On Mon, 02 Jul 2007 22:45:07 +0100, Scot Austin <scotaustin@comcast.net> wrote: > I have long been interested in the notion that his grandfather, Prince > Henry Sinclair acquired navigational information on his reputed 1398 Why do you name him Prince? I only have him as Count of Orkney. Can you tell me as well more about that voyage, and the source for it? I have yet to dedicate some time to the research of this part of the family. :-\ > voyage to Nova Scotia that may have been passed on from John's son, João > Escorcio to Cristao Colon. This voyage, the Zeno map and Columbus' > nationality are the subject of much dispute and controversy. But is > fascinating. Eheh - Yes, it's curious, but I don't find it to be much probable. João da Escócia seems to have settled here as a quiet farmer, I don't recall his family to be much involved in navigation affairs. The guys living here traveling to the New World seem to have been rather from the poor or middle class (Escudeiros), guys who managed to find a patron, and there they went, to live an adventurous life at the ocean. It is said that the existance of the New World was common knowledge in Funchal's taverns at the 15th century, and indeed more than one expedition is documented to have been arranged to explore those lands. It's easy to presume that young Cristovão (at the time an obscure sugar merchant, and not very honest at that) stumbled across one of those conversations, managed to gather some drafts and rudimentary maps from the Funchal seaman, and was smart enough to take profit from this. In fact, there's not any need from Bartolomeu Perestrelo presumed navigation charters, or those ones from the Sinclairs. All you need is some coups of wine and a drunked seaman, the rest will come naturally. ;) -- " Pallida mors aequo pulsat pede pauperum tabernas regumque turres." -- Horacio