Portuguese explorers - Vasco da Gama

Author: Serghei Gavrilita

Vasco de Gama was born at Sines, a small seaport in the Province of Alentejo.
Of da Gama’s early history little’ is known. His descent, according to the 'Nobiliario' of Antonio de Lima, was derived from a noble family’ which’ is mentioned in the year 1166; but the line cannot be traced without interruption farther back than’ the year 1280, to one Alvaro da Gama, from whom was descended Estevao da Gama, Alcaide Mor (civil governor) of Sines and Commendador of Cercal, whose third son Vasco was born probably about the year 1460. Being the son of the town’s governor and also court man, he grew up in Lisboa and was educated as a nobleman.

Estevao da Gama and Isabel Sodr were good parents to theirs sons.
They made sure that young people were educated well, they could swim, sail an knew how to fish, basic knoweledge in that time. About Vasco is known that between 1484 and 1492 he studied astronomy and navigation at school in Evora.
The da Gama family was not originally Portuguese, Estevao came from the southern provinces of Alentejo (part of Portugal), Isabel Sodr, on the other hand, was English, but Vasco didn't think of any place but Portugal as his home.

In 1484 Vasco da Gama became a sailor.

In 1492 he commanded a defense of Portuguese colonies from the French on the coast of Guinea.

First trip to India (1497-1499) After the return of Bartolomeu Dias, Estevao da Gama was chosen by Joao II to command the next expedition of discovery, but, as both died before the project could be carried into execution the commission was given by Emmanuel I to Vasco, who had in his youth fought in the wars against Castile, and in his riper years gained distinction as an intrepid mariner.

Bartolomeu Dias had proceeded as far as the Great Fish River (Rio do Infante), and had in addition established the fact the coast of Africa on the other side of the Cape extended to the northeast.

Pedro de Corvilhao on his way from India had descended the east coast of Africa as far as the twentieth degree of south latitude, and had become cognizant of the old Arabic - Indian commercial association.

The nautical problem, therefore, to be solved by Vasco da Gama was clearly outlined, and the course for the sea route to the East Indies designated.

In January, 1497, the command of the expedition was solemnly conferred upon Vasco da Gama, and on 8 July, 1497.

The fleet, consisting of four vessels specially built for this mission, sailed down the Tejo, after prayers and confession made by the officers and crews in a small chapel on the site where now stands the church of S. Maria de Belem (in Lisboa), afterwards built to commemorate the event.

Goncalo Alvares commanded the flagship Sao (Saint) Gabriel; Paulo, da Gama's brother, commanded the Sao Rafael; Nicolao Coelho, commanded Berrio the fourth was cargo ship.

All crew was about one hundred and fifty men. During this voyage, ships were fitted with enough food and wine for three years! At the beginning of November, they anchored in St. Helena Bay and, on the 25th of the same month, in Mossel Bay.

On 16 December, the fleet arrived at the furthest landing point of Dias, gave its present name to the coast of Natal on Christmas Day , and reached by the end of January, 1498, the month of the Zambesi, which was in the territory controlled by the Arabian maritime commercial association. Menanced by the Arabs in Mozambique (2 March) and Mombasa (7 April), who feared for their commerce, and, on the contrary, received in a friendly manner at Melinda, East Africa (14 April), they reached under the guidance of a pilot on 20 May, their journey's end, the harbor of Calicut, India , which, from the fourteenth century, had been the principal market for trade in spices, precious stones, and pearls.

Here also, as elsewhere, Gama skillfully surmounted the difficulties placed in his way by the Arabs, in league with the Indian rulers, and won for his country the respect needful for the founding a new colony.

On 5 October, 1498, the fleet began its homeward voyage. Coelho arrived in Portugal on 10 July, 1499; Paulo da Gama died at Angra; Vasco reached Lisbon in September, where a brilliant reception awaited him.

He was appointed to the newly created post of Admiral of the Indian Ocean, which carried with it a high salary, and the feudal rights over Sines were assured to him. In prosecution of da Gama’s discoveries another fleet of thirteen ships was immediately sent out to India under Pedro Alvares Cabral, who, in sailing too far westward, by accident discovered Brazil, and on reaching his destination established a factory at Calicut. The natives, again instigated by the Mahommedan merchants, rose up in arms and murdered all whom Cabral had left behind. To avenge this outrage a powerful armament of twenty ships was fitted out at Lisbon, the command of which was at first given to.

Second voyage to India (1502 - 1503) Few weeks later on February 12 of 1502 the fleet sailed.

Da Gama killed many innocent Indians and Muslims. In one instance, da Gama waited for a ship to return from Mecca, a Muslim trading and religious center.

The Portuguese overtook the ship and seized all the merchandise. Then they locked the 380 passengers in the hold and set the ship on fire. It took four days for the ship to sink, killing all men, women, and children.

When da Gama arrived in Calicut on October 30, 1502, the Zamorin was willing to sign a treaty.

Da Gama told him that he would have to banish all of the Muslims.

To demonstrate his power, da Gama hung 38 fishermen; cut off their heads, feet, and hands; and floated the dismembered corpses onto the shore. Later da Gama bombarded the city with guns and forced his way into the trading system. This led the way for other Portuguese conquests in the East Indies.

His commercial success, as he returned, was especially brilliant, the value of the merchandise which he brought with him amounting to more than a million in gold.

Again high honors fell to his share, and in the year 1519 he received instead of Sines, which was transferred to the Order of Santiago, the cities of Vidiguira and Villa dos Frades, resigned by the Duke Dom Jayme of Braganza, with the jurisdiction and the title of count.

Third, and last voyage of Vasco Da Gama (1524) Vasco da Gama was 64 and living at his house in Portugal with his wife, Cateriana de Ataide (he merry her, probably, in 1500), and his 6 sons.

He had planned to settle down and enjoy his retirement in Portugal, but all of that changed. Once again, in 1524, he was sent to India by the Crown, under Joao III, to supersede the Viceroy Eduardo de Menezes, who was no longer master of the situation. He re-established order, but at the end of the year of 1524 in December 24th, he was stricken by death at Cochin. In 1539, his remains, which up to that time had lain in the Franciscan church there, were brought to Portugual and interred at Vidigueira.

In 1880 what were supposed on insufficient evidence to have been his remains were transferred to the church of Santa Maria de Belem. To commemorate the first voyage to India, the celebrated convent of the Hieronymites in Belem was erected. A large part of the "Lusiad" of Camoens deals with the voyages and discoveries of Vasco da Gama. His voyage had the immediate result of enriching Portugal, and raising her to one of the foremost places among the nations of Europe, and eventually the far greater one of bringing to pass the colonization of the East by opening its commerce to the Western world.

That's the hole story... Vasco da Gama was good and bad mixed up together, but, I think un his time it was impossible to discover something without cruelty, pity, but truth. I'm not trying to justify da Gama, I just try to understand time of discovers. Time when all countries tried to be FIRST no mater what price they had to pay for that wish. That's why such people as Vasco were needed.