Category Voyages

               Scholars had always been very sceptical about the reality of Amerigo Vespucci’s first voyage, which is said to have taken place in 1499. An account of Vespucci’s initial expedition to the American continent was published in 1504. However, scholars considered this account a forgery.

               In 1499, Vespucci joined an expedition in the service of Spain. Alonso de Ojeda was the fleet commander. Their intention was to sail around the southern end of the African mainland into the Indian Ocean. The two took different routes from the coast of what is now Guyana.

               Vespucci sailed southwards, discovering the mouth of the Amazon River. From there, he took a turn, and sailed through Orinoco River, and then made for Haiti. Vespucci thought he had sailed along the coast of the extreme easterly peninsula of Asia. Vespucci called the tip of this peninsula Cape of Cattigara.

               Vespucci is often credited with many findings. He determined the longitude celestially on August 23rd, 1499, while on this voyage.

 

               Amerigo Vespucci was born on 9th March 1454, in Italy. America was named after Vespucci, as he played a prominent role in exploring this land. He voyaged from Spain around the late 15th century.

               By this time, the Vikings had established settlements in present day North America as early as 1000 AD, and Columbus had already discovered several Caribbean and Central American islands.

               However, Vespucci was the first navigator to establish that Brazil and the West Indies were not parts of Asia as claimed by Columbus, and many others. He found that those places constituted an entirely separate landmass, which was unknown to the Europeans. Vespucci had chronicled two accounts of his journey. He became popular all over Europe after the publication of his accounts between 1502 and 1505.

               Amerigo Vespucci was a pioneer of Atlantic exploration, and was a great contributor to travel literature. The name of Vespucci is often remembered with the name of the American continents. 

            Sebastian Cabot, son of John Cabot, was a navigator, explorer and cartographer. He had served both the English and Spanish crowns. There are no official documents to prove Sebastian’s voyages. However, it is said that in 1508, Cabot led an expedition to find a North-West Passage through North America.

            He had supposedly narrated stories about encountering fields of icebergs, and reported an open passage of water. Some historians suggest that he might have reached Hudson Bay, but could not find the North-West Passage.

            After two decades, he set out on another voyage, intending to circumnavigate the world. However, he changed his plan later, as he was lured to finding silver in Argentina.

            He built two forts during his journey. Later, Sebastian claimed that the discoveries said to be made by his father were in fact made by him. Historians have denounced him as an unreliable source of information.

 

 

 

                After returning from his expedition, in late 1497, Cabot sought permission from King Henry VII to set out on a second voyage across the North Atlantic.

               His intention was to continue sailing westwards from Newfoundland, until he reached the island of Cipangu in Japan. In February 1498, the king ordered Cabot to command the fleet. Thus John Cabot departed in May 1498.

               In July, one of his ships was caught in a fatal storm and got damaged. This disaster, and later the demise of John Cabot, had not left any proof for clarification. However, it was believed that in 1499, Cabot himself perished at sea.

               Even though the second voyage ended in misery, Cabot’s discovery of North America helped England to establish trade across the North Atlantic.

               In addition to contributing to the plan for British land claims in the North American continent, his findings helped in establishing other British colonies there.

               His expeditions also proved the existence of a shorter route across the northern Atlantic Ocean.

 

            John Cabot was a Venetian navigator and explorer, who lived in England. He got a commission from King Henry VII to make an expedition to North America. It was the first European encounter with the North American continent since Leif Eriksson and the Vikings explored the area they called ‘Vinland’ in the 11th century.

            John Cabot was skilled in navigational techniques, and he seemed to have been inspired by Christopher Columbus. He researched the possibility of reaching Asia by sailing westward.

            In 1496, the king granted permission to John Cabot to set out on an expedition of discovery and to open up more trading posts.

            Cabot sailed out of Bristol on a small ship, but had to return soon.

            Later, in May 1497, he set out on another voyage. The expedition made landfall in the Newfoundland. He took possession of the land for the English King.

            When Cabot arrived back to Bristol, he received a hearty welcome. On that occasion, Cabot announced his plan to set out on another voyage to Newfoundland, and to Japan which was regarded as the haven of spices. 

 

               The fleet arrived at Kappad near Calicut, India, on 20th May 1498. They were welcomed with traditional hospitality by the King of Calicut, the Zamorin. The presents that Gama brought for the king were four cloaks of scarlet cloth, six hats, four branches of corals, seven brass vessels, two barrels of oil, and a cask of honey. These gifts failed to impress the rich Zamorin.

               The king turned down Vasco da Gama’s request to leave a small group of his crew behind him in charge of the product he could not sell. King insisted that Gama pay customs duty like any other trader. Gama was totally annoyed by this response. His fleet left Calicut on 29th August 1498. He reached Lisbon on September 9th 1499. Gama’s expedition was successful, because it brought in cargoes worth sixty times the cost of the expedition.