(Martin), though hitherto little talked of, was one of the most enterprising men that ever lived, and deserves to have his name transmitted with reverence to the latest posterity. Born at Nuremberg, an Imperial city in the circle of Franconia, of a noble family not yet extinct, he had the best education which the darkness of that age would permit him to have; and the studies to which from his infancy he was most addicted, were those of geography, astronomy, and navigation. As he advanced in life, he often thought of the existence of the antipodes and of a western continent, of which he was ambitious to make the discovery.

Filled with this great idea, in 1450 he paid a visit to Isabella, daughter of John I. king of Portugal, at that time regent of the duchy of Burgundy and Flanders; and having informed her of his designs, he procured a vessel, in which, sailing westward, he was the first European who is known to have landed on the island of Fayal. He there established in 1460 a colony of Flemings, whose descendants yet exist in the Azores, which were for some time called the Flemish Islands. This circumstance is proved, not only by the writings of contemporary authors, but also by the manuscripts preserved in the records of Nuremberg; from the Latin of which the following is translated: "Martin Behem tendered his services to the daughter of John king of Lusitania, who resigned after the death of Philip of Burgundy, surnamed the Good; and from her procured a ship, by means of which, having sailed beyond all the then known limits of the Western Ocean, he was the first who in the memory of man discovered the island of Fayal, abounding with beech trees, which the people of Lusitania call fayal; whence it derived its name. After this he discovered the neighbouring islands, called by one general name the Azores, from the multitude of hawks which build their nests there (for the Lusitanians use this term for hawks, and the French too use the word effor or efors in their pursuit of this game); and left colonies of the Flemish on them, when they began to be called Flemish Islands (a)."

(a) Although this record is contrary to the generally received opinion, that the Azores were discovered by Goncalvo Velho, a Portuguese, yet its authenticity seems unquestionable. It is confirmed not only by several contemporary writers, and by Wagenfell, one of the most learned men of the last century, but likewise by a note written on parchment in the German language, and sent from Nuremberg, a few years ago, to M. Otto, who was then investigating the discovery of America. The note contained, with other things, the following facts: "Martin Behem, Esq; son of Mr Martin Behem of Scoperin, lived in the reign of John II. king of Portugal, in an island which he discovered, and called the island of Fayal, one of the Azores, lying in the Western Ocean." After having obtained from the regent a grant of Fayal, and resided there about twenty years, Behem applied in 1484 (eight years before Columbus's expedition) to John II., king of Portugal, to procure the means of undertaking a great expedition towards the south-west. This prince gave him some ships, with which he discovered that part of America which is now called Brazil; and he even sailed to the Straits of Magellan, or to the country of some savage tribes whom he called Patagonians, from the extremities of their bodies being covered with a skin more like a bear's paws than human hands and feet.

A fact so little known, and apparently so derogatory to the fame of Columbus, ought not to be admitted without sufficient proof; but the proofs which have been urged in support of its authenticity are such as cannot be controverted. They are not only the letters of Behem himself, written in 1486, and preserved in the archives of Nuremberg, but likewise the public records of that city; in which we read that "Martin Behem, traversing the Atlantic Ocean for several years, examined the American islands, and discovered the strait which bears the name of Magellan before either Christopher Columbus or Magellan sailed those seas; whence he mathematically delineated, on a geographical chart, for the king of Lusitania, the situation of the coast around every part of that famous and renowned strait long before Magellan thought of his expedition."

This wonderful discovery has not escaped the notice of contemporary writers. The following passage is translated from the Latin chronicle of Hartman Scheidt:

"In the year 1485, John II., king of Portugal, a man of a magnanimous spirit, furnished some galleys with provisions, and sent them to the southward, beyond the Straits of Gibraltar. He gave the command of this squadron to James Camus, a Portuguese, and Martin Behem, a German of Nuremberg in Upper Germany, defended by the family of Bonna; a man very well acquainted with the situation of the globe; blest with a constitution able to bear the fatigues of the sea; and who, by actual experiments and long sailing, had made himself perfectly master with regard to the longitudes and latitudes of Ptolemy in the west. These two, by the bounty of Heaven, coasting along the Southern Ocean, and having crossed the equator, got into the other hemisphere, where, facing to the eastward, their shadows projected towards the south and right hand. Thus, by their industry, they have opened to us another world hitherto unknown, and for many years attempted by none but the Genoese, and by them in vain. Having finished this cruise in the space of 26 months, they returned to Portugal with the loss of many of their seamen by the violence of the climate."

