VASCO DA GAMA REACHES INDIA
Thus the name of America was gradually adopted for the New World, though
the honour and glory of its first discovery must always belong to
Christopher Columbus.
But while all this wonderful development westwards was thrilling the
minds of men, other great discoveries were being made to the East,
whither the eyes of the Portuguese were still straining. Portugal had
lost Columbus; she could lay no claim to the shores of America
discovered by Spaniards, but the sea-route to India by the East was
yet to be found by one of her explorers, Vasco da Gama. His achievement
stands out brilliantly at this time; for, within a few years of the
discovery of the New World, he had been able to tell the world that
India and the East could be reached by the Cape of Good Hope!
The dream of Prince Henry the Navigator was fulfilled!
How Vasco da Gama was chosen for the great command has been graphically
described by a Portuguese historian, whose words are received with
caution by modern authorities. The King of Portugal--Dom
Manuel--having set his kingdom in order, "being inspired by the Lord,
took the resolution to inform himself about the affairs of India."
He knew that the province of India was very far away, inhabited by
dark people who had great riches and merchandise, and there was much
risk in crossing the wide seas and land to reach it. But he felt it
a sacred duty to try and reach it. He ordered ships to be built according
to a design of Bartholomew Diaz, the Hero of the Cape, "low amidships,
with high castles towering fore and aft; they rode the water like
ducks." The ships ready, the King prayed the Lord "to show him the
man whom it would please Him to send upon this voyage." Days passed.
One day the King was sitting in his hall with his officers when he
raised his eyes and saw a gentleman of his household crossing the hall.
It suddenly occurred to the King that this was the man for his command,
and, calling Vasco da Gama, he offered him the command at once. He
was courageous, resolute, and firm of purpose. On his knees he accepted
the great honour. A silken banner blazing with the Cross of the Order
of Christ was bestowed upon him; he chose the _S. Gabriel_ for his
flagship, appointed his brother to the _S. Raphael_, and prepared for
his departure. Books and charts were supplied, Ptolemy's geography
was on board, as well as the _Book of Marco Polo_. All being ready,
Vasco da Gama and his captains spent the night in the little chapel
by the sea at Belem, built for the mariners of Henry the Navigator.
Next morning--it was July--they walked in solemn procession to the
shore, lighted candles in their hands, priests chanting a solemn
litany as they walked. The beach was crowded with people. Under the
blazing summer sun they knelt once more before taking leave of the
weeping multitudes. Listen to the Portuguese poet, Camoens, who makes
Vasco da Gama the hero of his "Lusiad"--
"The neighbouring mountains murmur'd back the sound,
As if to pity moved for human woe;
Uncounted as the grains of golden sand,
The tears of thousands fell on Belem's strand."
So the Portuguese embarked, weighed anchor, and unfurled the sails
that bore the red cross of the Order of Christ. The four little ships
started on what was to be the longest and most momentous voyage on
record, while crowds stood on the shore straining their eyes till the
fleet, under full sail, vanished from their sight.
[Illustration: VASCO DA GAMA. From a contemporary portrait.]
After passing Cape Verde, in order to escape the currents of the Gulf
of Guinea, Vasco da Gama steered south-west into an unknown part of
the South Atlantic. He did not know that at one time he was within
six hundred miles of the coast of South America. Day after day, week
after week passed in dreary monotony as they sailed the wide ocean
that surrounds St. Helena, "a lonely, dreary waste of seas and
boundless sky." Everything ends at last, and, having spent ninety-six
days out of sight of land and sailed some four thousand five hundred
miles, they drifted on to the south-west coast of Africa. It was a
record voyage, for even Columbus had only been two thousand six hundred
miles without seeing land. November found them in a broad bay, "and,"
says the old log of the voyage, "we named it St. Helena," which name
it still retains. After a skirmish with some tawny-coloured Hottentots
the explorers sailed on, putting "their trust in the Lord to double
the Cape."
But the sea was all broken with storm, high rolled the waves, and so
short were the days that darkness prevailed. The crews grew sick with
fear and hardship, and all clamoured to put back to Portugal.
With angry words Vasco da Gama bade them be silent, though "he well
saw how much reason they had at every moment to despair of their lives";
the ships were now letting in much water, and cold rains soaked them
all to the skin.
"All cried out to God for mercy upon their souls, for now they no longer
took heed of their lives." At last the storm ceased, the seas grew
calm, and they knew that, without seeing it, they had doubled the
dreaded Cape, "on which great joy fell upon them and they gave great
praise to the Lord."
But their troubles were not yet over. The sea was still very rough,
"for the winter of that country was setting in," and even the pilot
suggested turning back to take refuge for a time. When Vasco da Gama
heard of turning backward he cried that they should not speak such
words, because as he was going out of the bar of Lisbon he had promised
God in his heart not to turn back a single span's breadth of the way,
and he would throw into the sea whosoever spoke such things. None could
withstand such an iron will, and they struggled on to Mossel Bay,
already discovered by Diaz. Here they landed "and bought a fat ox for
three bracelets. This ox we dined off on Sunday; we found him very
fat, and his meat nearly as toothsome as the beef of Portugal"--a
pleasant meal, indeed, after three months of salted food. Here, too,
they found "penguins as large as ducks, which had no feathers on their
wings and which bray like asses."
