Joseph Dâmaso Fragoso became interested in Dighton Rock in 1928, after Professor Edmund Burke Delabarre published his large book "Dighton Rock, and two years later invited Prof. Delabarre to lecture on his findings, at the Vasco da Gama Club in New York City, of which Fragoso was president.

How did Fragoso discover the Cross of the Order
of Christ engraved on the face of Dighton Rock?

He told me, personally, in February 1948, in New York City, that he detected the Cross of the Order of Christ, on a rubbing -- "a mold made of thick wet paper, after it was applied and pressed upon the rock to the entire face of Dighton Rock, and removed when dry, obtaining this way a negative of the face" --, made by James Winthrop, on August 14, 1788, and published on page 26 of Delabarre's book.

And Fragoso proceeded to point to me the Cross of the Order of Christ on Winthrop's drawing. It is there! It is very clearly! I had to agreed with him. Eureka!

Click on all pictures for a larger view

Now let us put Fragoso's discovery to test.

We know that are 317 different crosses in the world,  ( Encyclopedia Heraldica, by William Berry, 1828),   but the Portuguese Cross of the Order of Christ is unique because it has extremities terminating in 45 degree angles.

Here is the Portuguese Cross of the Order of Christ: with equal branches, and with longer base stem, with extremities terminating in 45 degree angles.

Now let us superimpose the Cross of the Order of Christ with 45 degree extremities on the drawing of the rubbing made by Winthrop in 1788.

As a matter of fact when we review all the drawings made
by different researchers, up to 1836, (before photography),
the Cross of the Order of Christ is indeed the most outstanding symbol.

The discovery of the Cross of the
Order of Christ was the key to finally
confirm Delabarre's Portuguese Theory.

Fragoso's article   While Fragoso was a language instructor of Portuguese at New York University, (Washington Square College), he wrote, in 1951, on the magazine "The Portuguese World" = "O Mundo Lusíada", Vol. 1, No .8, pp 207-208, New York, 1951, a small article, in Portuguese, in which he described 3 Crosses of the Order of Christ engraved on the face of Dighton Rock. This symbol, the Cross of the Order of Christ, was always displayed on the sails of all Portuguese caravels of the XV-XVI centuries. Fragoso also revealed the discovery of the Portuguese Coat of Arms "U" shaped.

 

Fragoso based his analysis on the photo by Eastman of 1853. This is the first photo of Dighton Rock with the inscriptions chalked in.

            North side           Center                 South side

 

Fragoso stated on his article in Portuguese:

(a) The base of the figure representing a doll on the left side of the rock (north side), cannot be anything else but one of the branches of the Cross of the Order of Christ".

(b) The so called arms of the doll are also other branches of the Cross of the Order of Christ."

(c) and  "what had been thought to be the face of the doll (mermaid or god) is nothing else but the Portuguese coat of Arms, "U" shaped, with the Quinas of Portugal."

(d) "Other fragments and extremities of the Cross of the Order of Christ can be seen above Miguel Corte Real's name and next to the "V" shaped Portuguese Coat of Arms discovered by Delabarre on the right side (south side) of the base of the inscriptions".

Though Fragoso never made a drawing or a photograph of Dighton Rock in an attempt to explain his findings, examination of the early drawing reveal clearly that in the first document made by Rev. John Danforth in 1680, what he called a "ship without masts" is indeed the Cross of the Order of Christ.

Fragoso's discovery of the Cross
of the Order of Christ was a decisive
contribution to the Corte Real Theory.

Actually, when we review all the drawings from 1680 to 1919, the most consistent portions of the inscriptions are those belonging to the Cross of the Order of Christ.

My critical review of Delabarre's and Fragoso's Theory.

After giving serious consideration to Delabarre's and Fragoso's Theory, in September 1960, when I was a Fellow in Internal Medicine, at famous Lahey Clinic in Boston, Massachusetts, I went to the First International Congress of the History of Discoveries, in Lisbon, Portugal, and on September 8^th, 1960, I presented an exhaustive interpretation of the Dighton Rock inscriptions.

