CHAPTER I.
Dom John of Portugal prosecutes his researches for India—Expedition
under Vasco de Gama, 1497—Description of the ships—The expedition
sails 9th July, 1497—Doubles the Cape of Good Hope, 25th
Nov.—Sights land at Natal, 25th Dec., 1498—Meets the first native
vessel and obtains information about India—Arrives at Mozambique,
10th March—Departs for Quiloa, 8th April—Arrives at Melinde,
29th April—Sails for Calicut, 6th August—Reaches the shores of
India, 26th August—Arrives at Calicut—Vasco de Gama disembarks
and concludes a treaty with the king—His treachery—Leaves Calicut
for Cananore—Enters into friendly relations and leaves Cananore,
20th Nov.—Reaches Melinde, 8th Jan., 1499—Obtains pilots and sails
for Europe, 20th Jan.—Doubles the Cape of Good Hope—Death of
Paul de Gama—The expedition reaches the Tagus, 18th Sept., 1499—Great
rejoicings at Lisbon—Arrangements made for further expeditions—Departure
of the second expedition, 25th March, 1502—Reaches Mozambique
and Quiloa, where De Gama makes known his power, and
threatens to capture the city—His unjust demands—Arrives at Melinde—Departs,
18th Aug., 1502—Encounter with the Moors—Levies
tribute, and sails for Cananore—Disgraceful destruction of a Calicut
ship, and massacre of her crew—De Gama's arrangements with the
king of Cananore—Departure for Calicut—Bombards the city—Horrible
cruelties—Arrives at Cochym 7th Nov., where he loads, and at
Coulam—Opens a factory at Coulam—Calicut declares war against
Dom Gama—Success of the Portuguese—Desecration of the Indian
vessels, and further atrocities—Completes his factory and fortifications
at Cananore, and sails for Lisbon, where he arrives, 1st Sept.,
1503—De Gama arrives in India for the third time, 11th Sept., 1524—His
death, 24th Dec., 1524—His character as compared with that of
Columbus—Discovery of the Pacific by Vasco Nuñez de Bilboa—Voyage
of Magellan.
While the Spaniards under Columbus were prosecuting their researches for India among the islands
