There are times when it is difficult, almost impossible to become the first. If you are a Greek philosopher, you better not be born at the same time as Socrates and Plato; if a Dutch artist of the 17th century, you cannot outshine Rembrandt, Vermeer and Hals. The same can be said about Spain and Portugal at the turn of the 15th-16th centuries. The name of any pioneer will be in the shadow of Columbus and Magellan, Amerigo Vespucci and Hernando Cortes. Anyone - but not Admiral Vasco da Gama (1469-1524). This desperate, resolute, tireless, cruel, greedy and brave Portuguese did what Columbus wanted, but failed to do - he went in the right direction, around Africa - and opened a direct route to India. Three expeditions, one larger than the other, da Gama undertook for India, devoted half his life to its colonization (1497-1524), became viceroy of this wonderland and died in it. Without Vasco da Gama's book, it is impossible to imagine a library of geographical bestsellers. Two events for centuries determined the course world history- and became its brightest pages: the discovery in 1492 by Christopher Columbus of the sea route to America and the discovery five years later by Vasco da Gama of the sea route to India. That is why for 500 years they have attracted such close, lively, interested attention. In the personality of the Portuguese admiral, as in a drop of dew at dawn - at the dawn of the era of the great geographical discoveries, - the era itself was reflected: contradictory, indomitable, terrible and grandiose. Read this story - and you will learn more not only about ancient geographical exotics, but also better understand how desperate, greedy, reckless, cruel, brave, unstoppable our ancestors were: they not only discovered, but also created the world in which we we live. Chasing gold and spices, sailors and conquistadors returned to Europe with new knowledge about the world around them. Spices were used for food, gold was spent, but knowledge accumulated and multiplied. great project globalization has been launched. The book brought to your attention is a story not only about the travels of Vasco da Gama. This is a story about the daily feat that people perform in order to achieve their goal. The wind fills the sails, the currents draw the caravels, but everything in the world is driven by the power of human passions. The electronic publication includes all the texts of the paper book and the main illustrative material. But for true connoisseurs of exclusive editions, we offer a gift classic book. The paper edition, exceptionally complete and beautifully illustrated, allows readers to get a comprehensive understanding of one of the brightest chapters in the annals of incredible, but completely real adventures, for which the history of geographical discoveries is abundantly generous. This book, like the entire Great Journeys series, is printed on fine offset paper and elegantly designed. Editions of the series will be an adornment of any, even the most sophisticated library, will be a wonderful gift for both young readers and discerning bibliophiles.
A series: Great Journeys
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The following excerpt from the book Journey to India (V. d. Gama) provided by our book partner - the company LitRes.
ROTEIRO. DIARY OF THE FIRST JOURNEY OF VASCO DA GAMÁ (1497-1499)
Translation from English. I. Letberg, G. Golovanov
Introduction
AT in the name of the Lord God. Amen!
In the year 1497, the King of Portugal, Don Manuel, the first with this name in Portugal, sent four ships to make discoveries, as well as in search of spices. Vasco da Gama was the captain-commander of these ships. Paulo da Gama, his brother, commanded one of the ships, and Nicolau Cuelho the other.
From Lisbon to the Cape Verde Islands
M We left Reshtela on July 8, 1497. May the Lord our God allow us to complete this journey to his glory. Amen!
The next Saturday, the Canary Islands appeared. At night, on the leeward side, we passed the island of Lanzarote. The next night, already at dawn, we reached Terra Alta, where we fished for a couple of hours, then, in the evening, at dusk, we passed Rio do Oura.
The fog during the night became so dense that Paulo da Gama lost sight of the captain-commander's ship, and when a new day broke out, we did not see him or the other ships. Then we went to the Cape Verde Islands, as ordered, in case we split up.
On the following Saturday, at dawn, we saw Ilha do Sal, and an hour later we found three ships; they turned out to be a cargo ship and ships under the command of Nicolau Cuelho and Bartolomeu Dias, who passed in our company as far as Mine. The freighter and ship of Nicolau Cuelho also lost sight of the captain-commander. Having united, we continued on our way, but the wind died down, and we were calm until Wednesday. That day, at 10 o'clock, we saw the captain-commander about five leagues ahead. After talking with him in the evening, we expressed our joy by repeatedly firing our bombards and blowing our horns.
The next day, Thursday, we arrived at the island of Santiago and contentedly anchored in Santa Maria Bay, where we took on board meat, water and timber and made much needed repairs to our yards.
Across the South Atlantic
AT Thursday, August 3, we moved east. On August 18, having passed from Santiago about two hundred leagues, they turned south. The captain-commander's main yard broke, and for two days and a night we stood under the foresail and with the mainsail lowered. On the 22nd of the same month, changing the course from south to west, we saw many birds resembling herons. As night approached, they quickly flew south and southeast, as if towards the ground. On the same day, being 800 leagues from the earth [that is, from Santiago], they saw a whale.
On Friday, October 27, on the eve of Saints Simon and Jude, we saw a lot of whales, as well as coca and seals.
On Wednesday, November 1, All Saints' Day, we saw many signs indicating the proximity of the land, including the eelgrass, which usually grows along the banks.
On Saturday, the 4th of the same month, a couple of hours before dawn, the depth measurement gave 110 fathoms [about 210 m], and at nine we saw the ground. Then our ships approached closer to each other, raised their parade sails, and we saluted the captain-commander with shots from bombards and decorated the ships with flags and standards. During the day we tacked in order to get closer to the shore, but, as we could not recognize it, we turned back to the sea.
Gulf of St. Helena
AT On Tuesday, we turned towards the land, the coast of which turned out to be low, in which a vast bay opened. The captain-major sent Pera d'Alenquera on a boat to measure the depth and reconnoiter a place suitable for anchoring. The bottom of the bay turned out to be very clean, and he himself was sheltered from all winds, with the exception of the northwestern one. It extended from east to west. We named it after Saint Helena.
On Wednesday we anchored in this bay and stood there for eight days, cleaning the ships [cleaning the bottoms of buildup that appeared during the journey], repairing the sails and stocking up on wood.
The river Santiagua [Santiago] emptied into the bay four leagues southeast of our encampment. It flows from the inner part of the mainland, the width of its mouth is such that a stone can be thrown to the other side, and the depth in all phases of the tide is from two to three fathoms.
People in this country are dark-skinned. Their food is the meat of seals, whales and gazelles, as well as roots. They dress in skins and wear bandages on their reproductive organs. They are armed with spears made of olive wood, to which a horn burnt on fire is attached. They have many dogs and these dogs are similar to the Portuguese and bark the same way. Birds in this country are the same as in Portugal. Among them were cormorants, gulls, turtledoves, crested larks and many others. The climate is healthy, temperate, gives good harvests.
The day after we dropped anchor, which was Thursday, we landed with the captain-major and captured one of the natives, a small man. This man was collecting honey from a sandy wasteland, for in that country the bees make their nests in the bushes at the foot of the hills. He was transferred to the ship of the captain-commander, put at the table, and he ate everything that we ate. The next day, the captain-commander dressed him well and let him go ashore.
The next day 14 or 15 natives came to the place where our ships were stationed. The captain-major went ashore and showed them a variety of goods, in order to find out if such could be found in their country. These goods included cinnamon, cloves, pitched [small uneven] pearls, gold, and much more, but it was obvious that the natives had no idea about any of this - they were more attracted to bells and pewter rings. It happened on Friday, and the same thing happened on Saturday.
On Sunday 40 or 50 natives showed up, and after dinner we landed on the shore, and for a few prudently taken seityls got what seemed to be lacquered shells, which they wear in their ears as ornaments, and fox tails still attached to the handles, with which they fan themselves. I also bought one of those bandages they wear around their loins for one Seityl. It seems that they value copper very highly, and even wear small beads made of this metal in their ears.
On the same day, Fernand Velloso, who was with the captain-commander, expressed a strong desire to be allowed to follow the natives to their homes to see how they live and what they eat. The captain-commander yielded to his insistence and allowed him to join the natives. And when we returned to the captain-commander's ship for supper, Fernand Velloso left with the blacks.
Shortly after leaving us, they caught a seal, and going to the heath at the foot of the mountain, roasted it, and gave a part to Fernand Velloz, and also gave those roots which they eat. After eating, they made it clear to him that he would not go further with them, but would return to the ships. Returning to the ships, Fernand Velloso began to shout; the Negroes kept in the bushes.
We were still having dinner. But when the cries of Velloso were heard, the captain-major immediately got up, and the rest of us got up too and got into the sailboat. At this time, the Negroes quickly ran to the shore. They arrived at Fernand Velloso as quickly as we did. And when we tried to lift him into the boat, they threw their assegai and wounded the captain-major and three or four others. This was due to the fact that we considered these people to be cowardly, completely incapable of violence, and therefore went ashore without weapons. Then we returned to the ships.
around the cape
AT Thursday, November 16th, at dawn, having cleared the ships and loaded the timber, we set sail. At that time we did not know how far we could be from the Cape of Good Hope. Peru d'Alenquer believed that he was about thirty leagues before him, but he was not sure, because on the journey back [with Bartolomeu Dias] he left the Cape of Good Hope in the morning and passed this bay with a fair wind, and on the way there he kept more seaward and, consequently, could not accurately determine the places where we were. Therefore, we went out to sea to the south-south-west and by the end of Saturday we saw the cape.
On the same day we again turned into the sea, and during the night we turned back to the land. On Sunday morning, November 19, we again turned to the cape, but again we could not go around it, because the wind was blowing from the south-south-west, and the cape lay south-west from us. We then turned back out to sea, returning to shore on Monday night. Finally, on Wednesday, in the middle of the day, with a fair wind, we managed to round the cape, and we went further along the coast.
To the south of the Cape of Good Hope, and beside it, there was a huge bay, with an entrance six leagues wide, which jutted out about six leagues into the land.
Bay of San Brush
H and at the end of Saturday, November 25, St. Catherine's Day, we entered the bay of San Brush, where we remained 13 days, because we destroyed our cargo ship and distributed its cargo to other ships.
On Friday, while we were still standing in St. Brush, about ninety people appeared, similar to those that we met in St. Helena Bay. Some of them walked along the coast, others remained on the hills. All, or most of us, were at that time on the captain-commander's ship. Seeing them, we launched and armed the boats and headed for the shore. Already at the very ground, the captain-commander threw them small round bells, and they picked them up. They even dared to approach us and take a few bells from the captain-commander from the hands.
This surprised us very much, because when Bartolomeu Dias was here, the natives fled without taking anything from what he offered them. Moreover, when Dias was stocking up on water not far from the coast ( coastline), they tried to prevent him, and when they began to throw stones at him from a hillock, he killed one of them with a stele from a crossbow. It seemed to us that they did not run away in this case, because they heard from people from St. Helena Bay (only 60 leagues by sea) that we do no harm and even give what is ours.
The captain-commander did not land at this point, as there was too much bush here, but proceeded to the open part of the beach, where he signaled to the natives to approach. They obeyed. The captain-commander and other captains went ashore accompanied by armed men, some of whom had crossbows with them. Then he signaled to the Negroes to understand that they spread out and approached him only one or two at a time.
To those who approached, he gave bells and red caps. In return, the natives gave away ivory bracelets, which they wear on their wrists, because, as it turned out, elephants are found in abundance in this country. We even found several piles of their droppings near the watering hole where they used to come to drink.
On Saturday, about two hundred Negroes, young and old, came. They brought a dozen bulls and cows and 4-5 sheep. As soon as we saw them, we immediately went ashore. They immediately played on four or five flutes, some of them sounding high notes, others low, thus producing a harmony of sounds quite pleasing to the Negroes, from whom no one expected musical art. And they danced in a Negro spirit. The captain-major then ordered a trumpet, and all of us who were in the boats began to dance, and the captain-major himself did something similar when he joined us again.
When this festive greeting ended, we landed at the same place where we had last time, and for three bracelets we bought a black bull. Bull went to lunch on Sunday. It turned out to be very fat, and its meat tasted the same as beef in Portugal.
On Sunday, many people showed up. They brought their women and baby boys. The women remained at the top of the coastal hill. They had many cows and bulls with them. Gathered in two groups on the shore, they played and danced as on Saturday. The custom of this people tells the young people to remain in the bush and under arms. Men [older] came to talk to us. In their hands they held short wands with fox tails attached - with which the Negroes fanned their faces. While talking to them with the help of signs, we noticed young people hiding in the bushes with weapons in their hands.
Then the captain-major ordered Martin Affons, who used to be in Manikongo [Congo], to come forward and buy a bull, and provided him with bracelets for this. The natives, having accepted the bracelets, took him by the hand and, pointing to the place of the watering hole, asked why we were taking water from them and driving their cattle into the bushes. When the captain-major saw this, he ordered us to assemble and called Martin Affonso back, suspecting treachery. Gathering together, we moved [in boats] to the place where we originally landed. The blacks followed us. Then the captain-major ordered us to land, armed with spears, assegai, crossbows, and put on breastplates, because he wanted to show that we have the means to damage them, although we have no desire to use them. Seeing this, they ran away.
The captain-commander, anxious that no one should be accidentally killed, ordered the boats to keep together; but, wanting to show that we could, although we did not want to, injure them, he ordered two bombards to be fired from the stern of a long boat. By this time, the Negroes were already sitting at the edge of the bush, not far from the shore, but the first shot made them retreat so rapidly that on the run they lost the leather flaps with which they were covered, and threw down their weapons. When everyone had already disappeared into the bushes, two of them returned to pick up what they had lost. Then they continued their flight to the top of the hill, driving the cattle before them.
The bulls in these parts are as large as in the Alentejo, remarkably corpulent and quite tame. They are castrated and without horns. On the fattest Negroes they put on pack saddles woven from reeds, as they do in Castile, and on top of this saddle they put something like a palanquin made of branches, and so they ride. Wishing to sell the bull, they insert a stick into its nostrils and lead for it.
In this bay, at a distance of three arrow flights from the shore, there is an island on which there are many seals. Some of them are large, like bears, of a frightening appearance and with large tusks. These attack a person, and not a single spear can hurt them, no matter how hard it is thrown. There are other seals there, much smaller and very small. If the big ones roared like lions, then the little ones screamed like goats. Once, for fun, approaching the island, we counted three thousand seals, large and small. We fired at them with bombards from the sea. Birds the size of ducks live on the same island. Only they can't fly because they don't have feathers on their wings. These birds, which we killed as many as we wanted, are called futilikayos - they roar like donkeys.
Wednesday stocking up fresh water in the bay of San Brush, we erected a cross and a column. The cross is made of mizzen mast and is very tall. On Thursday, as we were about to set sail, we saw 10 or 12 negroes who destroyed the column and the cross before we sailed.
From San Brush Bay to Natal Bay
P having loaded on board all that we needed, we tried to sail, but the wind weakened, and we dropped anchor the same day, having gone only two leagues.
On the morning of Friday, December 8, the day of the Immaculate Conception, we again continued on our way. On Tuesday, the eve of St. Lucy's day, we met with a fierce storm, and progress with a fair wind under [one] foresaw was greatly slowed down. That day we lost sight of Nicolao Cuella, but at sunset we saw him from the Mars astern, at a distance of four or five leagues, and he seemed to see us too. We lit the beacons and drifted off. By the end of the first watch, he overtook us, but not because he saw us during the day, but because the wind died down, and he, willy-nilly, approached us.
On Friday morning we saw land near Ilhéos chãos [Low Islands, Bird Islands, Flat Islands]. It began five leagues beyond Ilheo da Crus [Isle of the Cross]. The distance from St. Brush Bay to the Isle of the Cross is 60 leagues, the same as from the Cape of Good Hope to St. Brush Bay. From the Low Islands to the last column set by Bartolomeu Dias, five leagues, and from this column to the river Infanta [Great Fish] 15 leagues.
On Saturday we passed the last column, and while following along the coast, we saw two men running in the direction opposite to our movement. The area here is very beautiful, abundantly covered with forests. We saw a lot of cattle. The farther we moved, the more noticeably the character of the terrain improved, the more noticeably large trees met.
The following night we lay down in a drift. We have already been further discovered by Bartolomeu Dias places. The next day, until dusk, we walked along the coast with a fair wind, after which the wind blew from the east, and we turned into the sea. And so we went on tacks until Tuesday evening, and when the wind again changed to the west, then at night we lay down to drift, deciding the next day to examine the coast to determine where we were.
In the morning we made straight for the shore, and at ten o'clock found ourselves back on Ilheo da Crus [Isle of the Cross], sixty leagues astern of our last dead-reckoning point! All because of the currents, which are very strong in those places.
On that very day we set out again on the path we had once crossed, and, thanks to a favorable strong tail wind, in the course of three or four days we were able to overcome a current that threatened to ruin our plans. Later, the Lord, in His mercy, allowed us to move forward. We were no longer carried back. By the grace of God, may it continue to be so!
