Helena Bay before continuing on to the Cape of Good Hope, which they sailed around on November 22. The fleet spent the next eight days at St. When da Gama’s ships finally made landfall on November 7, they had been on the open sea for 96 days and had sailed 4,500 miles. To do this da Gama sailed his ships out into the Atlantic Ocean, eventually coming within 600 miles of South America. One significant result was the colonization of Mozambique by the Portuguese Crown.Image source: /thumbnails/a07eaea305f14fe867d401bd92c29d8f8e1c46e47dd35954a4f258e85481af84/vasco-da-gama-source.jpgĭa Gama wanted to avoid the Gulf of Guinea, where Dias had had problems with the weather and currents. For example, Gama's voyage had made it clear that the east coast of Africa, the Contra Costa, was essential to Portuguese interests its ports provided fresh water, provisions, timber, and harbors for repairs, and served as a refuge where ships could wait out unfavorable weather. The spice trade would prove to be a major asset to the Portuguese royal treasury, and other consequences soon followed. His path would be followed up thereafter by yearly Portuguese India Armadas.
Vasco da Gama was justly celebrated for opening a direct sea route to Asia. Nonetheless, the spices brought back on the remaining two ships were sold at an enormous profit to the crown. It had also failed in its principal mission of securing a commercial treaty with Calicut. The expedition had exacted a large cost - one ship and over half the men had been lost. Girolamo Sernigi also wrote three letters describing the first voyage of Vasco da Gama soon after the return of the expedition. King Manuel wrote two letters in which he described Vasco da Gama's first voyage, in July and August 1499, soon after the return of the ships. Despite his melancholic mood, Vasco da Gama was given a hero's welcome, and showered with honors, including a triumphal procession and public festivities. Vasco da Gama eventually took passage on an Azorean caravel and finally arrived in Lisbon on Aug(according to Barros)., or early September (8th or 18th, according to other sources). Vasco da Gama got off at the Azores to bury his brother at the monastery of São Francisco in Angra do Heroismo, and lingered there for a little while in mourning. Vasco da Gama and his sickly brother eventually hitched a ride with a Guinea caravel returning to Portugal, but Paulo da Gama died en route. Gabriel under Sá arrived in Lisbon sometime in late July or early August. Gama elected to stay by his side on Santiago island, and handed the São Gabriel over to his clerk, João de Sá, to take home. In the meantime, back in Cape Verde, Vasco's brother, Paulo da Gama had fallen grievously ill. The Berrio arrived in Lisbon on Jand Nicolau Coelho personally delivered the news to King Manuel I and the royal court, then assembled in Sintra. Reconstructing from other sources, it seems they continued to Cape Verde, where Nicolau Coelho's Berrio separated from Vasco da Gama's São Gabriel, and sailed on by itself. The diary record of the expedition ends abruptly here.
They reached the west African coast by April 25. By early March, they had arrived in Mossel Bay, and crossed the Cape of Good Hope in the opposite direction on March 20. Not having enough crewmen left standing to manage three ships, Vasco da Gama ordered the São Rafael scuttled off the East African coast, and the crew re-distributed to the remaining two ships, the São Gabriel and the Berrio.
Vasco da Gama's fleet finally arrived in Malindi on 7 January 1499, in a terrible shape - approximately half of the crew had died during the crossing, and many of the rest were afflicted with scurvy. On the outgoing journey, sailing with the summer monsoon wind, it had taken Gama's fleet only 23 days to cross the Indian Ocean now, on the return trip, sailing against the wind, it took 132 days. But with the winter monsoon yet to set in, it was a harrowing journey. They finally struck out for their Indian Ocean crossing on 3 October 1498. The fleet initially inched north along the Indian coast, and then anchored in at Anjediva island for a spell. Eager to set sail for home, he ignored the local knowledge of monsoon wind patterns which were still blowing onshore. Vasco da Gama left Calicut on 29 August 1498.
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