THE DISCOVERERS
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This is a digitised version of an article from The Cayman Compass's print archive. Occasionally, the digitisation process introduces transcription errors, or other problems.
See the article in its original context from November 1971.
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Vasco Da Gama, the Portuguese navigator was the first man to sail to India. India had been discovered earlier by Marco Polo but he had travelled overland from Europe.
This journey was very slow and dangerous so the kings of both Spain and Portugal urged their sailors to find a sea route to the Orient. To get to India the sailors had to sail south down the coast of Africa around the southern tip of that huge continent, and then north eastwards across the Indian Ocean. In 1487 Bartholemew Diaz returned from a sea voyage on which he was hoping to sail to India. Although he did not reach India he had got nearer than anyone had before. He managed to round the Cape Horn (the tip of Africa) but because of excessively turbulent seas he had turned back. After this King John of Portugal was determined to take explorations further. In 1497 Vasco Da Gama left Lisbon with 4 ships and 160 men. After 4 months at sea he reached St. Helena Bay, early the next year he landed at Melinde, which is on the east coast of Africa, there he found a skilled Indian pilot who steered the ships across the troublesome Ocean. On May 23rd 1498 he sailed into Calicut, India. The ruler or Zamorin was at first only suspicious, later he became jealous and Da Gama left the harbour fighting for his life.
Immediately Da Gama arrived back in Spain in 1499 he was made noble for his courageous work, and thirteen ships were sent to establish Portuguese settlements in India. In 1503 20 ships left Portugal and founded colonies of Mozambique and Sofala. Vasco Da Gama was made viceroy of India in 1524 but he died the following year in Cochin India.
