again to the Gambia River, which he ascended much further than he had done
during his previous expedition, and he also succeeded on this occasion in
conciliating the natives. Then he went down the coast, passed Cape Roxo,
and afterwards sailed up the Rio Grande, but, from want of any knowledge
of the language of the people, was unable to prosecute his explorations
among them.

Some time between 1460 and 1464, an expedition went out under Pedro de
Cintra, one of the King of Portugal's gentlemen, to make further
discoveries along the African coast. These voyagers, whose story is
briefly told by Ca da Mosto, discovered Sierra Leone (so called on account
of the roaring thunder heard there), and went a little beyond Cape
Mesurado. The precise date of this voyage is uncertain, but we may fairly
consider Sierra Leone as being the point attained at, or about, the death
of Prince Henry in 1463, of whose character, before parting with him,
something deserves to be said.


DEATH OF PRINCE HENRY.

This great leader of maritime discovery resembled Columbus strongly in one
thing, namely, his unity of purpose. He resembled him, too, in his
patience and in his unvarying confidence of success, even under
disappointment. "He was bold and valorous in war, versed in arts and
letters; a skilful fencer; in the mathematics superior to all men of his
time; generous in the extreme; most zealous for the increase of the faith.
No bad habit was known in him. His memory was equal to the authority he
bore, and his prudence equal to his memory." [Faria y Sousa.] And to
this character the chronicler, Azurara, who evidently knew the prince
well, and speaks with perfect honesty about him, adds two or three of