Vasco de Gama
Journal of Vasco da Gama’s Voyage to India, 1497-1498 CE (Excerpts)
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Vasco da Gama was born about 1460 at Sines, Portugal. In 1497 King Manuel I of Portugal placed Vasco da Gama, who already had some reputation as a warrior and navigator, in charge of four vessels built especially for the expedition to India. The expedition set sail July 8, 1497, rounded the Cape of Good Hope four months later, and reached Calicut on May 20, 1498. The Moors in Calicut instigated the ruler of Calicut against him, and he was compelled to return with the bare discovery and the few spices he had bought there at inflated prices, though he still he made a 3000% profit.
When the members of this expedition arrived in Calicut, they assumed that any inhabitants of the city who were not Muslims [‘Moors’] were Christians. In fact the people they met were Hindus, but the Portuguese did not realize this at the time.
The following text consists of excerpts from the journal of the voyage maintained by a member of the expedition. For information about the source of this translation, see the end of the document.
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1497.
In the name of God, Amen! In the year 1497 King Dom Manuel, the first of that name in Portugal, despatched four vessels to make discoveries and go in search of spices. Vasco da Gama was the captain-major of these vessels; Paulo da Gama, his brother, commanded one of them, and Nicolau Coelho another . . . .
The Bay of St. Helena [on the west coast of the present country of South Africa]:
On Tuesday (November 7) we returned to the land, which we found to be low, with a broad bay opening into it. The captain-major [i.e., da Gama] sent Pero d'Alenquer in a boat to take soundings and to search for good anchoring ground. The bay was found to be very clean, and to afford shelter against all winds except those from the N.W. It extended east and west, and we named it Santa Helena.
On Wednesday
[pic]
Vasco da Gama was born about 1460 at Sines, Portugal. In 1497 King Manuel I of Portugal placed Vasco da Gama, who already had some reputation as a warrior and navigator, in charge of four vessels built especially for the expedition to India. The expedition set sail July 8, 1497, rounded the Cape of Good Hope four months later, and reached Calicut on May 20, 1498. The Moors in Calicut instigated the ruler of Calicut against him, and he was compelled to return with the bare discovery and the few spices he had bought there at inflated prices, though he still he made a 3000% profit.
When the members of this expedition arrived in Calicut, they assumed that any inhabitants of the city who were not Muslims [‘Moors’] were Christians. In fact the people they met were Hindus, but the Portuguese did not realize this at the time.
The following text consists of excerpts from the journal of the voyage maintained by a member of the expedition. For information about the source of this translation, see the end of the document.
______________________________________________________________________
1497.
In the name of God, Amen! In the year 1497 King Dom Manuel, the first of that name in Portugal, despatched four vessels to make discoveries and go in search of spices. Vasco da Gama was the captain-major of these vessels; Paulo da Gama, his brother, commanded one of them, and Nicolau Coelho another . . . .
The Bay of St. Helena [on the west coast of the present country of South Africa]:
On Tuesday (November 7) we returned to the land, which we found to be low, with a broad bay opening into it. The captain-major [i.e., da Gama] sent Pero d'Alenquer in a boat to take soundings and to search for good anchoring ground. The bay was found to be very clean, and to afford shelter against all winds except those from the N.W. It extended east and west, and we named it Santa Helena.
On Wednesday