"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎٢] (١٧٨٢/١٤٥)

2
Progresiive
dUcoveries
of the Portu
guese,leading
tn the estab
lishment of
the Cape
route to
India in
1498,
Dom Pedro's
Miision,
1416.
Expeditions
»nd Missions
of De Diaz,
Rabbi
Abraham,
and de Covil-
hao, 1486-87.
Da Gama's
voyage by the
('ape to
India, 1497-
99.
The eves of the Portuguese were early turned towards the East. It
mlv even have been hy Dom Henn^ue (1394-I46(;) known ae ■'The
Navigator" whose blood was half English, that the idea of reaching
India by circumnavigating Africa was first formed; hif, if so.itremaioed
sterile until after liis deatli.
Tn 14-10, befort- the traditional overland routts to the East ^ ^ ePn
blocked by Turkish conquests, Dom Pedro, another half English so " of
Pom Joao I of Portugal, brother of Dom Herrique, proceeded " to the
Court of the Grand Turk, and to that of the Grand Sultan of Babvloni;.)
wliere he met with a magnificent reception.
It was only under Dom Afi'onso \ (1443-81) and Dom JoSo II
(1481-95), however, that the Portuguese began to push successfully
southwards and eastwards. Dom Joao II vas anxious to contract an
alliam e with " Prester John/'a Christian potentate in the East whose
existence was by some deemed fabulous, ir reality the ruler of Abys
sinia, a land as yet unknown to Europems ; it was his pious desire to
extend the bounds of Christendom; and it wis no less his ambition to open
a new commercial highway to India and t o discover the lands whence
were brought pepper, cinnamon, and otaer spices. With these objects
in view the King of Portugal sent abroad various expeditions and
M issions. In 1486 Bartholomeu de Diaz rounded the Cape of Good
Ho|je, but without becoming aware that he had turned the southern point
of Africa. In 1487 Joao Peres de Covilhao and Affonso de Paiva set
forth in search of the spice countries Parting from his companion at
Aden, Covilhao found his way to Cannanore, Calicut, Goa, Hornuiz
in the Persian Gulf, Zaila, and Safali ; ultimately he returned so far
westwards as Cairo. At Cairo he fell in with Rabbi Abraham of Beja,
who under Portuguese Royal patronage, had lately travelled to Baghdad
and Persia with Joseph of Lamego atd had reported on the island of
Hormuz. Covilhao and the Rabbi thin re-visited Hormuz in company,
alter which Covilhao came again to Aden ; ultimately having found
Prester John ; in Abyssinia, he settled permanently in that country.
At last in August 1498 ^ asco da Gamawhohad sailed from Portugal
in 149/, reached India via the Cape. His cruise, one of the most momen
tous in history, ended at Lisbon in September 1499. Its almost instan
taneous result was a revolution in the trade of Europe and a great acces
sion of importance to Portugal, whose Kings thenceforth described them*
selves as " Lords of the Conquest, Navigation and Commerce of India,
Ethiopia, Arabia, and Persia/'—a style presently confirmed by the Pope.