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ehind.erarriedin sllbarrels.itsooaleaastedofrotten ygrohings.as thepeopleoftheddleageskneicrobes rogerban,theleaednkofthethirteeury seetohavesuspectedtheirexistehe hisdisverytohielftheyoftendrankunerand sotistheyphoidfever.ihe rtalityonboardtheshipsoftheearliestnavigatorswas terrible.ofthetheyear1519left sevilletoaousvoyagearound theeeued.aslateastheseveh turyhereradebeteeurope andtheindies,artalityof40perthingunusual foratripfroterdaobataviaandback.thegreater partofthesevictidiedofscurvy,adiseasehiscaused bylackoffreshvegetablesandsand poisonstheblooduntilthepatientdiesofsheerexhaustion. uhoseesyouandthatthesea didnotattraous disvererslikegellanandluusandvasdaga travelledattheheadofcreostentirelyposed ofexjailbirds,futurerderersandpiketsout ofajob. thesenavigatorsirationforthe urageandthepluckplishedtheir hopelesstasksinthefaultiesofhepeopleof ourofortableion.their shipssy.siheddle ofthethirteeofa passetoeuropefrohinabywayof arabiaandthecrusadesbuttheyhadverybadandi ps.theysettheirursebygodandbyguess.ifluck theyretuedafterohreeyears. iherainedbehindon solonelybeach.buttheybled ure.and allthesuffering,thethirstandthehungerandthepainwere fottenoutlinesofane ortheplacidersofahathadlainfottensince thebeginningofti. agaihisbookathousandpages long.thesubjectoftheearlydisveriesissofasating. buthistory,togiveyouatrueideaofpasttis,shouldbe likethoseetgsbrandtusedtoke.itshould portantcauses,onthoseh arebestaest.alltherestshouldbeleftintheshadow orshouldbeindicatedbyafehischapteri ostiortantdisveries. keepinndthatallduringthefourteenthandfifteenth turiesthenavigatorsplishjustone thingtheyfortableandsaferoadtothe eireofcathaya,totheislandofzipangujapan andtothosesteriousislands,hespicesh thediaevaletolikesihedaysofthe crusades,andhosedaysbeforethe introduofldste,eatandfishspoiledvery quicklyanduldoenafteraliberalsprinklingof pepperoutg. theveiansandthegenoesehadbeenthegreatnavigators ofthediterranean,butthehonourforexplthe astoftheatlanticgoestothepuese.spainandpal hatpatriotiergyheirageold struggleagainsttheorishinvadershaddeveloped.such energy,oexists,easilybefortonehannels. ihirteeury,kingalphonsoiiihadnquered thekingdofalgarveiheerofthe spanishpeninsulaandhadaddedittohisdonions.inthe tury,thepuesehadtuedthetablesonthe haedans,hadcrossedthestraitsofgibraltarandhad takenpossessioa,oppositethearabiityoftarifa aeans``ioryandhbyway ofthespanishlanguagehasedoousas``tariff,and tangiers,ethecapitalofanafriadditionto algarve. theyobegintheircareerasexplorers. intheyear1415,prinry,knohe navigator,thesonofjohnialandphilippa,the daughterofjohnofgauntaboutyoureadin richardii,aplaybyshakespearebegantoke preparationsforthesysteticexplorationofnorthe africa.beforethis,thathotandsandyasthadbeenvisited bythephoenien,eeredit asthehoofthehairy``ao knohegorilla.oeranother,prinry andhiscaptainsdisveredthearyislandsredisvered theislandofdeiraurybeforehadbeenvisited byagenoeseship,hartedtheazoreshhad beenvaguelyknooboththepueseandthespaniards, andouthofthesenegalriveron theastofafrica,heysupposedtobethee uthofthelast,bytheddleofthefifteenth tury,theysahegreencape,andthe capeverdeislands,osthalfhe astofafridbrazil. buthenrydidricthielfinhisiigationsto theasteroftheorder ofchrist.thisuguesentinuationofthecrusading orderofthetelarshhadbeenabolishedby popetvintheyear1312attherequestofking philipthefairoffrance,provedtheoasionby buinghisoplarsatthestakeandstealingalltheir possessions.prinains ofhisreligiousordertoequipseveralexpeditionshexplored thehinterlandofthesaharaandoftheastofguinea. butheuiddleagesand spentagreatdealoftiandoneyupona searysterious``presserjohhihristian priestperorofavasteire ``situatedsoheeast.thestoryofthisstrange potentatehadfirstbeentoldineuropeintheddleofthe thtury.forthreehundredyearspeoplehadtried tofind``presserjohnandhisdesdaookpart inthesearch.thirtyyearsafterhisdeath,theriddlewas solved. intheyear1486bartht ...