Portuguese portraitsBell, Aubrey F. G. (Aubrey Fitz Gerald)
History
Portuguese portraits
Bell, Aubrey F. G. (Aubrey Fitz Gerald)
Portugal -- Biography
The Samuri himself was far more favourably inclined to the new-comers
than were the Moors, who naturally resented the appearance of other
traders. The Portuguese were greatly helped throughout by a Mohammedan
who had learnt Spanish at Tunis, but, although Gama brought home
specimens of pepper, ginger, cloves, musk, benjamin, and other spices
as well as pearls and rubies, his visit to Calicut, which ended with
the high-handed measure of seizing and carrying off several natives,
was unsuccessful, since it resulted in no treaty of friendship or
commerce.
At the end of August they started on the homeward voyage, but remained
for some time off the coast of India, and in the Indian Ocean lay
becalmed for many days, during which the crew again suffered terribly
from scurvy, a considerable number dying. The remnant of the crews
struggled on in their three ships towards Portugal; at Cabo Verde,
Coelho separated from the others and carried the news to King Manoel
(July 1499). Paulo da Gama was worn out by anxiety and exertions, and
Vasco sailed with him north-west to the Azores, where, in the island of
Terceira, Paulo died. It was not till the end of the summer that Vasco
da Gama reached the Tagus.
It is said--although Coelho’s earlier arrival contradicts the
story--that a Terceira trader, Arthur Rodriguez, about to sail from his
island to Algarve, saw two ships at anchor and asked whence they were.
“From India,” came the answer. At these magic words he set sail, not,
however, to Algarve, but due East, and in four days cast anchor in the
harbour of Cascaes. The King was at Sintra, and had just sat down to
supper when Rodriguez hurried in with the good news.
When the few survivors[7] arrived at Lisbon (September 1499) they
were given a splendid reception, and Vasco da Gama was never able
to complain that his services went unrewarded. He was granted the
coveted title of Dom, and became hereditary Admiral of India, while
his pensions (300,000 réis a year) and facilities of trade with India
made him one of the richest men in the realm. So powerful did he become
in Sines that the Order of Santiago interfered, with the result that
Gama was obliged to leave his native town and in 1507 went to live at
Evora.[8] In November 1519 the Duke James of Braganza sold him the town
of Vidigueira, of which Gama became first Count.
A large part of his triumph belonged to Prince Henry, to King João II,
and to Bartholomeu Diaz, who was drowned in the following year off the
Cape which he had been the first to round.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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