Hello, I am Prince Henry. I was born in Portugal, in the year 1394. I am the third surviving son of King John I and Philippa of Lancaster, making me the prince of Portugal. I taught the art of sailing in my past, but now that I am old I have decided to settle down and write a autobiography about my life and exploration. In 1452, a young writer described me as "a man of 60 years, dark, thick-set, of medium height, weathered look of a seasoned mariner who had spent most of his life at sea". Unlike this description, I have rarely been to sea. I only plan voyages, supply maps and charts, furnish ships, and strengthen the faith and purpose of the captains who sailed and won glory. My motto is "talent de bien faire", which means the power to do well, or I have the power to do well. I wrote the "Rules for Observing the North Star", the first official manual for navigators. I haven't married yet, and I don't think I will in the near future. I have always worn a hair shirt* beneath my princely clothing in order to remind myself to do good deeds and never sin.
I began sailing because, like many others, I wanted to find a trade route to Asia. I came up with the unique idea of sailing around Africa. When my boats couldn't make it all the way around, my explorers stopped on the coast of a city or civilization of the sort. They thought, "Why not make the best of this while we're here?". So they took advantage of the circumstances and took a few of the residents back home, most likely for labor. When they arrived with a boat full of people, I was ecstatic. They had made it all around and recruited some people back?! That was great! I wasn't too disappointed when they said that they hadn't made it all the way around, because the few people on board meant that there was a potential for trade on the African coast. Soon, we had more and more ships trading goods between Portugal and Africa. My sailors and explorers agreed to postpone finding a trade route to Asia, instead focus on the wonderful opportunities presented to us
* hair shirt = rough shirt that Christians often use
I began sailing because, like many others, I wanted to find a trade route to Asia. I came up with the unique idea of sailing around Africa. When my boats couldn't make it all the way around, my explorers stopped on the coast of a city or civilization of the sort. They thought, "Why not make the best of this while we're here?". So they took advantage of the circumstances and took a few of the residents back home, most likely for labor. When they arrived with a boat full of people, I was ecstatic. They had made it all around and recruited some people back?! That was great! I wasn't too disappointed when they said that they hadn't made it all the way around, because the few people on board meant that there was a potential for trade on the African coast. Soon, we had more and more ships trading goods between Portugal and Africa. My sailors and explorers agreed to postpone finding a trade route to Asia, instead focus on the wonderful opportunities presented to us
* hair shirt = rough shirt that Christians often use