To On Christmas Day, December 25, we opened 70 leagues of coast [beyond the last frontier discovered by Dias]. On this afternoon, while setting up the foxtail, we found that the mast, a couple of yards below the top, was cracked, and the crack now opens and closes. We reinforced the mast with backstays, hoping to be able to repair it completely as soon as we got to safe harbor.
On Thursday we anchored near the shore and caught a lot of fish. At sunset, we again raised the sails and continued on our way. At this point, the mooring line broke, and we lost anchor.
Now that we've walked this far from shore, there's a shortage fresh water, and the food had to be cooked on the sea. The daily portion of water was reduced and amounted to a quartillo. So it became necessary to look for a harbor.
Terra da Bon Gente and Rio do Cobre
AT Thursday, January 11, we discovered a small river and anchored near the shore. The next day we came closer to the shore in boats and saw a crowd of Negroes, men and women. They were tall, and among them was a leader ("Senior"). The captain-major ordered Martin Affons, who had been in Manikongo for a long time, and another person to go ashore. They were greeted warmly. After that, the captain-commander sent the leader a camisole, a pair of red trousers, a Moorish cap and a bracelet. The leader said that we were allowed to do anything in his country, to which we arrived out of necessity; at least Martin Affonso understood him that way. That night, Martin Affonso and his companion went to the village of the chief, and we returned to the ships.
On the way, the leader tried on the clothes that had been presented to him, and to those who came out to meet him, he said with obvious strong joy: “Look what they gave me!” At this, the people clapped their hands in respect, and did so three or four times until they entered the village. Having passed through the whole village thus dressed up, the chief returned to his house and ordered the guests to be placed in a fenced area, where they were given porridge from millet, which is abundant in that country, and chicken meat, such as is eaten in Portugal. Throughout the night many men and women came to see them.
In the morning the leader visited them and asked them to return to the ships. He ordered two people to accompany the guests and gave chicken meat as a gift for the captain-commander, saying that he would show the things given to him to the chief leader, who, obviously, should be the king of this country. When our men got to the anchorage where the boats were waiting, they received the attention of almost two hundred Negroes who came to look at them.
This country seemed to us densely populated. It has many chiefs, and the number of women seems to exceed the number of men, because among those who came to see us, there were 40 women for every 20 men. Houses are made of straw. The armament of these men consists of longbows, arrows, and spears with iron blades. Copper seems to be abundant here, for people [decorate] it on their feet, hands, and curly hair.
In addition, tin is found in this country, since it can be seen on the handles of their daggers, the scabbards of which were made of ivory. Linen clothing is highly valued by the natives - they sought to give a significant amount of copper for the shirts offered to them. They have large calabash in which they carry sea water inland and pour it into pits, extracting salt [by evaporation].
We stayed in this place for five days, stocking up on water, which our visitors brought to the boats. Our stay, however, was not long enough to take on board as much water as was necessary, as the wind favored the continuation of our journey. Here we anchored near the shore, open to wind and wave.
We called this country Terra da Bon Gente, and the river - Rio do Cobre.
Rio de Bonsh Signes
AT Monday we discovered a low-lying coast, densely overgrown with tall forest. Keeping our course, we were convinced that we had reached the wide mouth of the river. Since it was necessary to find out where we were, we dropped anchor. On Thursday they entered the river. The Berriu was already there, having entered the previous night. And it was eight days before the end of January [that is, January 24].
The lands here are low-lying and swampy, covered with tall trees rich in various fruits that the locals eat.
The people here are black and well built. They go about naked, barely covering their loins with cotton cloth, which is larger in women than in men. Young women are pretty. Their lips are pierced in three places, and they carry pieces of twisted pewter in them. The people here took great pleasure in our arrival. They took us to their almadia, which they have, when we went to their villages to collect water.
When we had stood in this place for two or three days, two leaders of this country came to look at us. They were very haughty and did not appreciate any of the gifts offered to them. On the head of one of them was a tuka with a border embroidered with silk, the other had a cap of green satin. The young man who accompanied them - as we understood from his gestures - came from distant countries, and he had already seen large ships like ours. These signs gladdened our hearts, for it turned out that we seemed to be approaching the longed-for goal.
These leaders owned some huts built on the banks of the river, next to the ships, in which they remained for seven days, daily sending people to the ships offering fabrics sealed with ocher for exchange. When they got tired of being here, they left on their almadia to the upper reaches of the river.
As for us, we spent 32 days on this river, stocking up on water, cranking ships and repairing the mast on the San Rafael. Many of our people got sick: their legs and arms were swollen, and their gums were swollen so that they could not eat.
Here we erected a column, which we called the column of St. Raphael, in honor of the ship that brought it here. We named this river the Rio de Bonches Signes, the River of Good Signs or Omens.
To Mozambique
AT Saturday we left this place and went out to the open sea. All night we moved to the north-east, in order to completely move away from the land, which was so gratifying to see. On Sunday we continued to move to the north-east, and in the evening dawn together we discovered three islets, two of which were covered with tall trees, the third was deserted. The distance from one island to another is 4 leagues.
The next day we continued our journey, and walked for 6 days, laying down in a drift only for the night.
On Thursday we saw the islands and the shore, but since it was already late in the evening, we remained at sea and lay down to drift until morning. Then we approached the land, about which I will tell this.
Mozambique
At March on Friday, March 2, Nicolau Cuelho, trying to enter the bay, chose the wrong fairway and ran aground. As the ship was turning on another tack, towards other ships that were sailing in her wake, Cuelho noticed several sailing boats approaching this island to greet the captain-commander and his brother. As for us, we continued to move towards our proposed anchorage, and these boats constantly accompanied us and signaled us to stop.
When we anchored in the roadstead of the island from which these boats came, seven or eight of them, including the amaldia, approached - the people in them played the anafils. They invited us to proceed to the bay and, if we wish, to lead us into the bay. Those of them who boarded our ships ate and drank what we offered them, then, satisfied, returned to their place.
The captain decided that we should enter the bay in order to better understand what kind of people we were dealing with. Nicolau Cuelho, in his ship, was to go first and measure the depth, and then, if possible, we would follow him. When Cuelho was ready to enter the bay, he ran into the edge of the island and broke the rudder, but immediately freed himself and went out into deep water. At that time I was next to him. In deep water we tucked in the sails and anchored two arrow flights from the village.
People in this land are rosy-faced and well-built. They are Mohammedans, and their language is the same as that of the Moors. Their clothes are of fine linen or cotton, with many stripes of many colors, and rich and elaborate ornaments. They wear tuks with a silk border embroidered with gold. They are all merchants and trade with the white Moors, whose four ships were at the same time in the harbor, loaded with gold, silver, cloves, pepper, ginger and silver rings, as well as many pearls, gems and rubies - and all these goods were in demand in this country.
We understood them in such a way that all these goods, with the exception of gold, are brought everywhere precisely by these Moors, what is further, where we intended to go, they are in abundance and that all these gems, pearls and spices are so numerous that there is no need to trade them - they can be collected in baskets. We learned all this through one of the captain-commander's sailors, who had previously been captured by the Moors and understood their language.
Moreover, these Moors told us that further on our way we will meet many shallows, that along the coast there are many cities and one island, half the population of which are Muslims and half Christians, and they fight among themselves. The island, they said, is very rich.
We were also told that Prester John rules not far from those places, that he has many cities on the coast, and that the inhabitants of these cities are great merchants who own large ships. The capital of Prester John is so far from the sea that it can only be reached by camel. These Moors brought here two Christian captives from India. This information and many other things that we heard filled us with such happiness that we shouted for joy and prayed to the Lord to send us health so that we could see what we so earnestly desired.
In this island and in this country called Moncumbiku [Mozambique] there is a chief who has the title of sultan, something like a viceroy. He often visited our ships, accompanied by several of his men. The captain-commander often treated him to various delicious dishes and gave him hats, marlots, corals and much more. He was, however, so proud that he scorned everything we gave him, and asked for scarlet robes, which we did not have. However, everything that we had, we gave him.
One day the captain-major invited him to a meal, where figs and candied fruits were served in abundance, and asked him to provide us with two pilots. He immediately promised to fulfill the request if we agreed with them on the conditions. The captain-commander offered each of them 30 calicos of gold and two marlots, with the condition that from the day the payment was received, one of them must constantly remain on board if the other wishes to go ashore. They were very satisfied with these conditions.
On Saturday, March 10, we set sail and anchored a league from the shore, near the island, where on Sunday Mass was celebrated, at which those who wanted it confessed and took communion.
One of our pilots lived on this island, and, dropping anchor, we equipped two armed boats after him. On one went the captain-commander, on the other - Nicolau Cuelho. They were met by 5–6 boats ( barcas) who came from the island and were packed with people armed with bows with long arrows and bucklers. They signaled with signs that the boats should return to the city. Seeing this, the captain-commander ordered to protect the pilot, whom he took with him, and ordered to shoot at the boats from bombards. Paulo da Gama, who remained with the ships in case they needed to go to the rescue, as soon as he heard the bombards' shots, ordered the Berriu to go forward. But the Moors, who had already taken flight, rushed even faster, and reached the ground before the Berriu could catch up with them. We then returned to our parking spot.
Ships in this country are of good dimensions, decked. They are built without nails, and the cladding boards are fastened together with a cord, just like boats (longboats). The sails are woven from palm matting. Sailors have "Genoese needles" by which they recognize the course, as well as quadrants and nautical charts.
The palm trees in this country will bear fruits the size of melons, with an edible core and a nutty flavor. Also, melons and cucumbers grow in abundance here, which were brought to us in exchange.
On one of those days, when Nicolau Cuelho entered the harbor, the ruler of this country came on board with a large retinue. He was received well. Kuelyu gave him a red hood, in response, the sovereign held out a black rosary, which he used for prayer, so that Kuelyu would keep them as a pledge [of friendship]. He then invited Nicolau Cuelho to use one of his boats to take him to shore. It was allowed.
Having landed, the sovereign invited the guests to his house, where they were served refreshments. Then he let them go, giving with him, as a gift to Nicolau Cuelho, a jar of crushed dates, prepared with cloves and cumin for preservation. Then he sent many more gifts for the captain-commander. All this happened at a time when this ruler thought we were Turks or Moors coming from some unknown land, because if we came from Turkey, he would ask to see the prows of our ships and our Books of the Law. But when they found out that we were Christians, they decided to treacherously seize us and kill us. The pilot we took with us subsequently revealed to us all that they were going to do if they could.
Unsuccessful start and return to Mozambique
AT Sunday we celebrated mass under a tall tree on the island [St. George]. When we got back on board, we immediately set sail, taking with us many goats, chickens, and pigeons, which were exchanged for a small amount of glass beads.
On Tuesday we saw high mountains rise on the other side of the cape. The shore near the cape was covered with rare trees resembling elms. By this time we were already more than twenty leagues from the starting point, and there we were calm all Tuesday and Wednesday. During the next night we moved away from the coast with a slight east wind, and in the morning we found ourselves four leagues behind Mozambique, but we moved forward all that day until evening, when we again anchored near the island [St. George], where mass was celebrated the previous Sunday, and here a fair wind was expected for eight days.
While we were standing, the king of Mozambique sent us a message that he would like to make peace with us and consider himself our friend. His messenger was a white Moor [Arab] and a sharif, that is, a priest, but still a great drunkard.
While performing this service, the Moor came on board with us with his little son and asked permission to accompany us, since he was from the vicinity of Mecca, and arrived in Mozambique as a pilot on a ship of that country.
Since the weather did not favor us, it was necessary to re-enter the harbor of Mozambique in order to stock up on the water we needed, because the source of water was on the mainland. It was this water that the inhabitants of this island drank, since all the water that is available here is unpleasant in taste (salty).
On Thursday we entered the harbor and, at nightfall, lowered the boats. At midnight, the captain-major and Nicolau Cuelho, accompanied by several of us, set out to fetch water. We took with us a Moorish pilot, whose purpose, as it turned out, was to escape, and not at all to show us the way to the source drinking water. As a result, he either did not want or was unable to find water, although we continued to search until the morning. Then we returned to the ships.
In the evening we returned to the mainland accompanied by the same pilot. Approaching the source, we saw about twenty people on the shore. They had assegai with them and forbade us to approach. In response to this, the captain-commander ordered three bombards to fire in their direction so that we could land. As soon as we got ashore, these people disappeared into the bushes, and we got as much water as we needed. When the sun was almost down, it turned out that the Negro, who belonged to Juan de Quimbra, had escaped.
On Saturday morning, March 24, on the eve of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, a Moor appeared on our ships and [mockingly] said that if necessary, we can go looking, letting us know that if we go ashore, we will meet something there that makes us turn back. The captain-commander did not listen to his [threats], but decided to go to show that we can harm them if we wish. We immediately armed the boats, placing bombards on their stern, and headed towards the settlement [city]. The Moors built palisades by tying boards together so that those behind them could not be seen.
At the same time, they were walking along the shore, armed with assegai, swords, bows and slings, from which they threw stones in our direction. But our bombards very soon gave them the heat, and they hid behind the palisades. This turned out to be more to their detriment than good. During the three hours spent in this manner [bombarding the city], we saw two dead, one on the shore and the other behind the palisade. Tired of this work, we returned to the ships to have lunch. The Moors immediately fled, taking their belongings on an almadia to a village on the mainland.
After dinner we got back into the boats in the hope that we might be able to capture some captives, whom we could exchange for captive Indian Christians and a runaway Negro. For this purpose, we seized an almadia, which belonged to the Sharif and loaded with his things, and another, on which there were four Negroes. This last one was captured by Paulo da Gama, and the one that was laden with belongings was abandoned by the crew as soon as we reached the ground. We took another almadia, which was also abandoned by the team.
We took the blacks on the ship. At the almadia we found good things made of cotton, baskets woven from palm branches, a glazed jar of oil, glass phials of fragrant water, books of the law, a box containing a skein of cotton yarn, a cotton net, and many small baskets of millet. All this, with the exception of the books, which were put aside to show the king, the captain-commander distributed to the sailors who were with him and with other captains.
On Sunday we replenished our water supply, and on Monday we took our armed boats to the village, where the inhabitants spoke to us from their homes: they no longer dared to go ashore. After firing at them several times with bombards, we returned to the ships.
On Tuesday we left the city and anchored near the islets of São Jorge, where we stayed for three days in the hope that the Lord would send us a fair wind.
From Mozambique to Mombasa
AT Thursday, March 29, we sailed from the islets of St. George, but, as the wind was very weak, by the morning of Saturday, the 31st [in the text it is indicated, but Saturday was the 31st] of this month, we had done only 28 leagues.
On this day, in the morning, we were again abeam the land of the Moors, from which we had previously been carried back by a powerful current.
On Sunday, April 1, we approached some offshore islands. The first of these we named Ilha do Asutado (Island of the Whipped), because our Moorish pilot was sentenced to flogging, who lied to the captain on Saturday night, claiming that these islands were the mainland coast. Local ships pass between the islands and the seasoned coast, where the depth was only four fathoms, but we bypassed them. There are many of these islands, and we could not distinguish one from the other; they are uninhabited.
On Wednesday, April 4, we made the passage to the north-west, and by noon a vast country and two islands surrounded by shallow water opened up to us. We got close enough to these islands that the pilots could recognize them - they said that there was an island inhabited by Christians three leagues behind us. All day we maneuvered in the hope of returning to this island, but in vain - the wind was too strong for us. Then we decided that it was better to get to the city of Mombasa, to which, as we were told, there was a day's journey left.
And we should have explored the above-named island, since the pilots said that Christians live on it.
By the time we started north, it was already late in the evening; the wind was strong. At dusk, we noticed a large island that remained to the north of us. Our pilot said that there were two cities on this island, one Moorish and the other Christian.
That night we spent at sea, and in the morning the land was no longer visible. Then we began to keep to the north-west, and towards evening we again saw the land. At night we were brought to the north, and on the morning watch we changed course to the north-north-west. Keeping this course with a favorable wind, the San Rafael ran aground about two leagues from land two hours before dawn. As soon as the Rafael touched the bottom, the following ships were warned by shouts, and nothing else was heard, since they immediately dropped anchor and lowered the boats at a distance of a cannon shot from the stricken ship. When the tide began to ebb, the Raphael was on land. With the help of the boats, anchors were brought in, and in the afternoon, when the tide returned, the ship, to everyone's joy, was afloat.
The coast facing these shoals rose in a high line of mountains of very beautiful appearance. We have named these mountains Serras de San Rafael [Mountains of St. Raphael]. The same name was given to the stranded.