But there was no time to linger here. They sailed onwards till they
had passed and left behind the last pillar erected by Diaz, near the
mouth of the Great Fish River. All was new now. No European had sailed
these seas, no European had passed this part of the African coast.
On Christmas Day they found land to which, in commemoration of Christ's
Nativity, they gave the name of Natal. Passing Delagoa Bay and Sofala
without sighting them, Vasco da Gama at last reached the mouth of a
broad river, now known as Quilimane River, but called by the weary
mariners the River of Mercy or Good Tokens. Here they spent a month
cleaning and repairing, and here for the first time in the history
of discovery the fell disease of scurvy broke out. The hands and feet
of the men swelled, their gums grew over their teeth, which fell out
so that they could not eat. This proved to be one of the scourges of
early navigation--the result of too much salted food on the high seas,
and no cure was found till the days of Captain Cook. Arrived at
Mozambique--a low-lying coral island--they found no less than four
ocean-going ships belonging to Arab traders laden with gold, silver,
cloves, pepper, ginger, rubies, and pearls from the East.
[Illustration: AFRICA AS IT WAS KNOWN AFTER DA GAMA'S EXPEDITIONS.
From Juan de la Cosa's map of 1500.]
There were rumours, too, of a land belonging to Prester John where
precious stones and spices were so plentiful that they could be
collected in baskets. His land could only be reached by camels. "This
information rendered us so happy that we cried with joy, and prayed
God to grant us health that we might behold what we so desired," relates
the faithful journal. But difficulties and delays prevented their
reaching the ever-mythical land of Prester John. Their next
landing-place was Mombasa. Here they were nearly killed by some
treacherous Mohammedans, who hated these "dogs of Christians" as they
called them. And the Portuguese were glad to sail on to Melindi, where
the tall, whitewashed houses standing round the bay, with their
coco-palms, maize fields, and hop gardens, reminded them of one of
their own cities on the Tagus. Here all was friendly. The King of
Melindi sent three sheep and free leave for the strangers to enter
the port. Vasco, in return, sent the King a cassock, two strings of
coral, three washhand basins, a hat, and some bells. Whereupon the
King, splendidly dressed in a damask robe with green satin and an
embroidered turban, allowed himself to be rowed out to the flagship.
He was protected from the sun by a crimson satin umbrella.
Nine days were pleasantly passed in the port at Melindi, and then,
with a Christian pilot provided by the King, the most thrilling part
of the voyage began with a start across the Arabian Gulf to the west
coast of India. For twenty-three days the ships sailed to the
north-east, with no land visible. Suddenly the dim outline of land
was sighted and the whole crew rushed on deck to catch the first glimpse
of the unknown coast of India. They had just discerned the outline
of lofty mountains, when a thunderstorm burst over the land and a
downpour of heavy rain blotted out the view.
[Illustration: CALICUT AND THE SOUTHERN INDIAN COAST. From Juan de
la Cosa's map, 1500.]
At last on 21st May--nearly eleven months after the start from
Portugal--the little Portuguese ships anchored off Calicut.
"What has brought you hither?" cried the natives, probably surprised
at their foreign dress; "and what seek ye so far from home?"
"We are in search of Christians and spice," was the ready answer.
"A lucky venture. Plenty of emeralds. You owe great thanks to God for
having brought you to a country holding such riches," was the
Mohammedan answer.
"The city of Calicut," runs the diary, "is inhabited by Christians.
They are of a tawny complexion. Some of them have big beards and long
hair, whilst others clip their hair short as a sign that they are
Christians. They also wear moustaches."
Within the town, merchants lived in wooden houses thatched with palm
leaves. It must have been a quaint sight to see Vasco da Gama,
accompanied by thirteen of his Portuguese, waving the flag of their
country, carried shoulder high through the densely crowded streets
of Calicut on his way to the chief temple and on to the palace of the
King. Roofs and windows were thronged with eager spectators anxious
to see these Europeans from so far a country. Many a scuffle took place
outside the palace gates; knives were brandished, and men were injured
before the successful explorer reached the King of Calicut. The royal
audience took place just before sunset on 28th May 1498. The King lay
on a couch covered with green velvet under a gilt canopy, while Vasco
da Gama related an account of Portugal and his King, the "lord of many
countries and the possessor of great wealth exceeding that of any King
of these parts, adding that for sixty years the Portuguese had been
trying to find the sea-route to India. The King gave leave for the
foreigners to barter their goods, but the Indians scoffed at their
offer of hats, scarlet hoods, coral, sugar, and oil.
"That which I ask of you is gold, silver, corals, and scarlet cloth,"
said the King, "for my country is rich in cinnamon, cloves, ginger,
pepper, and precious stones."
Vasco da Gama left India with a scant supply of Christians and spices,
but with his great news he now hurried back to Portugal. What if he
had lost his brother Paul and over one hundred of his men after his
two years' absence, he had discovered the ocean-route to India--a
discovery more far-reaching than he had any idea of at this time.
"And the King," relates the old historian, "overjoyed at his coming,
sent a Nobleman and several Gentlemen to bring him to Court; where,
being arrived through Crowds of Spectators, he was received with
extraordinary honour. For this Glorious Price of Service, the
Privilege of being called Don was annexed to his Family: To his Arms
was added Part of the King's. He had a Pension of three thousand Ducats
yearly, and he was afterwards presented to greater Honours for his
Services in the Indies, where he will soon appear again."