In my presentation, given on the Main Theater of the University of Lisbon, with more than two thousands historians attending, I concluded that:

(1) The date 1S11, with numeral 5 like a capital S is engraved on the rock, as Delabarre discovered in 1918.

(2) The name Miguel Corte Real appears on the center, as Delabarre indicated.

(3) The "V" shaped Portuguese Coat of Arms is engraved on the rock, as discovered by Delabarre. (south side)

(4) I agree with 3 Crosses of the Order of Christ discovered by Fragoso, in 1951 and also with his discovery of the Portuguese Coat of Arms "U" shaped.

My disagreement with Delabarre's

Delabarre was a professor of psychology at Brown University in Providence, Rhone Island, but it seems he was hypnotized by Dighton Rock… He read too much into it. He described a message in Latin: " V. Dei hic Dux IND "

        I disagree with Delabarre because:

(1) The message in abbreviated Latin (V. Dei hic Dux IND) is not on Dighton Rock, because of the following objections:

(a) The abbreviated forms are too hypothetical.

(b) The letters have an inconsistent size and shape (e.g. not all capital letters.

(c) Other Portuguese landmarkers in Africa or Asia do not have Latin inscriptions.

(d) But most important: The lines attributed to the X and N form part of the angles of the Cross of the Order of Christ.

With all respect to Professor Delabarre, as he was the first to give a correct interpretation to some of he engravings, I believe that his "message in Latin" has been a hindrance to the acceptance of the Corte Real theory.

This "Latin message", unfortunately has been an error that continues to be repeated, on many foot notes, by those who are not familiar with the Cross of the Order of Christ, or by scholars who desire to exaggerate doubts, because they do not want to accept the Portuguese theory.

Professor Delabarre was awarded by the Portuguese Government the Cross of Order of Christ, the highest honor of Portugal.

This is a photo of the insignia of the Cross of the Order of Christ that Delabarre received from the Portuguese Government, in 1926, which he wore on his chest. Professor Delabarre had the Cross of the Order of Christ on his chest, with 45 degree extremities, and yet he did NOT discovered the Cross of the Order of Christ engraved on Dighton Rock.

American  Encyclopedias 

The Encyclopedia Americana,  even TODAY, year 2000, shows the drawings of 16 different crosses in the world, but does not give any information whatsoever about the Cross of the Order of Christ. This is the reason why even today, the American scholars are still missing the boat!…

The Encyclopedia Americana only shows 16 crosses
and misses the Portuguese Cross of the Order of Christ!

My disagreement with Fragoso:

In respect to Fragoso, who deserves the merit for the first discovery of the three Crosses of the Order of Christ on Dighton Rock, I must criticized his adherence to Delabarre's non-existence "Latin message". I argued with him, many times, personally, about it,  but he did not have  the guts to deny Delabarre's "Latin message". Too bad!

In scientific research we cannot have favoritisms. We must be cold, factual, much more so when dealing with archaeological evidence.

Fragoso also failed to point out the fragments of another Cross of the Order of Christ -- the Fourth Cross -- which lies parallel to the one he had described above the Miguel Corte Real's name.

The fragments of this Fourth Cross already appears on the first drawing by Rev. Danforth in 1680. I revealed the discovery of the Fourth Cross at the International Congress in Lisbon, Portugal, in 1960.

I also presented at the International Congress the conclusion of the Miguel Corte Real's ORIGINAL inscriptions, based on the findings of Delabarre, Fragoso's and mine.

Here is the photo I took in November 3^rd, 1959, and was presented at the First International Congress of the History of the Discoveries, on Sept. 8, 1960, Lisbon, Portugal, with all the Portuguese inscriptions.

The Complete Corte Real Theory

Flag # 1. Portuguese Coat of Arms, U-shaped
Flag # 2. Portuguese Cross of the Order of Christ
Flag # 3. Portuguese Coat of Arms, V-shaped
Captain's name : Miguel Corte Real Date: 1511 (numeral 5 like a capital S)

 

 Now go to the Fifth Round