Juan Machín de Arteaga

Robert Machin or Machim (fl. 14th century) was an English adventurer of uncertain historicity, who supposedly discovered the island of Madeira. Various traditions give conflicting versions of Machin's story.

In the best-known version the protagonist is a knight, referred to as the Machim. Anne was of a higher social standing than Robert, and both had to elope from the town of Bristol. Their ship was driven away from the coast of France by a storm, and after 130 days, they saw the island of Madeira, where they landed.

At that point, however, Anne died from exhaustion, and Robert followed her a few days later. The crew of the ship make it to North Africa, where they are captured by the Moors. One of their fellow prisoners, called Morales of Seville, was ransomed and sent back to Castile, but on the way back, he was captured by a servant of Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal. When Prince Henry heard of the story, he promptly sent out an expedition, which finds the island of Madeira.