On the way back, in January 1499, the San Rafael was burned in this shallow water. It is mentioned that the city of Tamugata (Mtangata) is located nearby. This gives the description some certainty. Now there is a bay called Mtangata. There is no longer a city by that name, but Burton describes the ruins of a vast city near the village of Tongoni. There are no mountains close to the coast that would correspond to the "Mountains of St. Raphael", but the Usambara Mountains, 20 to 25 miles from the coast, are 3500 feet high, and in clear weather they can be seen from a distance of 62 miles. The shallows of St. Raphael are undoubtedly the coral reefs of Mtangata. And the Usambara mountains with their valleys, spurs, rugged peaks, especially at this time of the year, are perfectly visible from ships. This place in the text is not in doubt, since these are the only mountains close to the coast that are so clearly visible from ships in clear weather. They can be seen even from the city of Zanzibar.
While the ship lay on land, two almadia approached. One of them was loaded with fine oranges, better than the Portuguese ones. Two Moors remained with us on board and accompanied us to Mombasa the next day.
On the morning of Saturday, the 7th, on the eve of Palm Sunday, we walked along the coast and saw several islands at a distance of 15 leagues from the mainland coast, about six leagues long. They supply the ships of this country with masts. All of them are inhabited by Moors.
AT Saturday we dropped anchor in view of Mombasa, but did not enter the harbor. Before we had time to do anything, the zavra, ruled by the Moors, hastened to us; in front of the city were many ships decorated with flags. We, not wanting to be worse than others, also decorated our ships and, in truth, surpassed the natives in this, since we badly needed sailors, for even the few that we had were very sick. We gladly dropped anchor in the hope that the next day we could go ashore and hold the service with those Christians who, we were told, live here under the rule of their alcaid, in their part of the city, separate from the Moors.
The pilots who rode with us told us that Moors and Christians lived in the city, that the latter lived separately, obeyed their rulers, and that when we arrived, they would receive us with honor and invite us to their homes. But they said it for their own purposes, because it was not true. At midnight a zavra approached us with nearly a hundred men armed with sabers and buckler shields. They approached the ship of the captain-commander and tried, armed, to climb on it. They were not allowed, and only 4-5 of the most respectable of them were allowed on board. They stayed on the ship for about two hours, and it seemed to us that their visit had only one purpose - to see if one of our ships could be captured.
On Palm Sunday, the king of Mombasa sent the captain-commander a sheep, many oranges, lemons and sugar cane, as well as a ring - as a guarantee of safety and a guarantee that if the captain-commander entered the harbor, he would be provided with everything he needed. The gifts were brought by two almost white people who called themselves Christians, which turned out to be true. The captain-commander sent a string of corals in reply to the king and let him know that he intended to enter the harbor the next day. On the same day, the ship of the captain-commander was visited by four more noble Moors.
Two people were sent by the captain-commander to the king so that they would confirm his peaceful intentions. As soon as they set foot on the ground, they were surrounded by a crowd, and accompanied to the very palace gates. Before appearing before the king, they passed through four doors, at each of which stood a guard with a saber drawn. The king greeted the envoys hospitably and ordered that they be shown the city. On the way, they stopped at the house of two Christian merchants, who showed a sheet of paper - the object of their worship, with the image of the Holy Spirit. When they had all looked, the king sent them back, handing them samples of cloves, peppers and grains, with which he allowed us to load our ships.
On Tuesday, while lifting the anchor to go to the harbor, the ship of the captain-commander could not bear off into the wind and hit the ship that was following. Because of this, we dropped anchor again. The Moors who were on our ship, seeing that we were not going to go, got down into the saurus, moored from the stern. At this time, the pilots whom we had taken in Mozambique jumped into the water and were picked up by the men of the saurus. During the night the captain-major "questioned" the two Moors [from Mozambique] who were with us on board, dripping boiling oil on their skins, so that they could confess to any conspiracy against us.
They said that the order had been given to seize us as soon as we entered the harbor - thus, revenge for what we had done in Mozambique would be done. When torture was repeated on them, one of the Moors threw himself into the sea, although his hands were tied, and the other did the same during the morning watch.
During the night two almadias came up with many people. Almadia stopped at a distance, and people went into the water: some of them went to the Berriu, and the other to the Rafael. Those that swam up to the Berriu began to cut the anchor line. The watchmen at first thought that they were tuna, but when they realized their mistake, they began to shout to notify other ships. Other swimmers had already reached the rigging of the mizzen mast. Realizing that they were discovered, they silently jumped down and swam away. These and many other tricks were used by these dogs against us, but the Lord did not send them success, because they were unfaithful.
Mombasa - Big city located on a hill overlooking the sea. Every day, many ships enter its harbor. At the entrance to the city there is a column, and below, by the sea, a fortress was built. Those who went ashore said that they saw many people in armor in the city, and it seemed to us that they must be Christians, since Christians in this country are at war with the Moors.
But Christian merchants were only temporary residents in this city; they were in obedience and could not take a step without the permission of the Mauritanian king.
Thank God, upon arrival in this city, all our patients recovered, because the air here was good.
After the betrayal and conspiracy that these dogs were plotting was revealed, we remained in that place for another Wednesday and Thursday.
From Mombasa to Malindi
At three we sailed. The wind was light, and we anchored offshore, eight leagues from Mombasa. At dawn we saw two boats ( barcas) about three leagues to leeward, on the open sea, and immediately set off in pursuit, intending to capture them in order to get a pilot who will lead us where we decide to go. In the evening we overtook and captured one, and the second slipped away towards the shore. In the boat we captured, there were 17 crew members, not counting gold, silver, maize and other provisions in abundance. There was also a young woman, the wife of an old noble Moor, who was traveling as a passenger. When we came abreast of the boat, they all jumped into the water, but we picked them up from our boats.
That same day, at sunset, we anchored at a place called Milinde (Malindi), 30 leagues from Mombasa. Between Mombasa and Malindi are the following places: Benapa, Toca and Nuguo Kioniete.
H and at Easter the Moors whom we captured in the boat told us that there were four ships in the city of Malindi belonging to Christians from India, and that if we were pleased to take them there, they would offer us Christian pilots in exchange for themselves, as well as everything in which we need a parking lot, including water, wood and stuff. It was highly desirable for the captain-major to get pilots from that country, and after discussing the matter with the Mauritanian captives, he dropped anchor half a league from the city. The inhabitants of the city did not dare to come on board, because they already knew that we had captured the boat and captured the people from it.
On Monday morning, the captain-major carried the old Moor to a sandbank near the city, from where he was taken to the almadia. The Moor conveyed to the king the greetings of the captain-commander and how much he wished to maintain peaceful relations. After dinner, the Moor returned to the savre, accompanied by one of the royal nobles and a sharif. They also brought three sheep. The envoys told the captain-commander that the king prefers to maintain good relations with him and offers peace.
He is ready to provide the captain-commander in his country with anything, whether it be a pilot or something else. In response to this, the captain-major said that he would enter the port the next day, and provided the ambassadors with gifts, consisting of a balandrau, two strands of coral beads, two washbasins, a hat, bells and two pieces of lambel.
So, on Tuesday we approached the city. The king sent the captain-commander six sheep, some cloves, cumin, ginger, nutmeg and pepper, as well as a letter saying that if the captain-commander wanted to talk to him, then the king could come on his zavre if the captain-commander wants to meet on the water.
On Wednesday, after dinner, when the tsar approached our ships at the dawn, the captain-commander got into one of our boats, well equipped, and many friendly words were said on both sides. The king invited the captain-commander to his house to rest, after which the king was ready to visit the ship. The captain-commander replied that his sovereign did not allow him to go ashore, and if he did this, then the sovereign would be given a bad report about him. The king asked what his subjects would say about him if he visited the ships, and what explanation could he offer them? Then he asked the name of our sovereign, they wrote it down for him, and said that when we return, he will send an ambassador or a letter with us.
When both expressed everything they wanted, the captain-commander sent for the captured Moors and gave them all. This greatly pleased the king, who said that he valued such an act more than if he had been gifted with a city. The satisfied tsar walked around our ships, the bombards of which greeted him with salutes. So it took about three hours. When leaving, the king left one of his sons and a sharif on the ship, and took with him two of us, to whom he wanted to show the palace. Moreover, he said that since the captain-commander could not go ashore, the next day he would come ashore again and bring with him horsemen who would show some exercises.
The king was dressed in a damask robe trimmed with green satin, and wore a rich tutu on his head. He sat on two bronze chairs with cushions, under a round canopy of scarlet satin, mounted on a pole. The old man who accompanied him as a page carried a short sword in a silver scabbard. There were many musicians with anafils and two with sivs - ivory horns with rich carvings, in human height. It was necessary to blow into the hole located on the side. The sounds that were obtained in this case harmonized pleasantly with the sounds of anafils.
On Thursday, the captain-commander and Nicolau Cuelho went on longboats along the coast, in front of the city. They had bombards in their stern. A lot of people gathered on the shore, among them were two horsemen, skilled in demonstration combat. The king in a palanquin was brought along the stone stairs of his palace and placed in front of the boats of the captain-commander. He again asked the captain to go ashore, as he had an old helpless father who would like to see him. The captain, however, apologized and refused.
Here we found 4 ships belonging to Indian Christians. When they first appeared on the ship of Paulo da Gama, the captain-commander was there, and they were shown the altarpiece of the Blessed Virgin at the foot of the cross, Jesus Christ in her arms and the apostles around her. When the Indians saw this image, they prostrated themselves, and all the time while we were there, they read their prayers before it, presented the image with cloves, pepper and other gifts.
These Indians were swarthy. They had few clothes, but their beards and hair were long and braided. They told us they don't eat beef. Their language is different from Arabic, but some of them partly understand it, so they had to talk with their help.
On the day when the captain-major came in his ships to the city, these Indian Christians fired from their ships with many bombards, and when he approached, they raised their hands and shouted loudly: “Christ! Christ!"
That same evening they asked the king for permission to arrange a night feast for us. And when night fell, they fired many bombards, launched rockets and burst into loud cries.
These Indians warned the captain-commander not to go to land and not to trust the "fanfare" of the local king, since they do not come from the heart and not of good will.
On the following Sunday, April 22, the royal saurus brought on board one of the trustees, and since two days had passed without any news, the captain-commander detained this man and sent word to the king that he needed the pilots whom he had promised. The king, having received a letter, sent a Christian pilot, and the captain-commander released the nobleman, whom he kept on the ship.
We really liked the Christian pilot sent by the king. From him we learned about the island, about which we were told in Mozambique, as if it was inhabited by Christians, in fact it belongs to the same king of Mozambique. That half of it is inhabited by Moors, and the other half by Christians. That a lot of pearls are mined there, and this island is called Kuilui. It was on this island that the Mauritanian pilots wanted to bring us, and we ourselves wanted to get to it, because we believed that everything said about it was true.
The city of Malindi lies near the bay and is stretched along the coast. He resembles Alcochete. Its houses are tall and well whitewashed, with many windows. It is surrounded by palm groves, maize and vegetables are grown everywhere.
We stood in front of the city for 9 days. All this time, festivities, demonstration battles and musical performances ("fanfare") continued.
Across the Gulf to the Arabian Sea
AT On Tuesday 24th [April], we left Malindi and headed for a city called Calicut. We were led by a pilot given to us by the king. The coast line ran from south to north, and a huge bay with a strait separated us from the land. We were told that many Christian and Moorish cities were built on the shores of this gulf, one of which is called Cambay, 600 islands are known in it, the Red Sea is located in it, and on its shore is the "house" [Kaaba] of Mecca.
The following Sunday we again saw the North Star, which we had not seen for a long time.
On Friday, May 18 [the author says "17", but Friday was the 18th], 23 days without meeting land, we saw high mountains. All this time we sailed with a fair wind, and covered no less than 600 leagues. The land we first saw was eight leagues away, and our lot reached the bottom at a depth of 45 fathoms. That same night we took a south-southwest course to move away from the shore. The next day we again approached the land, but due to heavy rain and a thunderstorm that continued all the time while we were walking along the coast, the pilot could not determine where we were. On Sunday we were near the mountains, and when we got close enough to them that the pilot could identify them, he said that we were near Calicut, in the country where we all so wanted to go.
T In the evening we anchored two leagues from the city of Calicut because our pilot mistook Capua, the city which is situated there, for Calicut. Still lower [in latitude] stood another city called Pandarani. We dropped anchor about a league and a half from shore. After the anchor was cast, four rafts approached us from the shore, and from there we were asked what country we were from. We answered and they pointed us to Calicut.
The next day, these same boats passed us, and the captain-commander sent one of the convicts to Calicut, and with him went two Moors from Tunisia, who could speak Castilian and Genoese. The first greeting he heard was: “Devil take you! What brought you here? He was asked what he needed so far from home. He replied that he was looking for Christians and spices. Then they said to him: “Why didn’t they send the king of Castile, the king of France or the Venetian Signoria here?” He replied that the King of Portugal did not agree to this, and he was told that he had done the right thing.
After this conversation, he was called into the dwelling and given wheat bread and honey. When he had eaten, he returned to the ships, accompanied by a Moor, who, before boarding, said these words: “Good luck, good luck! Mountains of rubies, mountains of emeralds! Thank God for bringing you to a land of such riches!” We were very surprised, because we did not expect to hear native speech so far from Portugal.
Description of Calicut
G The city of Calicut is inhabited by Christians. They are all swarthy. Some of them wear long beards and long hair, while others, on the contrary, cut their beards short or shave their heads, leaving only a bun at the top, as a sign that they are Christians. They also wear mustaches. They pierce their ears and carry a lot of gold in them. They go naked to the waist, covering the lower part with a very thin piece of cotton, and only the most respected of all do this, the rest do what they can.
The women in this country are generally ugly and of small build. They wear many stones and gold around their necks, numerous bracelets on their arms, and gemstone rings on their toes. All these people are good-natured and have a gentle disposition. At first glance, they seem stingy and indifferent.
Messenger to the king
To When we arrived at Calicut, the king was 15 leagues away. The captain-commander sent two people to him with news, saying that an envoy of the King of Portugal had arrived with letters, and that if the king wished, the letters would be delivered to where he was.
The king gifted both messengers with many luxurious clothes. He conveyed that he was inviting the captain, saying that he was already ready to return to Calicut. He was about to leave with his large retinue.
D All of our men returned with a pilot, who was ordered to take us to Pandarani, near Capua, where we first stopped. Now we really were in front of the city of Calicut. We were told that this a good place for parking, and where we were before - bad, with a rocky bottom. And it was true. Moreover, it was customary here to take care of the safety of ships that came from other parts. We ourselves did not feel calm until the captain-commander received a letter from the king with an order to sail there, and we departed. However, they did not anchor as close to the shore as the royal pilot wanted.
While we were at anchor, the news came that the king was already in the city. At the same time, the king sent a wali along with another noble to Pandarani to escort the captain-commander to where the king was waiting for him. This wali was like a qadi, with him there were always two hundred people armed with swords and bucklers. Since it was already late in the evening when the news arrived, the captain-commander postponed his visit to the city.
Gama goes to Calicut
H and the next morning - and it was Monday, May 28 - the captain-commander went to talk with the king and took 13 people with him, among whom was myself. We put on the best clothes, placed bombards on the boats, took with us horns and many flags. When they landed, the captain-commander met the qadi with a multitude of people, armed and unarmed.
The reception was friendly, as if these people were glad to see us, although at first they looked threatening, because they held drawn swords in their hands. The captain-commander was given a palanquin, like any noble person in this country and even merchants who served the king for privileges. The captain-commander entered a palanquin, which was carried by six people in succession.
Accompanied by all these people, we went to Calicut and first entered the gates of another city called Capua. There the captain-commander was placed in the house of a nobleman, and others were given food, consisting of rice with a lot of oil, and excellent boiled fish. The captain-commander did not want to eat, but we ate, after which we were loaded into boats that stood on a river that flowed between sea and land, not far from the coast.
Both boats in which we were stationed were tied together so that we would not separate. There were many other boats around, full of people. I can't say anything about those that stood on the shore. There were no number of them, and everyone came to look at us. On this river we passed about a league and saw many large ships pulled ashore, because there was no pier here.
When we got ashore, the captain-major again got into his palanquin. The road was crowded with countless people who wanted to see us. Even women with children in their arms came out of their houses and followed us.
Christian church
To When we arrived in Calicut, we were taken to a large church, and this is what we saw there.
The building of the church is large - the size of a monastery - built of hewn stone and covered with tiles. At the main entrance rises a bronze pillar, as tall as a mast. On top of it sits a bird, obviously a rooster. In addition, there is another pillar there, as tall as a man and very powerful. In the center of the church rises a chapel of hewn stone with a bronze door wide enough for a man to pass through. Stone steps lead to it. In this shrine is small image Mother of God, as they imagine her. At the main entrance, along the walls, hung seven bells. In the church the captain-commander prayed, and so did we.