Besides this evidence of the first discovery of America having been made by Behem, we find the following particulars in the remarks made by Petrus Mataes on the canon law, two years before the expedition of Columbus: "Prime navigationes, &c. The first Christian voyages to the newly discovered islands became frequent under the reign of Henry, son of John, king of Lusitania. After his death Alphonso V. prosecuted the design; and John, who succeeded him, followed the plan of Alphonso, by the assistance of Martin Behem, a very skilful navigator; so that in a short time the name of Lusitania became famous over the whole world."

Cellarius, one of the most learned men of his age, says expressly, "Behemus non modo, &c." Behem did not think it enough to survey the island of Fayal, which he first discovered, or the other adjacent islands which the Lusitanians call Aves, and we, after the example of Behem's companions, call Flemish islands, but advanced still farther and farther south, until he arrived at the remotest strait, through which Ferdinand Magellan, following his track, afterwards sailed, and called it after his own name."

All these quotations, which cannot be thought tedious, since they serve to prove a fact almost unknown, seem to demonstrate, that the first discovery of America is due to the Portuguete and not to the Spaniards; and that the chief merit belongs to a German astronomer.

The expedition of Ferdinand Magellan, which did not take place before the year 1519, arose from the following fortunate circumstance: This person, being in the apartment of the king of Portugal, saw there a chart of the coast of America drawn by Behem, and at once conceived the bold project of following the steps of this great navigator. Jerome Benson, who published a description of America in 1550, speaks of this chart; a copy of which, sent by Behem himself, is preserved in the archives of Nuremberg. The celebrated astronomer Riccioli, though an Italian, yet does not seem willing to give his countryman the honour of this important discovery. In his Geographia Referentiae, book iii. p. 90, he says, "Christopher Columbus never thought of an expedition to the West Indies until his arrival in the island of Madeira, where, amusing himself in forming and delineating geographical charts, he obtained information from Martin Behem, or, as the Spaniards say, from Alphonsus Sanchez de Huelva, a pilot, who had chanced to fall in with the island afterwards called Dominica." And in another place: "Let Behem and Columbus have each their praise; they were both excellent navigators; but Columbus would never have thought of his expedition to America, had not Behem gone there before him. His name is not so much celebrated as that of Columbus, Americus, or Magellan, although he is superior to them all."

That Behem rendered some very important services to the crown of Portugal, is put beyond all controversy by the recompense bestowed on him by King John; of which the following account has been given to the public from the archives of Nuremberg: "In the year 1485, on the 18th of Feb. in Portugal, in the city of Alladas, and in the church of St. Salvador, after the mass, Martin Behem of Nuremberg was made a knight, by the hands of the most illustrious Lord John II., king of Portugal, Algarve, Africa, and Guinea; and his chief squire was the king himself, who put the sword in his belt; and the Duke of Beja was his second squire, who put on his right spur; and his third squire was Count Christopher de Melo, the king's cousin, who put on his left spur; and his fourth squire was Count Martini Marbarinis, who put on his iron helmet; and the king himself gave him the blow on the shoulder, which was done in the presence of all the princes, lords, and knights of the kingdom; and he espoused the daughter of a great lord, in consideration of the important service he had performed; and he was made governor of the island of Fayal."

These marks of distinction, conferred on a stranger, could not be meant as a recompense for the discovery of the Azores, which was made twenty years before, but as a reward for the discovery of Congo, from whence the Chevalier Behem had brought gold and different kinds of precious wares. This discovery made much greater impression than that of a western world made at the same time, but which neither increased the wealth of the royal treasury, nor satisfied the avarice of the merchants.

In 1492 the Chevalier Behem, crowned with honours and riches, undertook a journey to Nuremberg, to visit his native country and his family. He there made a terrestrial globe, which is looked on as a masterpiece for that time, and which is still preserved in the library of that city. The outline of his discoveries may there be seen, under the name of western lands; and from their situation it cannot be doubted that they are the present coasts of Brazil, and the environs of the Straits of Magellan. This globe was made in the same year that Columbus set out on his expedition; therefore it is impossible that Behem could have profited by the works of that navigator, who besides went a much more northerly course.

