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The voyage of Macham an English man, wherein he first of any man discovered the Iland of Madera, recorded verbatim in the Portugall history, written by Antonio Galvano.

IN the yeere 1344, King Peter the fourth of that name reigning in Aragon , the Chronicles of his age write that about this time the Iland of Madera, standing in 32 degrees, was discovered by an English man, which was named Macham, who sailing out of England into Spaine, with a woman that he had stollen, arrived by tempest in that Iland, and did cast anker in that haven or bay, which now is called Machico after the name of Macham. And because his lover was sea-sicke, he went on land with some of his company, and the shippe with a good winde made saile away, and the woman died for thought. Macham, which loved her dearely, built a chapell, or hermitage, to bury her in, calling it by the name of Jesus, and caused his name and hers to be written or graven upon the stone of her tombe, and the occasion of their arrivall there. And afterward he ordeined a boat made of one tree (for there be trees of a great compasse about) and went to sea in it, with those men that he had, and were left behinde with him, and came upon the coast of Afrike, without saile or oare. And the Moores which saw it tooke it to be a marvellous thing, and presented him unto the king of that countrey for a woonder, and that king also sent him and his companions for a miracle unto the king of Castile.

In the yeere 1395, King Henry the third of that name reigning in Castile , the information which Macham gave of this Iland, and also the ship of his company, mooved many of France and Castile to go and discover it, and also the great Canaria, &c.

In the yeere 1417, King John the second reigning in Castile , and his mother Lady Katherine being Regent, one Monsieur Ruben of Bracamont, which was Admirall of France, demanding the conquest of the Ilands of the Canaries, with the title of King, for a kinsman of his named Monsieur John Betancourt, after that the Queene hath given him them, and holpen him, he departed from

Sivil with a good army. And they affirme also, that the principall cause which moved him to this, was to discover the Iland of Madera, which Macham had found, &c. ibidem pag. 2. of Anthonio Galvano.

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