We did not go into the chapel, because, according to custom, only certain servants of the church, who are called "kuafi", can enter there. These kuafi wear some kind of thread on their left shoulder, passing it under the right, just as our deacons wear stole. They poured holy water on us and gave us some white earth, which Christians in this land are wont to sprinkle on their heads, necks and shoulders. They poured holy water over the captain-commander and gave him this land, which he, in turn, gave to someone, making it clear that he would smear it later.
Many other crowned saints were depicted on the walls of the church. They were drawn very differently: some had teeth sticking out of their mouths an inch, others had 4-5 hands.
Beneath this church was a large, stone-built reservoir for water. We saw a few more along the way.
Procession through the city
W Then we left this place and walked around the city. We were shown another church, in which we saw the same picture as in the first. The crowd here became so dense that it was impossible to go further down the street, so the captain-commander and us, together with him, were taken into the house.
The king sent a wali brother, who was the ruler of this region, to accompany the captain. With him came men beating drums, blowing anafils, and firing matchlocks. By accompanying the captain, they showed us great respect, more than in Spain they show the king. We walked, accompanied by two thousand armed men, through countless people crowding near the houses and on the roofs.
Royal Palace
H The further we went in the direction of the royal palace, the more people became. And when we arrived at the place, the most noble people and great gentlemen came out to meet the captain-commander. They joined those who accompanied us. This happened an hour before sunset. When we reached the palace, we passed through the gate to the large courtyard, and before reaching the place where the king was sitting, we passed four doors, through which we had to make a way, giving out numerous blows. When at last we reached the door of the room in which the king was, a little old man stepped out of them, occupying a position similar to that of a bishop - the king listened to his advice in matters relating to the church. The old man hugged the captain, and we entered the door. We managed to get into them only by force, several people were even wounded.
C Ar was in a small hall. He leaned back on the green velvet couch. Over the velvet lay a rich veil, and over it was a cotton cloth, white and thin, much finer than any linen. The cushions on the couch looked the same way. In his left hand, the king held a very large golden cup [spittoon] with a capacity of half an almud and a width of two palms, obviously very heavy. Into the bowl the king would throw cake from the grass that people in this country chew because of its calming effect and which is called "atambur". To the right of the king stood a golden basin, so large that it could hardly be covered with hands. It had this herb in it. There were many more silver jars there. Above the couch rose a canopy, all gilded.
The captain, entering, greeted the king in the local manner - putting his palms together and stretching them to the sky, as Christians do when addressing God, and immediately opening them and quickly clenching their fists. The king beckoned to the captain with his right hand, but he did not approach, because the customs of this country do not allow anyone to approach the king, except for a servant who brings him grass. And when someone addresses the king, he covers his mouth with his hand and keeps his distance. Having beckoned to the captain, the king looked at us, the rest, and ordered that we be seated on a stone bench that stood next to him so that he could see us.
He ordered that we be given water to wash our hands, as well as fruits, one of which resembled a melon, with the difference that it was rough on the outside, but sweet on the inside. Another fruit resembled a fig and was very pleasant in taste. The servants served us the fruits, the king watched us eat, smiled and talked to the servant who brought him the grass.
Then, casting a glance at the captain, who was sitting opposite, he allowed him to address the courtiers, saying that they were people of a very high position and that the captain could tell them what he wanted, and they would pass it on to him (the king). The captain-commander said that he was the ambassador of the king of Portugal and had news from him that he wanted to convey to the king personally. The king said that it was good, and immediately asked to be taken to the room. When the captain-commander went into the room, the king went there and joined him, and we remained where we were. All this happened around the time of sunset. The old man, who was in the hall, removed the couch as soon as the king got up from it, but left the dish. The king, having gone to talk with the captain, settled down on another couch, covered with various fabrics embroidered with gold. Then he asked the captain what he wanted.
The captain said that he was the ambassador of the King of Portugal, sovereign of many countries and ruler of a realm far larger than any of the kingdoms here, judging by the descriptions. That his predecessors sent ships every year for 60 years, trying to find a way to India, where, as he learned, Christian kings like himself ruled. That is the reason that brought us to this country, not the search for gold and silver. We have enough of these values of our own, for the sake of this it was not worth looking for a way here. He further said that the captains, after sailing for a year or two, exhausted all supplies and returned to Portugal, never finding their way here.
We now have a king named Don Manuel, who ordered the construction of three ships, on which he appointed captain-commander, and on pain of deprivation of his head ordered not to return to Portugal until we found a Christian king. Here are two letters which have been entrusted to him, to be given into the hands of the king when he is found, which he intends to do at the present moment. And finally, he was ordered to verbally convey that the king of Portugal wishes to see a friend and brother in the local ruler.
In response to this, the king said that he was ready to welcome a friend and brother to the king, and when the sailors gathered on their way back, he would send his ambassador to Portugal with them. The captain replied that he asked this as a favor, for he would not dare to stand before his king without showing him to the eyes of people from this country.
These two talked about this and many other things in the room. When night had almost fallen, the king asked the captain, with whom would he prefer to spend the night, with the Christians or with the Moors? The captain replied that neither the Christians nor the Moors, but would like to spend the night separately. The king gave orders, and the captain went to where we were, and it was a veranda lit by a large chandelier. He left the king at four in the morning.
W Then the captain and I went in search of lodging for the night, and a huge crowd followed us. It began to rain so hard that water ran down the streets. The captain returned to the backs of six [in a palanquin]. Walking around the city took so long that the captain got tired and complained to the royal manager, a noble Moor, who accompanied him to the place of lodging for the night. The Moor took him to his own house, and we were invited into the courtyard, where there was a veranda with a tiled roof. A lot of carpets were spread everywhere, there were two chandeliers, the same as in the royal palace. On each of them stood a large iron lamp filled with oil, each lamp had four wicks that gave light. Such lamps were used here for lighting.
The same Moor ordered to give the captain a horse so that he could get to the place of lodging for the night, but the horse was without a saddle, and the captain did not sit on it. We moved to the place of lodging for the night, and when we arrived, we found our people there, who had come from the ships and brought the captain's bed and many things prepared by the captain as a gift to the king.
Gifts for the king
AT On Tuesday, the captain prepared gifts for the king, namely: 12 pieces of lambel, 4 scarlet chaperons, 6 hats, 4 strings of coral beads, a chest containing 6 washstands, a chest of sugar, 2 barrels of oil and 2 barrels of honey. It is not customary in this country to send anything to the king without the knowledge of the Moor, his manager, and the wali, so the captain informed them of his intentions. They came and, seeing the gifts, began to laugh at them, saying that it was not fitting for a king to give such things, that the poorest merchant from Mecca or another part of India gives even more, that if we want to give a gift, then it should be gold, and The king will not accept such things.
Hearing this, the captain became gloomy and said that he had not brought gold, moreover, he was not a merchant, but an ambassador. That he gives part of his own, not royal. That if the King of Portugal sends him again, he will send richer gifts with him. And that if King Samulim does not accept the gifts, then he orders to send all this back to the ships. At that, it was decided that the dignitaries would not hand over the gifts and did not advise the captain to do it himself. When they had gone, Moorish merchants appeared, and they all gave a very low price to the gifts that the captain was about to give to the king.
The captain, seeing such an attitude, decided not to send gifts, he said that since he was not allowed to send gifts to the king, he would go talk to him again, and then return to the ships. This was accepted, he was told that if he waited a little, he would be escorted to the palace. The captain waited all day, but no one came. The captain was very angry with these lazy and unreliable people and at first wanted to go to the palace without an escort. However, on reflection, he decided to wait for the next day. As for the rest of us, we amused ourselves by singing songs and dancing to the sound of horns and having fun.
AT Wednesday morning the Moors returned, took the captain to the palace, and all of us at the same time. The palace was flooded with armed men. For four long hours the captain and his companions were forced to wait at the door, which opened only when the tsar ordered to receive the captain and two people of his choice. The captain wished that Fernand Martins, who could serve as an interpreter, and his secretary should go with him. It seemed to him, as well as to us, that such a division did not bode well.
When he entered, the king said that he was expecting him on Tuesday. The captain replied that he was tired after a long journey and for this reason could not come. The king asked why the captain said that he came from a rich kingdom, but he himself did not bring anything. He also said that he brought a letter, but he still has not handed it over. To this, the captain replied that he had not brought anything, since the purpose of the voyage was discoveries, but when other ships come, the king will see what they bring. As for the letter, he really brought it and is ready to hand it over immediately.
Then the king asked him what he discovered - stones or people? If he opened people, as he says, why didn't he bring anything? And he was informed that he had a golden image of the Virgin Mary. The captain replied that the Virgin Mary was not golden, but even if she were golden, he could not part with her, since she led him across the ocean and would lead him back to his homeland. The king again asked about the letter. The captain asked to call a Christian who speaks Arabic, since the Moors may wish him harm and translate incorrectly. The king agreed. And at his call, a young man, of medium build, named Kuaram, appeared.
The captain said he had two letters. One is written in his native language, the other in Mauritanian. That he can read the first letter and know that it contains only what is proper. As for the second, he is unable to read it and does not know whether it contains anything wrong. Since the Christian translator could not read Moorish, the four Moors took the letter and began to read it among themselves, after which they translated it to the king, who was pleased with its content.
Then the king asked what goods were traded in our country. The captain named grain, fabrics, iron, bronze and more. The king asked if we had these goods with us. The captain replied that there was a little bit of everything, as samples, and if he was allowed to return to the ships, all this would be unloaded ashore, and at that time four or five people would remain at the place of spending the night. The king replied: "No!" The captain can pick up all his people, safely get to the ships, unload them and deliver goods to the palace in the most convenient way. Leaving the king, the captain returned to the place of spending the night, and we were with him. It was already quite late and we didn't go anywhere that evening.
AT Thursday morning a bare horse was sent to the captain, and he refused to ride it, asking for a horse of this country, that is, a palanquin, since he cannot ride a horse without a saddle. He was taken to the house of a wealthy merchant named Guzherate, who ordered a palanquin to be prepared. When it was served, the captain immediately went to Pandarani, where the ships were moored, and many people followed him. We couldn't keep up with the stretcher and fell behind. While we were trudging along, we were overtaken by a wali, who was in a hurry to join the captain. We went astray and wandered far from the sea, but the wali sent a man for us who showed us the way. When we got to Pandarani, we found the captain in a rest-house, such as are in abundance here along the roads, so that travelers could take shelter from the rain.
AT Beside the captain were Vali and many others. When we arrived, the captain asked the Vali for a raft so that we could cross over to the ships. But the wali and the others replied that it was already too late—indeed, the sun was already setting. The captain said that if he was not given a raft, he would return to the king, who ordered him to be delivered to the ships. And if they took it into their heads to detain him, then this is a bad idea, because he is just as much a Christian as they are.
When they saw the captain's gloom, they said that he was free to sail now, and that they were ready to provide him with thirty rafts if required. We were led ashore, and it seemed to the captain that something evil was being planned against us, so he sent three ahead, so that when they met his brother on the boats, they warned him to be ready to shelter the captain. They set off, but finding no one, they returned. But since we went in the other direction, we missed them.
It was already late at night, and the Moor took us to his house. There it turned out that the three who went in search had not yet returned. The captain sent three more to look for them and ordered them to buy rice and poultry, and we set to eating despite being tired, since we had been on our feet all day.
The three who had been sent out to search returned only in the morning, and the captain said that after all, we were treated well here and acted with the best of intentions, not allowing us to sail yesterday. On the other hand, we suspected that in Calicut we were not treated with the best of intentions.
When the king's people returned to us, the captain asked for boats so that we could cross to the ships. They began to whisper, then said that they would give them if we ordered the ships to be brought closer to the shore. The captain said that if he gave such an order, his brother would think that he had been taken prisoner and would give the order to return to Portugal. He was told that if the ships did not come closer to the shore, we would not be allowed to board the boats.
The captain said that the Zamorin king ordered him to return to the ships, and that if he did not comply with the order, he would have to return to the king, who was a Christian like him. If the king does not allow him to leave and wishes to leave him in his own country, he will do so with great pleasure. They agreed that they would have to let him go, but they did not do this, because they immediately locked all the doors. Many armed guards appeared, and from that moment on, none of us could go anywhere without being accompanied by several guards.
Then we were asked to hand over our sails and rudders. The captain declared that he would not give anything of the kind - the Zamorin king clearly ordered him to return to the ships. They can do whatever they want with us, but he won't give anything away.
The captain and we were very upset, although we pretended not to notice anything. The captain said that if they refused to let him go, then at least they should let his people go, otherwise they would die of hunger here. He was told that people would stay here, and if someone died of hunger, they would have to put up with it, they didn’t care about that. In the meantime, one of those people who had disappeared the day before was brought in. He said that Nicolau Cuelho had been waiting for him on the boats since last night.
When the captain heard this, he secretly managed to send a man to Nicolau Cuelho with an order that he return to the ships and take them to a safe place. Nicolau, having received the order, set sail, but our captors, when they saw what was happening, rushed to the rafts and for a short time tried to pursue the ships. Seeing that they could not catch up with the ships, they returned to the captain and began to demand that he write a letter to his brother and ask him to bring the ships closer to the shore. The captain replied that he would gladly do it, only his brother would not obey anyway. They asked to write a letter in any case, since the given order must be carried out.
The captain did not at all want the ships to enter the port, because he believed (like all of us) that they would be easily captured there, after which we would all be killed, since we were in their power.
We spent the whole day in great anxiety. At night we were surrounded by even more people than before. Now we were not even allowed to walk around the house where we were, and we were all accommodated in a small, tiled hall, surrounded by many people. We expected that the next day we would be separated, or some other trouble would fall on us, because we noticed that our jailers were very angry with us. However, this did not prevent them from preparing a good supper for us from what was found in the village. Over a hundred men guarded us at night, all of them armed with swords, double-bladed battle-axes, and bows. While some slept, others guarded us, and so they took turns all night.
The next day, Saturday, June 2, in the morning, these gentlemen, that is, Vali and others, returned and this time "made kind faces." They told the captain that since the king ordered him to unload the goods, he should do it, and in this country it is customary that every ship that comes in immediately unloads the goods and crew ashore, and the sellers do not return on board until everything is sold. The captain agreed and said he would write to his brother to see that it was done. The captain was promised to be released to the ship as soon as the cargo arrived. The captain immediately wrote a letter to his brother, in which he ordered to do all of the above. Upon receipt of the cargo, the captain was released on board, he left two people to look after the cargo.
Then we rejoiced and gave praise to the Lord for having escaped from the hands of people in whom considerations are no more than in wild animals. We knew that while the captain was on board, those who went ashore had nothing to fear. When the captain boarded, he ordered that no more goods be offloaded.
H After 5 days, the captain sent the king the news that, although he sent him directly to the ships, such and such people detained him on the way for a day. That he, as ordered, unloaded the goods, but the Moors came only to bring down the price on them. That for these reasons he foresees that the king will not appreciate his goods. But at the service of the king, he himself and his ships. The king immediately replied that those who did this were bad Christians and he would punish them. At the same time, the king sent seven or eight merchants to evaluate the goods and, if they wished, to purchase them. He also sent a man who was to act as a steward and had the authority to kill any Moor who came here.
The royal merchants stayed for 8 days, but did not buy anything, but only brought down prices. The Moors no longer came to the house where the goods were stored, but they no longer showed favor to us, and when one of us landed on the shore, they spat and said: “Portuguese! Portuguese!" In fact, from the very beginning they were only looking for an opportunity to capture and kill us.
When the captain realized that the goods would not be bought here, he asked the king for permission to take them to Calicut. The king immediately ordered the wali to detach a large number of people to transport everything to Calicut at his expense, since nothing belonging to the king of Portugal should be taxed in his country. All this was done, but led to sad consequences for us, because the tsar was informed that we were thieves and traded in theft. However, the royal order was carried out.
AT Sunday, June 24, the day of John the Baptist, the goods were sent to Calicut. The captain ordered that all our people take turns in the city. A person was sent ashore from each ship, then they were replaced by others. So everyone could visit the city and buy what they like there. These people were greeted by the Christians on the way, gladly invited to their homes, given food and lodging, and shared free of charge what they themselves had. At the same time, many came on board to sell us fish in exchange for bread. We also welcomed them warmly.
Many came with their sons, with small children, and the captain ordered that they be fed. All this was done for the sake of establishing peace and friendship, so that only good things would be said about us and nothing bad. The number of these visitors was sometimes so great that it was necessary to receive them all night long. The population in this country is very dense, and food is scarce. It so happened that one of ours went to mend the sails and took a few crackers with him, these old and young rushed to him, snatched the crackers from his hands and left him without food.
Thus, everyone from our ships, two or three, went ashore, bought bracelets, fabrics, new shirts and everything they wanted there. However, we did not sell the goods at the prices we expected in Munsumbiwi [Mozambique], because a very thin shirt, which in Portugal costs 300 Reishi, but here, at best, is valued at 2 fanan, which is 30 Reishi, because 30 Reishi for this country - a lot of money.
