is said to have been discovered by an Englishman named Macham;
who, sailing from England into Spain with a lady whom he loved, was
driven out of his course by a tempest, and arrived in a harbour of that
island, now called Machico, after his name. The lady being oppressed
with seasickness, Macham landed with her on the island, accompanied by
some of his people; but in the mean time the ship weighed anchor and
stood to sea, leaving them behind. On this the lady died of grief, and
Macham, who was passionately fond of her, erected a chapel or hermitage
on the island, which he named the chapel of Jesus, and there deposited
her remains, engraving both their names and the cause of their coming to
this place on a monumental stone. After this, he and his companions made
a boat or canoe out of a large tree, and putting to sea without sails or
oars, got over to the coast of Africa. The Moors among whom he arrived,
considering their passage as miraculous, sent him to their king, who