The expedition arrived at Lisbon in September 1499. Da Gama established trade and diplomatic relations with the ruler of Calicut and then, at the end of August 1498, he set sail on the return voyage, his ships laden with spices. Thus, da Gama’s expedition discovered the southeastern coast of Africa (as far as Malindi) and crossed the Indian Ocean. The Arab helmsman Ahmed Ibn Majid was taken on board here to guide the ships to the Indian city of Calicut. In July 1497 the expedition under the command of da Gama set sail from Lisbon, rounded the Cape of Good Hope and, going north along the eastern coast of Africa with several stops en route, arrived at the Somali harbor of Malindi in 1498. In 1497 the Portuguese outfitted an expedition to India consisting of three vessels ( San Gabriel, San Rafael, and Berrio) and a small supply ship. Portuguese navigator who completed the search for a sea route between Europe and India.īy the time of da Gama’s expedition, the Portuguese had already established a sea route along the west coast of Africa and had gained access to the Indian Ocean (B. Cliff, Holy War: How Vasco da Gama's Epic Voyages Turned the Tide in a Centuries-Old Clash of Civilizations (2011) and The Last Crusade: The Epic Voyages of Vasco Da Gama (2012).īorn 1469 in Sines, Portugal died Dec. Hart, Sea Route to the Indies (1950, repr. Jayne, Vasco da Gama and His Successors (1910, repr. Corrêa, The Three Voyages of Vasco da Gama and His Viceroyalty (1869, repr. See A Journal of the First Voyage of Vasco da Gama (1898), the journal of one of Gama's subordinates G. Click the link for more information.'s epic The Lusiads. , 1524?–1580, Portuguese poet, the greatest figure in Portuguese literature. Gama's voyage is the subject of Camões Camões or Camoens, Luís de In 1524 he was sent back to India as viceroy, but he died soon after his arrival. He was harsh in his methods and was not as good an administrator as many of the Portuguese captains who later went to the East, but he was the first, and he was honored with many tributes and the title of count of Vidigueria. With this force he attempted to establish Portuguese power in Indian waters and sought to secure the submission of a number of chiefs on the African coast. Gama dictated the instructions for Cabral's voyage (1500–1502) to India, and in 1502 he himself led a fleet of 20 ships on his second India voyage. This voyage opened up a way for Europe to reach the wealth of the Indies, and immediately Portugal gained great riches from the spice trade out of it ultimately grew the Portuguese Empire. Click the link for more information. in 1488, continued up the east coast of Africa to Malindi, and sailed across the uncharted Indian Ocean to Calicut. He was the first European to round (1488) the Cape of Good Hope, which he called Cabo Tormentoso. With four vessels, he rounded the Cape of Good Hope, passed the easternmost point reached by Bartolomeu Dias Dias, Bartolomeu Manuel's reign was most notable for the successful continuation of Portugal's overseas enterprises. His epochal voyage (1497–99) was made at the order of Manuel I Manuel I,ġ469–1521, king of Portugal (1495–1521), successor of John II. väsh`kō dä gä`mə), c.1469–1524, Portuguese navigator, the first European to journey by sea to India. His epochal voyage (1497–99) was made at the order of Manuel I. , c.1469–1524, Portuguese navigator, the first European to journey by sea to India. Vasco da Gama: see Gama, Vasco da Gama, Vasco da