And since we bought shirts cheaply, we sold our goods just as cheaply in order to bring something from this country, even if only as a sample. Those who went to the city bought cloves, cinnamon, precious stones there. Having bought what they needed, they returned to the ships, and no one spoke a bad word to them.
When the captain learned how well the inhabitants of this country treated us, he sent more goods along with the manager, assistant and a few other people.
P the time for the return journey was approaching, and the captain-commander sent gifts to the king - amber, corals and much more. At the same time, he orders the king to be informed that he is about to sail to Portugal, and if the king sends people with him to the Portuguese king, he will leave his manager, assistant, several people and goods here. In return for the gift, he asked in the name of his master [the King of Portugal] cinnamon bahar, cloves bahar, and samples of other spices as he saw fit and, if necessary, the steward would pay for them.
Four days elapsed before the messenger received permission to convey the message to the king. When he entered the room where the king was, he looked at him "with a bad face" and asked what he needed. The messenger told the king what was ordered and handed over the gifts. The king said to take the gifts to the steward, and did not even want to look at them. Then he ordered to tell the captain that if he wanted to sail away, he must pay him 600 sheraphins, and he could go - this is the custom of this country in relation to those who come to it. Diogo Dias, who delivered the news, said that he would convey the answer to the captain.
But when he left the palace, specially sent people went with him, and when he came to that house in Calicut where the goods were stored, some of these people went inside to see that nothing was taken away. At the same time, orders were issued throughout the city to hold all boats heading towards our ships.
When the Portuguese saw that they were turned into prisoners, they sent a young Negro from among their people along the coast to look for someone to take him to the ships so that he could notify the others that they had been taken prisoner by order of the king. The negro went to the outskirts of the city, where the fishermen lived, one of whom took him on board for three fans. The fisherman dared to do this because in the darkness they could not be seen from the city. Delivering the passenger to the ship, he immediately sailed away. This happened on Monday, August 13, 1498.
Such news saddened us. And not only because our people were in the hands of the enemies, but also because the enemies interfered with our departure. It was a great pity that the Christian king, to whom we had entrusted ourselves, treated us so badly. At the same time, we did not think that he was so guilty, as it seemed, because all this was the machinations of local Moors, merchants from Mecca or somewhere else, who knew about us and wished us harm. They told the king that we were thieves, that if our ships began to sail here, then they would not come to him from Mecca, or from Cambay, or from Imgrush, or from any other places.
They added that he would not benefit from us [from the trade in Portugal], that we had nothing to offer him, except to take away, that we would only ruin his country. They offered the king a lot of money for permission to seize and kill us so that we would not return to Portugal.
All this the captain learned from the local Moor, who discovered everything that was intended against us and warned the captains and especially the captain-commander not to go ashore. In addition, we learned from two Christians that if the captains went ashore, their heads would be cut off - this is what the king of this country did with visitors who did not give him gold.
That was our position. The next day, not a single boat approached the ships. A day later a raft came up with four young men who brought precious stones for sale, but we found out that they had come on the orders of the Moors to see what we would do. However, the captain invited them and delivered with them a letter for our people who were being held ashore. When people saw that we were not harming anyone, merchants and other people began to sail daily - just out of curiosity. All of them were invited and fed.
The following Sunday twenty-five people arrived. Among them were six noble persons, and the captain decided that with their help we could free those of our people who were held on the shore. He grabbed them and a dozen others, 18 in total [the author says 19]. He ordered the rest to go ashore in one of our boats and handed over with them a letter for the Moor, the royal steward. In a letter, he stated that if the captives were returned to us, then we would also release those who were captured. When it became known that we had captured people, a crowd gathered at the house where the captured Portuguese were kept and, without causing harm, took them to the manager's house.
On Thursday, the 23rd, we set sail, saying we were going to Portugal, but hoped to be back soon, and then they would know if we really were thieves. Because of the contrary wind, we anchored four leagues from Calicut.
The next day we returned to the shore, but did not come close because of the shoals, and dropped anchor in the sight of Calicut.
On Saturday, we again moved farther into the sea and stood up so that we could hardly be seen from the land. On Sunday, while we were at anchor, waiting for the breeze, a boat came up and we were informed that Diogo Dias was in the royal palace and that if we freed those who were detained, he would be released on board. But the captain decided that Diash had already been killed, and these negotiations were only needed to delay us while they prepared their weapons, or until the ships from Mecca came up to capture us. So he told them to leave, threatening otherwise with bombardments, and not to return without Dias and his men, or at least a letter from them. He added that if they turned around quickly, they would spare the heads of the captives. A breeze picked up, and we sailed along the shore, then anchored.
The Tsar sends for Diogo Dias
To When the king heard that we were sailing for Portugal and that he was unable to hold us back, he began to think about how to make amends for the evil he had done to us. He sent for Diogo Dias, whom he received with excellent hospitality, and not in the same way as when he arrived with gifts from Vasco da Gama. He asked why the captain was abandoning his men. Diogo replied: "Because the king does not let them on the ship and keeps them as captives." Then the king asked if his steward [a hint of 600 sheraphins] demanded anything, making it clear that he had nothing to do with it, and the steward was to blame for everything. Turning to the manager, he asked if he remembered how his predecessor had recently been executed, who exacted tribute from merchants who came to this country?
Then the king said, “Go back to the ships, you and your people. Tell the captain to send the men he has detained to me. Let him give the column that I promised to put up on the shore to those who will accompany you - they will put it up. Or you can stay here with your goods.” At the same time, he dictated a letter to the captain, which Diogo wrote with an iron stylus on a palm leaf, as is customary in this country. The letter was addressed to the King of Portugal. The general meaning of the letter is:
“Vasco da Gama, a noble man from among your subjects, arrived in my country, where he was received by me. My country is rich in cinnamon, cloves, pepper, ginger and precious stones. In exchange for these goods, I would like gold, silver, corals and scarlet fabrics from you.
On Monday, the 27th, in the morning, while we were still at anchor, seven boats approached us, on which there were a lot of people. They brought Diogo Dias and everyone who was with him. Fearing to take the Portuguese on board, they placed them on our boat, which was being towed. They did not bring the goods in the hope that Diogo would return for them. But when he got on board, the captain did not allow him to return to shore. He gave the people in the boat the column that the king ordered them to set up. He also released six of the most distinguished of the captives, and left six more, but promised to release him if the goods were returned to him before morning.
On Tuesday, a Moor from Tunisia, who spoke our language, asked to be left on the ship, saying that he had lost everything he had, and that was his fate. He said that his countrymen accused him of having gone to Calicut with the Christians on the orders of the King of Portugal. For these reasons, he would like to sail with us, and not stay in a country where he could be killed at any moment.
At 10 o'clock seven boats came up with many people in them. Three of them were loaded up to the cans with striped cloth, which we left in the warehouse. We were given to understand that this is all the goods that belong to us. These three boats approached the ships, while the other four kept their distance. We were told that we should put prisoners in our boat, they would be exchanged for goods. But we figured out their trick, and the captain-commander ordered them to get out, saying that he was of little concern for the goods, and he would take these people to Portugal. At the same time, he told them to take care, because he would soon return to Calicut, and then they would know whether we were such thieves as the Moors said about us.
On Wednesday, August 29, the captain-major and other captains decided that we had found the country we were looking for, we had found both spices and precious stones. It turned out to be impossible to establish good relations with these people, which means it's time to sail back. It was decided to take the people we detained with us. When we return to Calicut, they can be used to establish good relations. With this we set sail and sailed for Portugal, pleased with our good fortune and the great discovery we had made.
Thursday afternoon, about a league north of Calicut, about seventy boats approached us. They were crowded with people in a kind of armor made of quilted red fabric. Their body, hands and heads protected them ... When these boats approached the distance of a shot from a bombard, the captain-commander ordered to shoot at them. They pursued us for an hour and a half, then a thunderstorm began, which carried us out to sea. Seeing that they could not harm us, they turned back, and we went our own way.
Calicut and its trade
And From this country of Calicut, or Upper India, spices are supplied to the West and East, to Portugal and other countries of the world. As well as any kind of precious stones. In Calicut, we found the following spices, obtained in this country: a lot of ginger, pepper and cinnamon, although the latter is not so High Quality, which is brought from the island of Sillan [Ceylon], which is eight days' journey from Calicut. All cinnamon is brought mainly to Calicut. Carnations are brought to the city from the island of Melekua [Malacca].
Ships from Mecca bring these spices to the city of Mecca [from Arabia] called Judea (Jeddah). From this island to Judea the journey takes fifty days with a fair wind, and the ships of this country cannot maneuver. In Judea spices are unloaded ashore and a duty is paid to the Great Sultan. The goods are then loaded onto smaller ships and transported across the Red Sea to a place called Tuuz near St. Catherine's Monastery on Mount Sinai. There, the goods are taxed again. From there, the goods are taken on camels, at a price of 4 krujadu for each camel, to Cairo. This journey takes 10 days. In Cairo, taxes are being paid again. On the way to Cairo, caravans are often attacked by robbers living in that country - Bedouins and others.
In Cairo, the spices are carried up the Nile River, which flows from Lower India, the country of Prester John, and in two days they are brought to a place called Rouchette (Rosetta), where they are again taxed. There they are again transferred to camels, and in a day they reach the city of Alexandria, where the seaport is located. Venetian and Genoese galleys enter this port and take away spices, which brings the Great Sultan an income of 600,000 kruzhad in the form of taxes, of which he annually pays 100,000 kruzhad to a king named Sidaim for the war with Prester John. The title of the Great Sultan is bought for money and is not inherited.
The way home
T Now back to the story of our journey home.
Moving along the coast, we tacked on the morning and evening breezes, as the wind was weak. During the day, when the wind died down, we stood.
On Monday, September 10, the captain-commander landed one of the men we had captured, who had lost an eye, with a letter for the Zamorin, written in Arabic by one of the Moors who accompanied us. The country where we landed him was called Compia, and its king fought with the king of Calicut.
The next day, before the wind picked up, boats approached the ships. The fishermen who sat in them offered to buy fish for us and boldly climbed on board.
St. Mary's Islands
AT Saturday, the 15th, we found ourselves near a cluster of islets, about two leagues from the coast. We equipped a boat and set up a column on one of these islands, which we named after St. Mary. The king ordered three columns [padranas] to be erected in honor of Saints Raphael, Gabriel and Mary. We fulfilled the order: the column of the name of St. Raphael stands on the river of Good Signs, the second, in honor of St. Gabriel - in Calicut, and now, the third, in honor of St. Mary.
Here again many boats with fish came to us, and the captain made the fishermen happy by giving them shirts. He asked them if they would be happy if he installed a column on the island. They said that this would make them very happy as a sign that we were Christians like themselves. Thus, the column was erected with the consent of the natives.
AT that same night we put the sails under the breeze and set off. The following Thursday, the 20th, we reached a hilly country, beautiful and healthy. There are 6 islands near the coast. Here we anchored to stock up on water and firewood for the passage through the bay, which we hoped to get to as soon as a favorable wind blows. On the shore we met a young man who showed us an excellent source of water, gushing between two hills on the river bank. The captain-commander gave the young man a cap and asked him whether he was a Moor or a Christian. The man said he was a Christian and was delighted to know that we are also Christians.
The next day the raft arrived. Four people on it brought pumpkins and cucumbers. The captain-major asked if they had any cinnamon, ginger, or other spices from this country. They said they had a lot of cinnamon, but no other spices. Then the captain sent two men with them to bring him samples. They were taken into the forest and shown the trees on which cinnamon grew.
They cut two large branches along with the leaves. When we got into the boats to draw water, we met these two with twigs, and with them about twenty more people who brought birds, cow's milk and pumpkins to the captain. They asked to send these two with them, because they have a lot of dried cinnamon not far from here, they will show it and give samples.
Having taken water, we returned to the ships, and these people promised to return the next day and bring cows, pigs and poultry as a gift.
The next morning, early in the morning, we noticed two ships near the coast, about two leagues from us, but they did not give any signs. We chopped wood, waiting for the tide to let us enter the river to stock up on water. Our lesson was interrupted by the order of the captain, who was surprised to find that these vessels were larger in size than they first thought. He ordered us, as soon as we had eaten, to get into the boats, get to these ships and find out who they belong to - the Moors or the Christians. Then he ordered the sailor to climb the mast and watch the ships.
This man reported that on the high seas, at a distance of about six leagues, there were six more ships. Hearing this, the captain immediately ordered the sinking of these ships. As soon as they felt the breeze, they took the helm sharply into the wind, and now they were in front of us, at a distance of a couple of leagues. We decided that they revealed us, as we revealed them. Seeing us walking towards them, they rushed to the shore. One, unable to cope, broke the rudder, and people from there jumped into the boats, which were dragging behind the stern of the ship, and rushed to the shore to escape.
We were closest to this ship and immediately approached it, but found nothing on it except food, coconuts, four jars of palm sugar and weapons. The rest of the cargo was sand, which is used here as ballast. The other seven ships landed and we fired at them from our boats.
The next morning, we were still at anchor when seven people arrived in a boat. They said that ships had come from Calicut for us, and that if we could be caught, we should be killed.
The next morning, leaving this place, we anchored two shots from the place where we first stood, near the island, where, as we were told, we can take water. The captain-commander immediately sent Nicolau Cuella in a well-armed boat to look for water. Cuelho found on the island the ruins of a large stone church destroyed by the Moors. Only one chapel, covered with earth, has survived. We were told that the natives go there and pray to the three black stones that stand in the middle of the chapel. In addition to the church, a reservoir was discovered, made of the same hewn stone as the church. From there we collected as much water as we needed.
Another reservoir, much larger, was located on the highest part of the island. On the shore, in front of the church, we cast off the Berriu and the ship of the captain-commander. The Rafael was not pulled ashore due to difficulties, which will be discussed later.
One day, when the "Berriu" was pulled ashore, two large boats (fustash) came up with a lot of people. They rowed to the sound of drums and bagpipes, flags fluttering from the mast. Four more boats remained at the shore for safety. As the galleys drew closer, we asked the natives who they were. We were told not to let them come on board with us, because they are robbers, they will take everything they get. They say that in this country they often arm themselves, board ships, swim up under the guise of friends, and rob at a convenient moment.
Therefore, we began to fire from the Rafael and the ship of the captain-commander, as soon as the robbers approached the shot of our bombards. They started shouting "Tambaram", which meant that they were also Christians, because Indian Christians call God "Tambaram". When they realized that we were not paying attention to this, they hurried to the shore. Nicolau Cuelho pursued them for some time, then the captain-commander recalled him with the help of a signal flag.
The next day, while the captain-major and many others were on the shore and keeling the Berriu, two small boats arrived, in which were a dozen well-dressed people. They brought a bunch of sugar cane as a gift to the captain-commander. Having disembarked, they asked permission to inspect the ships. The captain thought they were scouts and was angry. Then two more boats appeared, filled with people, but those that arrived first, seeing that the captain was not disposed towards them, told those who arrived not to go ashore, but to swim back. They themselves got into the boats and sailed away.
When the ship of the captain-commander was keeling, a man of about forty arrived, speaking the Venetian dialect well. He was dressed in linen, wore a beautiful tutu on his head, and a sword on his belt. He did not go ashore until he embraced the captain-major and the captains, saying that he was a Christian from the West, who came here in his youth. Now he is in the service of a Moorish master, under whose command 40,000 horsemen, and has also become a Moor, although he is a Christian at heart. He said that the news of the arrival in Calicut of foreigners in armor, whose speech no one could understand, had penetrated into his master's house.
They said that they must be Franks (that's what Europeans are called in these places). Then he asked his master for permission to visit us, saying that he would die of grief if they did not allow him. The master ordered us to go and find out from us what we need in this country - ships, food. He also told me to tell you that if we wish to stay here forever, he will be very happy.
The captain thanked him sincerely for such an offer, made, as it seemed to him, from the bottom of his heart. The stranger asked to be given cheese, so that he would pass it to his friend, who remained on the shore, and soon returned back. The captain ordered that cheese and two loaves be brought. The stranger remained on the island, talking a lot and about a lot, so that sometimes he contradicted himself.
Meanwhile, Paulo da Gama asked the Christians who had come with him what kind of person he was. They told him it was a pirate armador), who has come to attack us, that his ships and many of his people are sheltered on the shore. Knowing this and guessing about the rest, we seized him, took him to the ship that was on the shore.
There he was beaten to find out if he really was a pirate, and for what purpose he came to us. Then he told us to take care - the whole country is against us, a lot of armed people hid around in the thickets, but they do not attack us, because they are waiting for forty ships equipped to chase us. He added that he did not know when he would be ordered to attack us. As for himself, he has nothing to add to what he has already told. After that, he was "questioned" three or four more times, but he did not say anything definitive. From his gestures, we realized that he was sent to inspect the ships, find out what kind of people are here and how they are armed.
