Bartholomeus diaz
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Working with Vasco da Gama
After his expedition, Dias decided to settle in Guinea in the western part of Africa. Like the Spaniards when they sent Columbus to look for the Indies, the Portuguese hoped to cut out the Italians and the Arab merchants by finding a sea route to the East.
Practically all the Iberian peninsula was conquered by the Moors from North Africa in the 8th century, and it was about 500 years before they were driven out of Portugal.
Just few months after the overland explorers were went out, he decided to sponsor Dias in one African expedition.
Sailing around Africa
In August of 1487, Dias’ trio of ships took off from port of Lisbon in Portugal. Since the Arabs were also of the Moslem faith, it was natural that the Portuguese should hate them too.
Having pushed the Moors out of Portugal, the Portuguese in turn began to invade North Africa, and in 1415 they captured Cuta, a port just across the Straits of Gibraltar.
Portugal later set up trading posts throughout the East and monopolized the spice trade.
Diaz' last voyage
In spite of the 1,260 miles of unknown coast that he had discovered, as well as the sea route to the East, poor Diaz was not rewarded with much. An earthquake followed by a tsunami and uncontrollable fires in 1755 in Lisbon destroyed virtually the entire city.
The ships reached their main goal getting to India in May of 1498. After his death in 1460, King John II continued his work and in 1482 Diogo Cao sailed as far down as 22 south to Cape Cross.
| Bartolomeu Dias | |
|---|---|
| Nobleman | |
| Specialty | Exploration |
| Born | ca. Despite his great achievements, Dias was never given another position of authority. Dias then ordered the ships to turn south at 28 degrees because he had known of the southeasterly winds that helped him around the tip of Africa. These came from the East, and were brought by the Arabs either overland to the Black Sea or the Aegean Sea, or by ship up the Red Sea or Persian Gulf. All the council members agreed that they would let him sail three more days and then turn back. Naming Some ProvincesAt Kwaaihoek (now the Eastern Cape Province), the team planted a padrao on March 12, 1488. Diogo had followed this African coast as far as Cape Cross in Namibia. As an explorer, Dias was in uncharted territory. By December 1487, they reached Golfo da Conceição, present-day Walvis Bay in Namibia. He sailed with the Vasco expedition all the way to the Cape Verde Islands and then went back to Guinea. Dias is thought to have ordered a turn to the south of about 28 degrees, probably because he had prior knowledge of southeasterly winds that would take him around the tip of Africa and keep his ships from being dashed on the notoriously rocky shoreline. This continued until one arrow fired by Dias felled a tribesman. A relative called Joao Diaz had sailed round Cape Bojador in 1434, and another called Diniz Diaz had discovered Cape Verde in 1445. Eventually, the ships turned northward and rounded the Cape of Good Hope, supposedly without actually seeing it. At Kwaaihoek, in present-day Eastern Cape province, they planted a padrão on March 12, 1488, which marked the easternmost point of Portuguese exploration. On the journey back, Dias observed the southernmost point of Africa, later called Cabo das Agulhas, or Cape of Needles. Dias followed the route of 15th-century Portuguese explorer Diogo Cão (c. One of these was the ship that Diaz commanded, and he died, lost at sea off the cape that he himself called the Cape of Storms. |