How Did Vasco Da Gama Discover the Cape of Good Hope?
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Before the Voyage
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In the summer of 1497, the king of Portugal, King Manuel the Fortunate, summoned Vasco da Gama and asked him to lead an expedition around the Cape of Good Hope on the southern tip of Africa to Calicut, which was the center for treasures on the west coast of India. Four ships set sail for a three-year journey with about 170 men. Each ship was equipped with weapons. Javelins, spears, pikes and crossbows were on board the ships. Calicut was ruled by Hindus, but its trade was ruled by Arabs who didn't like Christians.
The Voyage
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In June 1497, the four ships finally set sail to people cheering and trumpets blowing. They planned to show the world what treasures were to be found in India. Da Gama was not the first to sail around the Cape of Good Hope. Bartholomew Diaz had already made the trip. Da Gama knew that coastal storms would be a problem around the coast of Africa, so he swung way out into the open sea, toward Brazil, to avoid them. He had no intention of creeping down the coast of Africa. First he landed in the Cape Verde islands, where the crew took on water and fresh supplies, and then he set out across the south Atlantic and then back toward Africa, where he settled just north of the Cape of Good Hope. After a few days, the men set out to sea again. On Nov. 18, 1497, they saw the bluff outlines of the Cape of Good Hope. Although this was a long way to reach the Cape of Good Hope, it became the regular course for the Portuguese ships to follow to the Indies. When da Gama reached the Cape of Good Hope, it took four days before he could actually round the stormy cape.
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Calicut, India
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On May 20, 1498, da Gama and his crew saw the mountains rising behind the town of Calicut. They had reached the goal they had been seeking for nearly a year. They had found a sea route to the Indies by which they could bring home to Portugal the great riches of the East.
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