We stayed on this island for 12 days. They ate a lot of fish, which they bought from the natives, as well as pumpkin and cucumbers. They also brought us whole boats loaded with cinnamon branches, green, still with foliage. When the ships were keeled off, and we loaded them with as much water as we wanted, we broke the captured ship and departed. It happened on Friday, October 5th.
Before the ship was broken, its captain offered 1,000 fans for it. But the captain-commander said that he would not sell it, since the ship belonged to the enemy, and he preferred to burn it.
When we had already gone two hundred leagues out to sea, the Moor, whom we took with us, declared that the time for pretense had passed. It is true that in the master's house he heard about lost travelers who could not find their way home. Therefore, many ships were sent to capture them. And his master sent him to find out how we could be lured into his country, because if the robbers capture us here, he will not receive his part of the booty. And if we land on his land, we will be entirely at his mercy. Being a valiant man, he could use us in wars with neighboring kingdoms. However, his calculations did not materialize.
Through the Arabian Sea
And because of the frequent calms and contrary winds, the voyage across the bay took us three months without three days, and all of our people again had their gums swollen so that it was impossible to eat. The legs and other parts of the body also swelled. The tumors grew until the sufferer died showing no signs of any other disease. Thus, 30 people died with us - the same number died before that - and on each ship there were only 7-8 people who were able to manage the ship, but even they were not able to do it properly.
I assure you that if the voyage had dragged on for another two weeks, there would have been no one left at all who could handle the ship. We have reached such a state that we completely forgot about discipline. When sickness hit, we complained and prayed to the patron saints of our ships. The captains held a council and decided that if the wind was right, we would return to India, whence we had come.
But the Lord, in His mercy, sent us a wind that in six days brought us to the land, seeing which we rejoiced as if it were Portugal. Hope has returned to us that, with God's help, now health will return to us, as it was once before.
This happened on January 2, 1499. When we approached the land, it was night, so we lay down to drift. In the morning we looked around the shore, trying to understand where the Lord had led us, but we did not find a single person who could show where we are on the map. Someone said that we were probably on one of the islands near Mozambique, 300 leagues from the coast. This was said because the Moor whom we took in Mozambique assured that these are unhealthy islands, and people there suffer from an illness similar to our illness.
Magadosh
O seemed to be close to big city with houses of several floors, large palaces in the center and four towers on different sides. This city, facing the sea, belonged to the Moors and was called Magadosh. When we got close enough to it, we fired from many bombardments, and then walked with a fair wind along the coast. So we went all day, but at night we drifted, because we did not know how long it would take us to get to Milingwe [Malindi].
On Saturday, the 5th, the wind died down, then a storm broke out with a thunderstorm, and the Rafael's gear broke. While they were being repaired, a privateer came out from a town called Pate with eight boats and many men, but when they came within firing range, we fired at them with our bombards, and they fled. The wind did not allow us to overtake them.
AT Monday, January 7 [the author has the ninth, but Monday was the seventh of January; a five-day stay lasted from the 7th to the 11th], we again anchored near Milindi, where the king immediately sent us a long boat with many people, a sheep as a gift and an invitation for the captain-commander. This king said that he had been waiting for our return for many days. He showed his friendly feelings and peaceful intentions in every possible way. The captain-major sent his man ashore with these messengers, ordering him to stock up on oranges, which we badly needed because of our illness.
The next day he brought them, as well as other fruits. But this did not help much in the fight against the disease, since the local climate affected us in such a way that many patients died here. The Moors also came on board. By order of the king, they delivered poultry and eggs.
When the captain saw how much attention was being paid to us during our forced stop, he sent the king a gift and a verbal message with one of our people who could speak Arabic. The captain asked the king for an elephant tusk so that he could take it to his king, and also asked permission to establish a column here as a sign of friendship. The king replied that he would fulfill requests out of love for the king of Portugal, whom he would like to serve. He actually ordered an elephant tusk to be delivered to us on board, and also ordered a column to be set up.
In addition, he sent a young Moor who wished to come with us to Portugal. The king highly recommended him to the captain-commander, explaining that he was sending him so that the king of Portugal could be convinced of his friendly intentions.
We stood in this place for five days, rejoicing and resting from the difficulties of the transition, during which each of us looked into the face of death.
From Malindi to Sun Brush
M We left in the morning, Friday, and on Saturday, the 12th, passed by Mombasa. On Sunday we anchored in San Rafael Bay, where they burned a ship with that name, because we could not cope with three ships - there were too few of us left. The contents of the ship were transferred to the remaining two. For 15 days we stood in this place, and bought a lot of birds in exchange for shirts and bracelets from a nearby city called Tamugate.
On Sunday, the 27th, with a favorable wind, we sailed from this place. The next night we lay adrift, and in the morning we came to the great island of Zhamgiber [Zanzibar], inhabited by the Moors, and lying ten leagues from the mainland. At the end of the day, February 1, we anchored off the island of São Jorge, off Mozambique. The next day, in the morning, we set up a column on this island, under which the service was held. It rained so heavily that it was not even possible to make a fire to melt the tin that fastens the cross of the column. I had to put it without a cross. Then we returned to the ships.
On March 3 we reached the bay of San Brush, where we caught a lot of anchovy, seals and penguins, which were salted for future use, for the road. We departed on the 12th, but had scarcely gone 10 or 12 leagues when such a strong wind arose that we had to return.
From San Bras to Rio Grande
To When the wind died down, we set sail again, and the Lord sent us such a favorable wind that on the 20th we were able to round the Cape of Good Hope. Those of us who have survived to this day have been in good health, though at times nearly frozen to death by the cold winds that have lashed us. However, we attributed our sensations not so much to the cold as to the habit of the heat of the countries we visited.
We continued our journey in an effort to get home as soon as possible. For 27 days the wind was fair, it took us to the vicinity of Santiago Island. According to our maps, we were a hundred leagues away, but some thought we were much closer. But the wind died down and we drifted. There was a slight headwind. There were thunderstorms over the shore, not allowing us to determine where we were, and we tried to catch the wind as best we could.
On Thursday, April 25, the depth measurement showed 35 fathoms. The next day, the minimum depth was 20 fathoms. Nevertheless, the land was not shown, but the pilots said that the Rio Grande shoals were nearby.
Kingdoms of southern Calicut
W Here are listed the names of some of the kingdoms of the southern coast of Calicut, the goods produced in them, and also what they are rich in. I learned all this in great detail from a man who spoke our language and who had arrived in those parts 30 years earlier from Alexandria.
Calicut is the place where we were. The items of trade mentioned here are brought here, in this city the ships from Mecca take on board the cargo. A king named Samolim can raise, including reserves, 100,000 soldiers, since the number of his own subjects is very small.
Here we list the goods brought here by ship from Mecca, as well as the prices in this part of India.
Copper. One frazil of hers is approximately 30 pounds, worth 50 fanans, or 3 circledos.
Bakua Stone worth its weight in silver.
Knives- a fan each.
Pink water- 50 fans per phrase.
Alum- 50 fans per phrase.
Camlet- 7 circles apiece.
red cloth- 2 circles per peak [about 27 inches, (three palms)].
Mercury- 10 circles per phrase.
Qurungolish[Korongolor - modern Kodangalore in Cochin] is a Christian country, and its king is a Christian. From Calicut to this country by sea, with a favorable wind, 3 days' journey. The king can raise 40,00 soldiers. There is a lot of pepper, the frazil of which costs 9 fanans, while in Calicut it is 14.
Koleu[Kollam, Kulan] is a Christian kingdom. From Calicut by sea, with good wind, can be reached in 10 days. The king has 10,000 men under his command. This country has a lot of cotton fabric, but little pepper.
Kaell- its king is a Moor, and the population is Christian. By sea there from Calicut 10 days. The king has 4,000 soldiers and 100 war elephants at his disposal. There are many pearls.
Chomandarla[Choramandel - between Cape Calimer and Godavari] - inhabited by Christians and the king is a Christian. He has 100,000 men under him. There is a lot of shellac in this country, half a circle for a phrase, and a lot of cotton fabric is dressed.
Salam[Ceylon] is a very large island inhabited by Christians ruled by a Christian king. From Calicut 8 days with good wind. The king has 4,000 men and many elephants for war and for sale. All the best cinnamon in India comes from there. There are also many sapphires there, of a better quality than in other countries [for example, in Pegu], and even rubies, but not many good ones.
Tenakar- a Christian kingdom with a Christian king. It is located
Camatarra[Sumatra] is a Christian kingdom. 30 days from Calicut, with good winds. The king has 4,000 warriors under his command, as well as 1,000 horsemen and 300 war elephants. A lot of silk yarn is mined in this country, 8 circles per frazil. There is also a lot of shellac, 10 krujad for bahar or 20 frazils.
Sharnauz [with most likely Siam, whose old capital, Ayodhya, was called Sornau, or Sharnau ] - a Christian kingdom with a Christian king. It is 50 days from Calicut with good winds. The king has at his disposal 20,000 warriors and 4,000 horses, and even 400 war elephants. In this country, there is a lot of benzoin gum, at 3 circles per phrasyl, as well as aloe, at 25 circles per phrasyl.
Tenakar- a Christian kingdom with a Christian king. It is 40 days' voyage from Calicut, if the wind is favorable. The king commands 10,000 warriors and owns 500 war elephants. In this country much brazil wood is obtained, from which a red dye is made, exquisite as carmine, at 3 circles per bahar, while in Cairo it costs 60. There is also a little aloe.
Bemgala[Bengal]. In this kingdom there are many Moors and few Christians, and the king in it is Christian. Under his command are 20,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 cavalry. In his country there are many fabrics made of cotton and silk, as well as a lot of silver. From Calicut sail there for 40 days, with a good wind.
Melekua[Malacca] is a Christian kingdom with a Christian king. From Calicut, 40 days' journey with good wind. The king has 10,000 soldiers, including 1,200 cavalry. All the cloves are brought from there at the price of 9 krujadu per bachar and nutmeg at the same price. There is also a lot of porcelain, silk and tin, from which a coin is poured. But this coin is heavy and low in value - 3 phrases are worth only 1 circle. In this country there are many large parrots with fire-red plumage.
Pegu[Burma] is a Christian kingdom with a Christian king. Its inhabitants are white, just like us. Under the rule of the king there are 20,000 warriors, of which 10,000 are mounted, and the rest are on foot, not counting 400 war elephants. All the musk of the world is mined in this country. The king owns an island, four days' journey from the mainland, with a good wind. Animals like deer live on this island, which carry growths with musk near the navel. It is there that the people of that country mine it.
There is so much of it that for one round you will be given four large growths or 10-12 small ones, with a large nut. On the mainland there are many rubies and a lot of gold. For 10 krujadu here you can buy as much gold as for 25 in Calicut. There is also a lot of shellac and benzoin resin of two types - white and black. Frasil of white resin costs 3 krujads, and black - only 1.5. Silver, which can be bought here for 10 krujadu, in Calicut will cost 15.
From Calicut there 30 days of travel with good wind.
Bemguala[Bengal] - the Moorish king sits there, and Christians and Moors live. She is 35 days from Calicut with good winds. There are perhaps 25,000 warriors in it, of which 1,000 are mounted and the rest are on foot, not counting 400 war elephants. This country has the following goods: a lot of grain and a lot of valuable fabrics. You can buy as much fabric there for 10 krujadu as in Calicut for 40. There is also a lot of silver.
Kunimata- Christian king and Christian inhabitants. From Calicut there, with a good wind, sail 50 days. Its king can muster five or six thousand men, he has a thousand war elephants. This country has a lot of sapphires and brazil wood.
Pater- a Christian king and a Christian population, not a single Moor. The king can muster four thousand warriors and has a hundred war elephants. A lot of rhubarb is found in this country, its frazil is worth 9 circles. From Calicut 50 days with a fair wind.
O how they fight on elephants in this country.
They make a house out of wood that can accommodate four people, this house is placed on the back of an elephant, four people climb into it. Five naked blades are attached to each tusk of an elephant, ten blades are attached to two tusks in total. This makes the elephant such a formidable foe that if escape is possible, no one will stand in its way. Whatever those who sit above order, the elephant does everything as if he were a rational creature. They will say: "Kill this, do this and that," - he does everything.
How elephants are caught in wild forests
To When they want to catch a wild elephant, they take a tame elephant, dig a big hole in the road where elephants usually walk, and cover it with branches. Then they say to the elephant: “Go! If you meet an elephant, lure him into this hole so that he falls into it, just be careful not to fall there yourself. She leaves and does everything as she was told. When she meets an elephant, she leads him along this path so that he falls into a hole, and the hole is so deep that he cannot get out without help.
How an elephant is pulled out of a hole and tamed
P After an elephant has fallen into a pit, five or six days pass before food is brought to it. At first a person brings very little food, but gradually more and more food is given. This goes on for about a month. During this time, the person bringing the food gradually tames the elephant until he dares to go down to him in the pit. After a few days, the elephant allows the man to take him by the tusks. Then the man goes down to the elephant and puts heavy chains on his feet. In this state, the elephant is taught everything except speech.
Such elephants are kept in stalls like horses. A good elephant costs 2000 kruzhad.
It is not known whether the Portuguese would have opened a sea route to India at the end of the 15th century if the king himself had not been interested in this discovery, and it did not entail significant political and material changes in the country's position in the world. After all, no matter how skillful and fearless the sailors were, but without support (primarily financial) in the person of the king, such large-scale expeditions had little chance of success.
So why was a sea route to India needed?
I must say that it was simply necessary for Portugal at that time to get to distant, but so alluring with its riches, India by sea. By its geographical position, this European country was outside the main trade routes of the 15th century, and therefore could not fully participate in world trade. The Portuguese did not have so many of their products that could be put up for sale, and all kinds of valuable goods from the East (spices, etc.) had to be bought very expensive. The country was financially weakened by the Reconquista and the wars with Castile.
However, the location of Portugal on the geographical map of the world, of course, provided her with great advantages in exploring the western coast of Africa and still gave hope to open a sea route to the “land of spices”. This idea was started by the Portuguese prince Enrique, who became known in the world as Henry the Navigator (he was the uncle of King Afonso V of Portugal). Despite the fact that the prince himself never went to sea (it is believed that he suffered from seasickness), he became the ideological inspirer of sea trips to African shores.
The most interesting for you!
Gradually, the Portuguese moved further south and brought more and more slaves and gold from the coast of Guinea. On the one hand, Infante Enrique was the initiator of expeditions to the East, attracted astronomers, mathematicians, developed a whole program for the fleet, and at the same time, all his actions were subject to selfish considerations - to get more gold and slaves, to take a more powerful position among the nobility. It was such a time: virtue and vice were mixed into an unravelable tangle ...
After the death of Henry the Navigator, sea expeditions stopped for some time. In addition, despite numerous attempts, the sailors equipped with Enrique did not even reach the equator. But soon the situation changed. In the late 80s of the 15th century, a Portuguese officer who reached India by land confirmed that the “land of spices” could be reached by sea. And in parallel with this, Bartolomeu Dias discovered the Cape of Good Hope: he managed to go around the African mainland and left the Atlantic Ocean for the Indian.
Thus, the assumptions of ancient scientists that Africa was a continent stretched to the South Pole were finally broken. By the way, perhaps it was Bartolomeu Dias who could have been famous for opening the sea route to India, but his sailors, after entering the waters of the Indian Ocean, flatly refused to sail further, so he was forced to return to Lisbon. Later, Dias helped Vasco da Gama organize his expeditions.
Why Vasco da Gama?
Today, we cannot reliably know why exactly Vasco da Gama was chosen to lead an expedition to the East, because not much information about this significant journey has been preserved in history. All researchers of the chronicles of that period agree that for an event of this magnitude, there are surprisingly few records of the preparation of the expedition.
Most likely, the choice fell on Vasco because, in addition to his excellent navigational knowledge and experience, he also had the “necessary” character. More about the biography of Vasco da Gama. He knew human nature well, knew how to deal with the ship's crew, could tame rebellious sailors (which he demonstrated more than once). In addition, the head of the expedition had to be able to behave at court and communicate with foreigners, both civilized and barbarians.
Da Gama just combined all these qualities: he was an excellent navigator - careful, skillful and dexterous, he was fluent in the navigational science of that time, at the same time he knew how to behave at court, be obliging and persistent at the same time. At the same time, he did not differ in special sentimentality and tenderness - he was quite capable of capturing slaves, taking prey by force, conquering new lands - which was the main goal of the Portuguese expedition to the East. The chronicles note that the da Gama clan was known not only for its courage, but also for its self-will, a tendency to quarrel.