After having performed several other interesting voyages, the Chevalier Behem died at Lisbon in July 1506, regretted by every one, but leaving behind him no other work than the globe and chart which we have just been speaking of. The globe is made from the writings of Ptolemy, Pliny, Strabo, and especially from the account of Mark Paul, the Venetian, a celebrated traveller of the 13th century; and of John Mandeville, an Englishman, who, about the middle of the 14th century, published an account of a journey of 33 years in Africa and Asia. He has also added the important discoveries made by himself on the coasts of Africa and America.

From these circumstantial accounts, but very lately brought to light, there can be little doubt, we think, but that America was discovered by Martin Behem. Dr Robertson is indeed of a different opinion; but great as we willingly acknowledge his authority to be, we may differ from him without presumption, since he had not in his power to consult the German documents to which we have appealed, and has himself advanced facts not easily to be reconciled to his own opinion. He allows that Behem was very intimate with Christopher Columbus; that he was the greatest geographer of his time, and scholar of the celebrated John Miller, or Regiomontanus; that he had discovered, in 1483, the kingdom of Congo, upon the coast of Africa; that he made a globe which Magellan made use of; that he drew a map at Nuremberg, containing the particulars of his discoveries; and that he placed in this chart land which is found to be in the latitude of Guiana. He adds indeed, without proof, that this land was a fabulous island; but if authentic records are to give place to bare assertion, there is an end of all historical evidence. If Behem took for an island the first land which he discovered, it was a mistake surely not so gross as to furnish grounds for questioning his veracity, or for withholding from him for ever that justice which has been so long delayed.

But this very delay will by some be thought a powerful objection to the truth of Behem's claim to the discovery of America; for if it was really discovered by him, why did not he leave behind him some writing to confirm the discovery to himself? and why did not the court of Portugal, so jealous of the discovery of the new world, protest against the exclusive claim of the Spaniards?

To these objections we may reply, that, however plausible they may at first appear, they do not in the smallest degree invalidate the positive evidence which we have urged for the Chevalier Behem's being the real discoverer of the new world; for it would surely be very absurd to oppose the difficulty of assigning motives for certain actions performed at a remote period, to the reality of other actions for which we have the testimony of a cloud of contemporary witnesses. Supposing it were true, therefore, that Behem had left behind him no writing claiming to himself the discovery of any part of the continent of America, the only inference which could be drawn from his silence would be, either that he was a man of great modesty, or that his mind was intent only on the acquisition of knowledge to himself, without feeling the usual impulse to communicate that knowledge to others. But it is not true that he has left behind him no claim of this discovery to himself. The letters to which we have appealed, and which are preserved in the archives of Nuremberg, together with the globe and map, which he certainly made, furnish as complete a confirmation of his claim as could have been furnished by the most elegant account of his voyages.

For the silence of the Portuguese, many reasons might be assigned. The discoveries of Columbus were made so much farther north than those of Behem, that, in an age when geographical knowledge was so very limited, both Spaniards and Portuguese might very naturally believe that the country discovered by the former of these navigators had no connection with that discovered by the latter. At any rate, the Portuguese, whose discoveries proceeded from avarice, were satisfied with scraping together gold wherever they could find it; and finding it in Africa, they thought not of searching for it in a more distant region, till the success of the Spaniards showed them their mistake.

One thing more is worthy of attention. The long stay of Columbus at Madeira makes his interview with Behem more than probable. It is impossible that he should have neglected seeing a man so interesting, and who could give him every kind of information for the execution of the plan which he had formed. The mariners who accompanied the Chevalier Behem might also have spread reports at Madeira and the Azores concerning the discovery of which they had been witnesses. What ought to confirm us in this is, that Mariana says himself (book xxvi. chap. iii.), that a certain vessel going to Africa, was thrown by a gale of wind upon certain unknown lands; and that the sailors at their return to Madeira had communicated to Christopher Columbus the circumstances of their voyage. All authors agree that this learned man had some information respecting the western shores; but they speak in a very vague manner. The expedition of the Chevalier Behem explains the mystery (a).

(a) For the greater part of this memoir we are indebted to M. Otto's paper on the discovery of America, published