The chronicle of the discovery and conquest of Guinea Volume I-XL Gomes de Azurara; edited by Charles Raymond Beazley and Edgar Prestage; with and introduction on the life and writing of the Chronicler.

Including an index

Chapter THE AUTHOR'S PREFACE. --
chapter II The Author's invocation. --
chapter III In which we recount the descent of the Infant Don Henry. --
chapter IV Which speaketh of the habits of the Infant Don Henry. --
chapter V In which the Chronicler speaketh briefly of the notable matters which the Infant performed for the service of God and the honour of the Kingdom. --
chapter VI In which the Author, who setteth in order this history, saith something of what he purposeth concerning the virtues of the Infant Don Henry. --
chapter VII In which five reasons appear why the Lord Infant was moved to command the search for the lands of Guinea. --
chapter VIII Why ships had not hitherto dared to pass beyond Cape Bojador. --
chapter IX How Gil Eannes, a native of Lagos, was the first who passed the Cape of Bojador, and how he returned thither again, and with him Affonso Gonçalvez Baldaya. --
chapter X How Affonso Gonçalvez Baldaya reached the Rio d'Ouro. --
chapter XI Of the things that were achieved in the years following. --
chapter XII How Antam Gonçalvez brought back the first Captives. --
chapter XIII How Nuno Tristam reached the spot where Antam Gonçalvez was, and how he dubbed him knight. --
chapter XIV How Antam Gonçalvez, and afterwards Nuno Tristam, came before the Infant with their booty. --
chapter XV How the Infant Don Henry sent his embassy to the Holy Father, and of the answer that he had. --
chapter XVI How Antam Gonçalvez went to make the first ransom. --
chapter XVII How Nuno Tristam went to the island of Gete, and of the Moors that he took. --
chapter XVIII How Lançarote required license from the Infant to go with his ships to Guinea. --
chapter XIX Who were the Captains of the other Caravels, and of the first booty that they made. --
chapter XX How they went to the island of Tiger, and of the Moors that they took. --
chapter XXI How they, Lançarote and the others, returned in their boats to Tiger, and of the Moors that they took. --
chapter XXII Of the reasons that Gil Eannes gave, and how they went to Tiger, and of the Moors that they took. --
chapter XXIII How they went to Cape Branco, and of what they did there. --
chapter XXIV How the caravels arrived at Lagos, and of the account that Lançarote gave to the Infant. --
chapter XXV Wherein the Author reasoneth somewhat concerning the pity inspired by the captives, and of how the division was made. --
chapter XXVI How the Infant Don Henry made Lançarote a Knight. --
chapter XXVII How the Infant ordered Gonçallo de Sintra to go to Guinea, and how he was killed. --
chapter XXVIII Of the reasons that the Author giveth for a warning as to the death of Gonçallo de Sintra. --
chapter XXIX How Antam Gonçalvez and Gomez Pirez and Diego Affonso went to the Rio d'Ouro. --
chapter XXX How Nuno Tristam went to Tira, and of the Moors that he took captive there. --
chapter XXXI How Dinis Diaz went to the land of the Negroes, and of the Captives that he took. --
chapter XXXII How Antam Gonçalvez, Garcia Homem, and Diego Affonso, set out for Cape Branco. --
chapter XXXIII How they went to Ergim* Island, and of the Moors they took there. --
chapter XXXIV How John Fernandez came to the caravels. --
chapter XXXV How Antam Gonçalvez went to make the ransom. --
chapter XXXVI How they took the Moors at Cape Branco. --
chapter XXXVII How the caravel of Gonçalo Pacheco and two other ships went to the isle of Ergim. --
chapter XXXVIII How Mafaldo took forty-six Moors. --
chapter XXXIX How they landed another time, and of the things that they did. --
chapter XL How Alvaro Vasquez took the seven Moors.

The publications of the Hakluyt Society (founded in 1846) made available edited (and sometimes translated) early accounts of exploration. The first series, which ran from 1847 to 1899, consists of 100 books containing published or previously unpublished works by authors from Christopher Columbus to Sir Francis Drake, and covering voyages to the New World, to China and Japan, to Russia and to Africa and India. Gomes Eanes de Zurara (c.1410-1474) was a Portuguese writer appointed to chronicle the life of Prince Henry the Navigator (1394-1460) and the expeditions he sponsored. Zurara's chronicle of the discovery of Guinea appeared in this two-volume English translation in 1896-1899. The editors' preface includes an account of the voyages of exploration along the African coast sponsored by Prince Henry until 1448, together with biographical information about the author. Volume 1 contains chapters 1-40 of the Chronicle.