How Vasco da Gama's expedition was prepared
The expedition to India was to take place immediately after receiving encouraging information that would confirm the existence of a sea route to India. But the death of the king's son João II postponed this event for several years: the king was so saddened that he was not able to carry out such large-scale projects. And only after the death of Juan II and the accession to the throne of King Manuel I, the court again actively started talking about opening a sea route to the East.
Everything was prepared with the utmost care. Under the leadership of Bartolomeu Dias, who visited the waters near Africa, 4 ships were rebuilt: the flagship San Gabriel, San Rafael, commanded by Vasco da Gama's brother Paulo, the Berriu caravel and another transport ship. The expedition was equipped with the latest maps and navigational instruments.
Among other things, according to the established custom, three stone pillars-padrans were prepared and loaded on board to indicate the ownership of the newly discovered or conquered lands of Portugal. By order of Manuel I, these padrans were named "San Rafael", "San Gaboteal" and "Santa Maria".
In addition to the sailors, this expedition was attended by an astronomer, a clerk, a priest, translators who speak Arabic and the languages \u200b\u200bof the natives, and even a dozen criminals who were taken specifically to carry out the most dangerous assignments. In total, at least 100 people went on the expedition (according to the estimates of individual historians, from 140 to 170).
A three-year voyage required considerable food supplies. Rusks were the main food product; special ovens were installed in the port by order of Manuel I. The holds were loaded to capacity with cheese, corned beef, dried and salted fish, water, wine and vinegar, olive oil, as well as rice, lentils and other beans, flour, onions, garlic, sugar, honey, prunes and almonds. Gunpowder, stone and lead cannonballs, and weapons were taken in excess. For each ship, three changes of sail and ropes were provided, based on several years of sailing.
It should be noted that the cheapest things were taken as gifts to African and Indian rulers: beads made of glass and tin, trousers with wide stripes and bright scarlet hats, honey and sugar ... neither gold nor silver. Such gifts were more designed for savages. And this will not go unnoticed later. All ships were superbly equipped with artillery (from 12 to 20 guns on each ship), the personnel were also armed - cold weapons, halberds, crossbows. Before going out to sea, solemn services were held in churches and all participants in the long voyage were forgiven of sins in advance. During this voyage, Vasco da Gama will more than once show not his best qualities: cruelty, often senseless, greed, but he already had an indulgence in advance.
The king's farewell to the expedition
Don Manuel's solemn farewell to da Gama and his officers took place in Montemor-o-Novo, one of the oldest cities in Portugal, 18 miles east of Lisbon. Everything was furnished with truly royal pomp and grandeur.
The king delivered a speech in which he expressed the hope that his subjects would do everything possible and impossible to accomplish this charitable deed, because the expansion of the lands and possessions of Portugal, as well as the increase in its wealth, is the best service to the country. In a response speech, Vasco da Gama thanked the king for the high honor granted to him, and took an oath to serve his king and country until his last breath.
First trip to India (1497-1499)
On July 8, 1497, four ships of Vasco da Gama solemnly left Lisbon. The first months of the expedition passed quite calmly. The Portuguese did not stop in the Canary Islands, so as not to give the Spaniards the purpose of their journey, they replenished fresh water and provisions on the Cape Verde Islands (then they were the possessions of Portugal).
The next landing was on November 4, 1497 at St. Helena Bay. However, here the sailors had a conflict with the local population, the Portuguese did not suffer heavy losses, but da Gama was wounded in the leg. At the end of November, the ships reached the Cape of Good Hope, which this time behaved like the Cape of Storms (its first name).
The storms were so strong that almost all sailors demanded that the captain return to their homeland. But before their eyes, the navigator threw all the quadrants and navigational instruments into the sea as a sign that there was no turning back. Although historians agree that, probably, not all, but almost all. Most likely, the captain still had spare instruments.
So, rounding the southern tip of Africa, the flotilla made an emergency stop in Mossel Bay. The transport ship carrying supplies was so badly damaged that it was decided to unload and burn it. In addition, part of the sailors died of scurvy, there were not enough people to service even the remaining three ships.
On December 16, 1497, the expedition left behind the last padran column of Bartolomeu Dias. Further, their path lay along the east coast of Africa. The waters of the Indian Ocean, which Vasco entered, have been the sea trade routes of the Arab countries for more than one century, and the Portuguese pioneer had a hard time. So in Mozambique, he received an invitation to the chambers of the Sultan, but the goods of Europeans did not impress the local merchants.
The Portuguese made a negative impression on the Sultan, and the flotilla was forced to hastily retreat. Insulted, Vasco da Gama gave the order to fire several volleys of cannons at the coastal villages. A little later, in the port city of Mombasa, where the ships of the expedition entered at the end of February, the Portuguese captured and plundered an Arab ship, and 30 crew members were taken prisoner.
They were met more hospitably in Malindi. Here, after a long search, yes Gama was able to hire an experienced pilot who knew the way to India, as he understood that they had to cross the Indian Ocean, unknown before. It is worth dwelling on the personality of this pilot in more detail. Ibn Majid Ahmad (full name Ahmad ibn Majid ibn Muhammad al-Saadi of Najd, approximate years life 1421-1500) - an Arab sailor originally from Oman, a pilot, geographer and writer of the 15th century. He came from a family of navigators, his grandfather and father drove ships in the Indian Ocean.
When the elderly sailor and his sailor boarded the San Gabriel with dignity, Vasco da Gama could hardly contain his excitement, peering into the impenetrable face of the Arab, trying to understand how much he understood in navigation. It is understandable, the fate of the entire expedition depended on this person.
Vasco da Gama showed Ahmad ibn Majid an astrolabe and a sextant, but these devices did not make the proper impression on him. The Arab only glanced at them and replied that Arab navigators use other instruments, took them out and gave them to da Gama to look at. In addition, a detailed and accurate Arabic map of the entire Indian coast with parallels and meridians was laid out in front of Vasco.
After this communication, the leader of the Portuguese expedition had no doubts that in this pilot he acquired great value. The Arabs and Turks themselves called Ahmad ibn Majid "the lion of the sea", while the Portuguese gave him the nickname Malemo Cana, which means "an expert in maritime affairs and astronomy."
On April 24, 1498, an Arab pilot took the Portuguese ships out of Malinda and headed northeast. He knew that favorable monsoon winds were blowing here at this time. The pilot brilliantly led the flotilla, cutting through the western part of the Indian Ocean almost in the middle. And on May 20, 1498, all three Portuguese ships moored at the Indian city of Calicut (today Kozhikode).
Despite the fact that the Calicut ruler met the Portuguese more than hospitably - they were greeted by a parade of more than three thousand soldiers, and Vasco da Gama himself was awarded an audience with the ruler, his stay in the East could not be called successful. The Arab merchants who served at the court considered the gifts of the Portuguese not worthy, and da Gama himself reminded them more of a pirate than an ambassador of a European kingdom.
And although the Portuguese were allowed to trade, their goods went poorly on the local market. In addition, disagreements arose over the payment of duties, which the Indian side insisted on. Seeing no point in staying any longer, Vasco gave the order to sail from Calicut, and at the same time took twenty fishermen with him.
Return to Portugal
The Portuguese were not limited to trading operations. On the way back, they plundered several merchant ships. They were also attacked by pirates. The ruler of Goa tried to lure the squadron by cunning in order to use the ships in his military campaigns against his neighbors. Plus, those three months that the journey to the coast of Africa lasted, there was unbearable heat, and the crew was very sick. In such a deplorable state on January 2, 1499, the flotilla approached the city of Magadisho. da Gama did not dare to anchor and go ashore - the team was too small and exhausted - but in order to “declare himself”, he ordered to shell the city from ship guns.
On January 7, the sailors anchored in the port of Malindi, where a few days of rest, good food and fresh fruit allowed the crew to recover and gain strength again. But still, the loss of the crew was so great that one of the ships had to be burned. March 20 passed the Cape of Good Hope. On April 16, Vasco da Gama sent one ship forward from the Cape Verde Islands, and on July 10, the King of Portugal received the news that the sea route to India had been laid. Vasco da Gama himself set foot on his native land only in late August - early September 1499. He was delayed along the way by the illness and death of his brother Paulo.
Of the 4 ships and 170 sailors, only 2 ships and 55 people returned! However, if you look at the financial component, the first Portuguese sea expedition to India was very successful - the goods brought were sold for 60 times the cost of her equipment!
Second voyage to India (1502-1503)
After Vasco da Gama paved the sea route to India, the king of Portugal equipped another expedition to the "land of spices" under the leadership of Pedro Alvaris Cabral. But sailing to India was now only half the battle, it was necessary to establish trade relations with local rulers. This is exactly what Senor Cabral failed to do: the Portuguese quarreled with Arab merchants, the cooperation that had begun in Calicut was replaced by enmity. As a result, the Portuguese trading post was simply burned, and the ships of Pedro Cabral, sailing from the Indian coast, fired at the coast of Calicut from their onboard guns.
It became clear that the fastest and "direct" way to settle in India is to show military power Portugal. A more suitable leader for such an expedition than Vasco da Gama, perhaps, could not be found. And in 1502, King Manuel I put an experienced and uncompromising sailor at the head of the squadron. In total, 20 ships set sail, 10 of which were subordinate to the Admiral of the Indian Sea, five were sent to obstruct Arab merchant ships, and five more, led, by the way, by the Admiral’s nephew, Eshtevan da Gama, were supposed to guard the Portuguese trading posts in India .
In this voyage, Vasco da Gama proved that no one but him would have done a better job with this task. Along the way, he founded forts and trading posts on the southern African coast - in Sofal and Mozambique, imposed tribute on the Arab Emir of the city of Kilwa. And in order to show the seriousness of his intentions to the Arab merchants, yes Gama ordered the burning of an Arab ship, on board of which there were only pilgrims. It happened off the coast of Malabar.
In the city of Kannanur, the expedition was received kindly, and the ships were well loaded with spices. And then it was the turn of the city of Calicut. The Zamorin (ruler) of the city apologized for burning the trading post during Da Gama's previous visit and promised to compensate for the losses, but the inexorable admiral seized all the Indian ships that were in the port and literally turned the city into ruins with artillery fire.
The Indian hostages were hung on the masts of the Portuguese ships, and the severed parts of the hands and feet, the heads of the captives, were sent to the zamorina. For intimidation. Two days after the new shelling of the city, the Zamorin left Calicut. Mission accomplished. Meanwhile, Vasco da Gama went to the city of Cochin, where he loaded the ships with spices and spices, and began to prepare for the return trip.
Zamorin, having assembled a flotilla with the help of Arab merchants, tried to resist the Portuguese, but the artillery on board the European ships predetermined the outcome of the battle - light Arab ships retreated under fire from the bombardier. So, in October 1503, Vasco da Gama returned to his homeland with great success.
Third voyage to India (1503-1524)
The period between the second and third voyages was perhaps the calmest in the life of Vasco da Gama. He lived in contentment and prosperity, together with his family, enjoying the honors and privileges at the royal court. King Manuel I took into account his recommendations when developing plans for the further colonization of India. In particular, the Admiral of the Indian Sea insisted on the creation of a naval police off the coast of the Portuguese possessions in the “land of spices”. His proposal was put into practice.
Also, on the advice of Vasco da Gama, in 1505, the post of Viceroy of India was introduced by decree of the king. This post in different years occupied by Francisco d'Almeida and Affonso d'Albuquerque. Their policy was simple and straightforward - the power of Portugal in the Indian colonies and in the Indian Ocean was planted "by fire and sword." However, with the death of Albuquerica in 1515, no worthy successor was found. And King Juan III, despite the advanced (especially for those times) age of Vasco da Gama - he was already 55 years old by that time - decided to appoint him to the post of Viceroy of India.
Thus, in April 1515, the famous navigator set off on his last voyage. His two sons Eshtevan and Paulo also departed with him. The flotilla consisted of 15 ships with a capacity of 3,000 people. There is a legend that when the ships crossed 17 ° north latitude near the city of Dabul, they fell into the zone of an underwater earthquake. The crews of the ships were in superstitious horror, and only the imperturbable and ambitious admiral remained calm, commenting on the natural phenomenon as follows: "Even the sea trembles before us!"
The very first thing upon arrival in Goa - the main stronghold of Portugal in the Indian Ocean - Vasco da Gama most decisively set about restoring order: he suspended the sale of guns to the Arabs, removed embezzlers from their posts, imposed fines in favor of the Portuguese authorities and took other repressive measures to no one had any doubts about who was the owner of these lands. But the Viceroy did not have time to fully implement all his plans - he suddenly fell ill. And on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1524, Vasco da Gama died in the city of Cochin. In 1539 his ashes were transported to Lisbon.
zkzakharOne of the first travelers and discoverers, Vasco da Gamma, was born in 1460 and died in 1524. Vasco da Gamma is from Portugal. As you know, Portugal was at one time the center of travel and the first discoveries, because it had free access to the sea and a highly developed culture of navigation, scientific discoveries and passionate Portuguese with a thirst for adventure in their blood.
Vasco da Gamma was the first to discover India. By a happy coincidence, this mission went to him, because initially it was intended to entrust the father of the famous discoverer.
Vasco da Gamma set out on his first expedition in 1497. Three ships were sent to reach the shores of India. The journey took place near the coast of Africa, with a stop in Mozambique.
In 1468, having finally reached their goal, Vasco da Gamma and his team landed in the port of Calicut, and after a short stay away from their homeland, set off again to bring all their cartographic sketches and a palette of experience to Portugal.
The most significant discovery of Vasco da Gamma, as it became known, was precisely the trade route from Portugal to India, but what was significant was that this path ran precisely along the coast of Africa, which has a very dual meaning for the further history of sea travel, since the path through Africa at the same time not safe, but also full of innovations and conveniences in time.
As you know, even Vasco da Gamma himself encountered Somali pirates on his way back. They, along with the team, even had to fight them off with losses, and also stop at one of the unplanned points on the map of their journey - near the Cape of Good Hope, from where they even send one of the ships, saving their wounded comrades. Fortunately, that difficult path was crowned with success, however, the danger of encountering Somali pirates still weighs on the shoulders of merchant ships.
Vasco da Gamma, upon his arrival in his native Portugal, was awarded and recognized by the Portuguese government of the 15th century. This was not the only journey of the famous discoverer - Vasco da Gamma repeatedly set off on a journey along the already laid trade route, perhaps due to political considerations, or maybe succumbing to the spirit of adventure, but still three times in general he went to sea on a ship to perpetuate his name with steel retributions in memory.
Vasco da Gamma ranks among the most famous discoverers of the era of navigators. If we compare him with Columbus, then Vasco da Gamma was more fortunate, because his idea was immediately recognized by the government, establishing the official mission of his research and all the cultural achievements that he brought to his homeland. In the same period, there were numerous missions to find a land route to India, or rather, to pave the highest quality and most convenient route by land, however, the achievement of Vasco da Gamma became the most resonant and popular, unlike all other conceptual attempts that were never crowned with success. for many centuries.
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Equipment of the Gama expedition and passage to South Africa
After the discovery of the "Western Indies" by the Spanish expeditions of Columbus, the Portuguese had to hurry in order to secure their "rights" to the East Indies. In 1497, a squadron was equipped to explore the sea route from Portugal - around Africa - to India. Suspicious Portuguese kings were wary of famous navigators. Therefore, the head of the new expedition was not Bartolomeu Dias, and a young courtier of noble origin who had not shown himself in anything before Vasco (Vashku) da Gama, who, for unknown reasons, was chosen by the king Manuela I. At the disposal of Gama, he provided three ships: two heavy ships, 100-120 tons (i.e., 200-240 metric tons) each, the San Gabriel, on which Vasco raised the admiral's flag (Captain Goncalo Alvaris, an experienced sailor), and "San Rafael", whose captain was appointed at the request of Vasco, his older brother Paulo da Gama, which also did not show itself in any way, and a light high-speed vessel "Berriu" of 50 tons (captain Nicolau Cuelho). In addition, a supply ship accompanied the flotilla. The chief navigator was an outstanding sailor Peru Alenquer, who previously sailed in the same position with B. Dias. The crew of all ships reached 140-170 people, this included 10-12 criminals: Gama begged them from the king to use them for dangerous assignments.
