United States or Cambodia ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Vasco da Gama, took this as a proof that he was now approaching those Indian lands, which had been so long and so eagerly sought. Unhappily the first symptoms of scurvy appeared at this time amongst the crews, and soon there were many sailors upon the sick list.
Morales first passed by the country of Chiapes, called Chiapeios, and of Tumaco, those two caciques along the South Sea who were friends of Vasco. He and his men were received magnificently as friends, and a fleet was equipped for attacking the island.
The slaves whom the southern caciques had lent them, carried their gold-mining tools. The day of the Nativity of Our Lord was given to rest, but the following day, the Feast of the Protomartyr St. Stephen, Vasco led some miners to a hill near Tumanama's residence because he thought from the colour of the earth that it contained gold.
Vasco da Gama replied that he was the servant of the greatest Christian king in the world, who had sent a fleet of fifty ships out to these seas to obtain cargoes of pepper and drugs, in exchange for the rich merchandise of gold and silver which they had brought, and that the Portuguese were anxious to establish a lasting peace with the King and people of the country at which they had arrived.
On this Vasco da Gama again swore by the life of the King, that from that spot he would not turn back a span's breadth until they had obtained the information they had come to seek. The sailors shouted that they were many, and that they feared death, though their captain took no account of it.
The great maritime discoveries at the close of the fifteenth century had enured quite as much to the benefit of the Flemings and Hollanders as to that of the Spaniards and Portuguese, to whom they were originally due. Antwerp and subsequently Amsterdam had thriven on the great revolution of the Indian trade which Vasco de Gama's voyage around the Cape had effected.
Early voyages of Portuguese to coast of Africa Prince Henry of Portugal Cape Bojador discovered Madeira visited by Gonzales Dom Joao the Second Bartholomew Diaz discovers Cape of Storms, called by the King Cape of Good Hope Envoys sent to Prester John King Manuel fits out a squadron Appoints Vasco da Gama to command them Paulo da Gama Nicholas Coelho Grand ceremony at leave-taking Squadron sails Meet at Cape de Verde Islands Enter a bay on African coast Intercourse with natives Veloso nearly caught by them Ships stand off the land Terror of the crews Wish to return Da Gama refuses The Cape of Good Hope doubled Ships stand along south coast of Africa No natives seen A tremendous gale Clamours to return Mutiny suppressed by a device of Coelho's Da Gama puts his pilots in irons.
It was the sacred thirst of gold that carried Ovieda, Nicuessa, and Vasco Nugnes de Balboa, to the Isthmus of Darien; that carried Cortes to Mexico, Almagro and Pizarro to Chili and Peru.
The names of the other captains, so far as have come to my knowledge, were Nicholas Coello, Don Luis Continho, Simon de Myseranda, Simon Leyton, Bartholomew Diaz, who discovered the Cape of Good Hope, and his brother Diego Diaz, who had been purser to Vasco do Gama in the former voyage. Of the caravels, Pedro de Tayde and Vasco de Silviera, were captains.
But enough of this digression, and let us resume our subject. Influenced by the advice of the caciques Chiapes and Tumaco, Vasco Nuñez decided to postpone his visit to the island until spring or summer, at which time Chiapes offered to accompany him. Meanwhile he understood the caciques had nets near the coasts where they fished for pearl oysters.
Word Of The Day