The Journey to India(Da Gama)
The fleet sailed out of the Tagus on the 8 July 1497. Joćo de Barros, a XVI century Portuguese historian, refers to the event as follows: "The day before the vessels were set in Restelo, an ancient place of anchorage, Gama and the other captains had a vigil at Our Lady of Bethlehem's Chapel, located in this place of Restelo, which in those times was a hermitage founded by Prince Henry [The Navigator] where some friars of the Order of Christ would still live to give sacraments to the sailors. Next day, Saturday the 8 July 1497, was dedicated to Our Lady and there were many pilgrimages and therefore many people came to say good bye to those who were embarking. And when Vasco da Gama was about to embark, the friars and some Priests who were there to celebrate mass, had a large procession organised, which they led with him, each one holding his torch and the rest of the people of the city after them, answering the litany the Priests were singing; and then they were led to the ships in which they would be embarked (...).
In such act, so many tears were taken on this day by that beach, and on the occasion of the departure of other fleets that each year would repeat Vasco da Gama's route, that it could properly be called the Tears Beach for those who would leave and Pleasant Land for those who would come back".
Four ships were sent , and amongst them were the Berrio, the Saint Gabriel, and the Saint Raphael. There were about 170 men who comprised the crew . Da Gama departed from Lisbon, Portugal on July 8, 1497 .His fleet ventured around the Cape of Good Hope on November 22. He later docked at the trading centers now known as Mocambique , Mozambique, Mombasa and Malindi, Kenya . There they came in conflict with the Arab traders who despised the Portugese.They tried to sieze their ships but his crew was assisted by the people of Malindi who agreed to guide the ships towards India and on 20th May , 1498, Vasco Da Gama reached Calicut, India.
The Return Voyage
In August 1498, Da Gama sailed for home. Many sailors died of disease and only 55 survived. He arrived in Lisbon in September 1499. King Manuel rewarded him and gave him the title of Admiral of the Sea of India. He died in 1524. The broad horizon of information provided by the Discoveries was responsible for showing Europe the truth about the ways of life of the Africans and Asiatic Indians. This horizon of information brought about a revolution in contemporary ways of living, not only through the knowledge it revealed, but also through the exchanges it produced, which can be noticed in many different areas and with consequences that nowadays are part of the world patrimony.
Biography................Vasco Da Gama
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