Portrait of Vasco da Gama at the age of 64. Museum of Ancient Arts, Lisbon
On July 8, 1497, the flotilla left Lisbon and probably passed as far as Sierra Leone. From there, Gama, on the advice of experienced sailors, in order to avoid contrary winds and currents off the coast of Equatorial and South Africa, moved southwest, and turned southeast beyond the equator. There is no more accurate data on the path of Gama in the Atlantic, and the assumption that he approached the coast of Brazil is based on the routes of later navigators, starting from Cabral. After almost four months of navigation, on November 1, the Portuguese saw land in the east, and three days later they entered a wide bay, which was given the name of St. Helena (St. Helena, 32 ° 40 "S), and opened the mouth of the Santiago River ( now Great Berg). Having landed on the shore, they saw two almost naked undersized men (Bushmen) with skin “the color of dry leaves”, smoking from the nests of wild bees. They managed to capture one. Gama ordered to feed and clothe him, gave him several strings of beads and bells and let go. The next day, a dozen and a half Bushmen came, with whom Gama did the same, two days later - about fifty. For trinkets they gave everything they had, but these things were of no value in the eyes of the Portuguese. When but the Bushmen were shown gold, pearls and spices, they did not show any interest in them and it was not evident from their gestures that they had such things. This "idyll" ended in a skirmish due to the fault of a sailor who somehow offended the Bushmen. Three or four the Portuguese were wounded by a stone pits and arrows. Gama also used crossbows against the "enemies". It is not known how many natives were killed and wounded in the process. Rounding the southern tip of Africa, the Portuguese anchored in that "Harbor of the Shepherds" where Bartolomeu Dias killed the Hottentot. This time, the sailors behaved peacefully, opened a "silent bargain" and received a bull and ivory bracelets from the shepherds for red caps and bells.
Sailing along the coast of East Africa
By the end of December 1497, on the religious holiday of Christmas, the Portuguese ships sailing to the northeast were at approximately 31 ° S. sh. against the high bank, which Gama called Natal ("Christmas"). On January 11, 1498, the flotilla stopped at the mouth of a river. When the sailors landed, they were approached by a crowd of people, very different from those they met on the coast of Africa. The sailor, who used to live in the country of the Congo and spoke the local language of the Bantu, delivered a speech to those who came up, and they understood him (all the languages of the Bantu family are similar). The country was densely populated by farmers who processed iron and non-ferrous metals: sailors saw iron tips on arrows and spears, daggers, copper bracelets and other jewelry. They met the Portuguese very friendly, and Gama called this land "the country of good people."
Ships of the Vasco da Gama squadron. Gordon Miller
Moving north, on January 25, the vessels entered the estuary at 18 ° S. sh., where several rivers flowed. Residents here also received strangers well. Two chiefs appeared on the shore, wearing silk headdresses. They imposed printed fabrics with patterns on the sailors, and the African accompanying them said that he was a stranger and had already seen ships that looked like Portuguese ones. His story and the presence of goods, undoubtedly of Asian origin, convinced Gama that he was approaching India. He called the estuary "a river of good omens" and placed a padran on the bank - a stone armorial pillar with inscriptions, which had been erected since the 80s. 15th century by the Portuguese on the African coast at the most important points. From the west, the Kwakwa, the northern branch of the Zambezi Delta, flows into the estuary. In this regard, it is usually not entirely correct to say that Gama discovered the mouth of the Zambezi, and they transfer the name that he gave to the estuary to the lower reaches of the river. For a month, the Portuguese stood at the mouth of the Kwakva, repairing ships. They suffered from scurvy, and the mortality rate was high. On February 24, the flotilla left the estuary. Keeping away from the coast, bordered by a chain of islets, and stopping at night so as not to run aground, she reached 15 ° S in five days. sh. port of Mozambique. Arab one-masted ships (dhows) visited the port annually and exported mainly slaves, gold, ivory and ambergris. Through the local sheikh (ruler), Gama hired two pilots in Mozambique. But Arab merchants guessed dangerous competitors in the newcomers, and friendly relations soon turned into hostile ones. Water, for example, could be taken only after the “enemy” was scattered with cannon shots, and when some of the inhabitants fled, the Portuguese captured several boats with their property and, by order of Gama, divided it among themselves as war booty.
Path of Vasco da Gama, 1497-1499
On April 1, the flotilla left Mozambique to the north. Not trusting the Arab pilots, Gama seized a small sailing ship off the coast and tortured the old man, his owner, in order to get the information needed for further navigation. A week later, the flotilla approached the port city of Mombasa (4 ° S), where then the powerful sheikh ruled. Himself a major slave trader, he probably felt rivals in the Portuguese, but at first he received foreigners well. The next day, as the ships entered the harbor, the Arabs on board, including both pilots, jumped into a nearby dhow and fled. At night, Gama ordered the torture of two captives captured from Mozambique in order to find out from them about the "conspiracy in Mombasa." They tied their hands and poured a boiling mixture of oil and tar over their naked bodies. The unfortunate, of course, confessed to the "conspiracy", but, since they, of course, could not provide any details, the torture continued. One prisoner with his hands tied escaped from the hands of the executioners, threw himself into the water and drowned. Leaving Mombasa, Gama detained an Arab dhow at sea, plundered it and captured 19 people. On 14 April she anchored in Malindi Harbor (3° S).
Ahmed Ibn Majid and the Arabian Sea
The local sheikh greeted Gama in a friendly way, as he himself was at enmity with Mombasa. He made an alliance with the Portuguese against a common enemy and gave them a reliable old pilot. Ahmed Ibn Majid(hereditary navigator, whose father and grandfather were muallims (Muallim - a captain who knows astronomy and is familiar with the conditions of navigation along the coast, literally a teacher, mentor)) which was supposed to bring them to Southwestern India. With him, the Portuguese left Malindi on April 24. Ibn Majid took a course to the northeast and, taking advantage of the favorable monsoon, brought the ships to India, the coast of which appeared on May 17.
Seeing Indian land, Ibn Majid moved away from the dangerous coast and turned south. Three days later, a high cape appeared, probably Mount Delhi (at 12 ° N). Then the pilot approached the admiral with the words: "Here is the country to which you aspired." By the evening of May 20, 1498, the Portuguese ships, having advanced about 100 km to the south, stopped on the roadstead against the city of Calicut (now Kozhikode).
Portuguese in Calicut
In the morning, the flotilla was visited by officials of the Samorin, the local ruler. Gama sent with them to the shore a criminal who knew little Arabic language. According to the messenger, he was taken to two Arabs, who spoke to him in Italian and Castilian. The first question he was asked was: "Which devil brought you here?" The messenger replied that the Portuguese had come to Calicut "to look for Christians and spices." One of the Arabs escorted the envoy back, congratulated Gama on his arrival and ended with the words: "Thank God that he brought you to such a rich country." The Arab offered his services to Gama and was indeed very useful to him. Arabs, very numerous in Calicut (in their hands was almost all international trade with South India), turned the Samorin against the Portuguese; besides, in Lisbon they did not guess to supply Gama with valuable gifts or gold to bribe the local authorities. After Gama personally delivered letters from the king to Samorin, he and his retinue were detained. They were released only a day later, when the Portuguese unloaded some of their goods ashore. However, in the future, Samorin was quite neutral and did not interfere with trade, but the Muslims did not buy Portuguese goods, pointing to their poor quality, and the poor Indians paid much less than the Portuguese expected to receive. Still managed to buy or receive in exchange cloves, cinnamon and precious stones - a little of everything.
Vasco da Gama brings gifts to the ruler of Calcutta.
Colored beads were brought as gifts, hats with feathers and many other similar things. The ruler did not accept the gifts, and his entourage “laughed as soon as they saw these gifts.” Paolo Novaresio, The Explorers, White Star, Italy, 2002
So more than two months passed. On August 9, Gama sent Samorin gifts (amber, corals, etc.) and said that he was going to leave and asked to send a representative with him with gifts to the king - with bahar (more than two centners) of cinnamon, bahar of cloves and samples of other spices. Samorin demanded that 600 sheraffins (about 1,800 gold rubles) be paid customs duties, but for now he gave the order to detain goods in a warehouse and forbade residents to transport the Portuguese remaining on the shore to ships. However, Indian boats, as before, approached the ships, curious townspeople examined them, and Gama very kindly received guests. One day, having learned that there were noble people among the visitors, he arrested several people and informed the Samorin that he would release them when the Portuguese who remained on the shore and the detained goods were sent to the ships. A week later, after Gama threatened to execute the hostages, the Portuguese were taken to the ships. Gama released some of the arrested, promising to release the rest after the return of all the goods. Zamorin agents hesitated, and on August 29, Gama left Calicut with noble hostages on board.
Return to Lisbon
The ships moved slowly north along the Indian coast due to weak variable winds. September 20, the Portuguese anchored at about. Anjidiv (14 ° 45 "N), where they repaired their ships. During the repair, pirates approached the island, but Gama put them to flight with cannon shots. Leaving Anjidiv in early October, the flotilla tacked or stood motionless for almost three months, until a favorable wind finally blew in. In January 1499, the Portuguese reached Malindi. The sheikh supplied the flotilla with fresh supplies, at the insistence of Gama sent a gift to the king (an elephant tusk) and set up a padran. In the area of Mombasa, Gama burned the San Rafael ": A greatly reduced team, in which many people were sick, was unable to manage three ships. On February 1, he reached Mozambique. It then took seven weeks to go to the Cape of Good Hope and four more to the Cape Verde Islands. Here" San Gabriel parted ways with the Berriu, which, under the command of N. Cuelho, was the first to arrive in Lisbon on July 10, 1499.
Vasca da Gama. Portrait
Paulo da Gama was terminally ill. Vasco, very attached to him (the only human trait of his character), wanted his brother to die in his native land. He passed from Fr. Santiago from the San Gabriel to a fast caravel hired by him and went to the Azores, where Paulo died. After burying him, Vasco arrived in Lisbon by the end of August. Of his four ships, only two returned ( It is not known where and under what conditions the transport ship was abandoned or died, and the fate of its crew has not been clarified) , less than half of the team (according to one version - 55 people) and among them a sailor Joao da Lizboa who took part in the voyage, probably as a navigator. Later, he repeatedly drove Portuguese ships to India and compiled a description of the route, including a description of the coast of Africa - not only large bays and bays, but estuaries, capes, and even individual noticeable points on the coast. This work was surpassed in detail only in the middle of the 19th century. "African pilot" of the British Admiralty.
Gama's expedition was not unprofitable for the crown, despite the loss of two ships: in Calicut, they managed to acquire spices and jewelry in exchange for government goods and personal belongings of sailors, Gama's pirate operations in the Arabian Sea brought considerable income. But, of course, this is not what caused the jubilation in Lisbon among the ruling circles. The expedition found out what enormous benefits direct maritime trade with India could bring for them with the proper economic, political and military organization of the business. The opening of the sea route to India for Europeans was one of the greatest events in the history of world trade. From that moment until the digging of the Suez Canal (1869), the main commerce of Europe with the countries of the Indian Ocean and with China did not go through the Mediterranean Sea, but through the Atlantic Ocean - past the Cape of Good Hope. Portugal, holding in its hands the "key to eastern navigation", became in the 16th century. the strongest maritime power, seized the monopoly of trade with South and East Asia and held it for 90 years - until the defeat of the "Invincible Armada" (1588).
The famous navigator Vasco da Gama is one of the symbols of Portugal and its pride: he was the first to travel by sea from Europe to India. That's what they told us at school in history lessons. In fact, he was a cruel pirate, a cynical intriguer and a rare despot.
The Portuguese had been sending expeditions along the coast of Africa for half a century to go around it and swim to India. In this distant country there were spices that were worth their weight in gold after the Turks blocked the overland trade route from the east. Don Eshtevan himself was preparing for the expedition, but two of his five sons were destined to complete it.
Vasco was a bastard (he was born before his parents married), and this was reflected in his character. The boy knew that he would not receive an inheritance and had to make his own way in life. And reproaches about the origin only hardened him. In 1480, together with his older brother Paulo, also illegitimate, he took the monastic vows. However, only the first step is obedience.
Some biographers call the subsequent period of Vasco's life "12 mysterious years." For some reason, a young man of not very noble family, and even a bastard, becomes known as a "good knight and faithful vassal" of the king. Perhaps as a teenager he took part in one of the wars with Spain, and later fought with the Muslims in Morocco. And yet it is difficult to explain the case when Vasco beat the judge, and King Juan II, who usually does not tolerate lawlessness, forgave him. Maybe really for merit?
Once again, Vasco appeared on the horizon of history in the year of the first expedition of Columbus: in 1492, the king sent him to rob French ships. When da Gama returned to court, everyone was talking about the fact that the Spaniards had laid a western sea route to India. The only thing left for the Portuguese was the “route” around Africa, which Bartolo-meu Dias discovered in 1488. And here comes another mystery. Juan II did not have time to equip a new expedition, and the new king Manuel I did not favor the da Gama family. Nevertheless, it was not Dias who was appointed its head, but the young Vasco. The king ordered Diash to sail only as far as Guinea and become the commandant of the fortress there.
Six decades later, the historian Gaspar Correira naively assured that Manuel I, accidentally seeing Vasco, was fascinated by his appearance. He really had a pleasant appearance, but this is hardly the reason. There is another version: the mathematician, astronomer and part-time court astrologer Abraham Ben Shmuel Zakuto predicted to King Manuel that two brothers would conquer India. It seems that he mentioned the brothers for a reason: presumably, Zakuto taught Vasco at the university in Evora.
But, most likely, Manuel was simply bribed by Vasco's ability to set a goal and go towards it, immense cruelty, but at the same time flexibility, a talent for deception and intrigue. Such a man was capable of conquering India.
On July 8, 1497, three ships left the port of Lisbon. Interestingly, on the way, Vasco used the advice of Dias, despite the fact that he actually sat him down. When they rounded Africa, rebellions began demanding the return. Vasco seized the rebels, tortured, identified the participants in the conspiracy and put everyone in shackles.
As soon as the flotilla reached the trading territory of Arab merchants, the voyage turned into a pirate raid. First of all, Vasks deceived the Sultan Mozambeek, posing as a Muslim. He gave pilots, after which da Gama began mercilessly robbing all passing ships.
Almost a year after sailing, the ships approached the Indian city of Calicut. Its ruler received the Europeans with honors, but soon rightly suspected them of malicious intent and put them under arrest. Vasco and his companions were rescued by local merchants - they hoped that the newcomers would "shorten" the Arab competitors. The ruler eventually even bought the entire cargo, paying with spices. But they did not fill the holds - and da Gama continued to loot.
Once he came across a ship on which there was an admiral from the Goa region, a Spanish Jew. Vasco convinced him - most likely under torture - to help with the attack on his city. On the ship of the admiral, the Portuguese approached the city at night, and he shouted that he had friends with him. "Friends" robbed the court in the port, cutting out everyone who did not have time to escape.
On the way back, the Portuguese were mowed down by hunger and scurvy. On September 18, 1499, only two ships and 55 people returned to Lisbon (Paulo, Vasco's brother, also died). At the same time, the expenses for the expedition paid off 60 (!) times. Vasco was showered with honors: he received the right to the prefix "don" to his name, a pension of a thousand gold pieces and his native city of Sines in fief possession. But it was not enough for him: the brand of a bastard burned pride, he wanted to be a count and nothing else. In the meantime, he married Catarina di Ataidi, a girl from a very noble family.
Soon the expedition of Pedro Cabral left for India, but he lost most of the ships and people in the battles (among them was the disgraced Dias), and brought few goods. As a result, the third expedition to India was again led by Vasco. Undermining the Arab trade in the Indian Ocean was now his main goal, and in order to achieve it, he destroyed everything in his path. So, having captured an Indian ship, he locked the crew and passengers, including women and children, in the hold, and set fire to the ship. When they nevertheless got out onto the deck, he shot them from cannons, and the survivors were finished off in the water. However, he spared two dozen children ... Having captured more than 800 prisoners in Calicut, Vasco ordered them to be tied up, after cutting off their noses, ears and hands, and also knocking out their teeth so that the unfortunate could not untie the ropes with their help. People were loaded onto the ship and also shot from cannons.
All this was too much even for that cruel time. And this is not hatred towards Muslims, but deliberate acts of intimidation, although personal sadism is not excluded. For example, da Gama captured several Indians and wanted to use them as targets for crossbowmen. And then I learned that these people are Christians (probably Indian Nestorians). Then he ordered ... to call a priest so that fellow believers would be confessed before death.
Upon his return, the king raised Vasco's pension, but did not give the coveted county. Then he threatened that, like Columbus, he would leave Portugal. And he immediately received the title of Count Vidigueira ...
Da Gama achieved everything he wanted: he had a title, lands, wealth, six sons - all of them would also sail to India. But the king did not let him live in peace - already Juan III. In India, the Portuguese administration was mired in corruption, and Vasco was sent to restore order there. He set to work with his inherent thoughtful cruelty, but he did not have time to complete the king's task: on December 24, 1524, he suddenly died of malaria.
The body of Vasco da Gama was transported to Portugal and buried in his county, but in the 19th century the crypt was looted. By the 400th anniversary of his first expedition, the ashes were reburied in Lisbon, but it turned out that the bones were not the same. Others were found, reburied again, although there is no certainty about their authenticity. One thing is certain: this cruel, greedy and morbidly ambitious man will remain one of the greatest sailors in the history of the world.
