298 THE SEA. 



he bad done. From Seville his remains were taken, in 1536, to San Domingo; and at 

 length, on the cession of that island to the French in 1795, were removed to Cuba, where 

 they were finally allowed to repose in peace in the cathedral church of Havana. 



While the Spaniards were prosecuting enterprises of great importance in and about the 

 New World, the Portuguese were well employed in pushing their way towards the Orient by a 

 sea route. The aims of both were practically the same. Each Avished to find a shorter route 

 to that fabled Cathay, the land of gold, and pearls, and spice, and silk. The celebrated 

 voyages of Vasco da Gama deserve a full share of notice. 



The first expedition of Da Gama consisted of three moderate-sized vessels. On the 

 Sunday selected for offering prayers for the success of the expedition, Dom John, with his 

 nobles and court, assembled in the beautiful cathedral, which is still so great an ornament to 

 the banks of the Tagus, and at the conclusion of mass the king stood before the curtain where 

 Vasco and Paulo da Gama placed themselves with the captains of their expedition, on bended 

 knees, and devoutly prayed that they might have strength of mind and body to carry out the 

 wishes of the king to increase the power and greatness of his dominion, and be the means of 

 spreading the Christian religion. W T ith these excellent professions, and amid very general 

 demonstrations of popular interest, Da Gama set sail on July 5th, 1497. Proceeding for the 

 Cape of Good Hope, Da Gama ventured boldly from the gulf of Guinea, and made a direct 

 course to the Cape, and sailed for three months August, September, and October without 

 sighting land. At last, on November 4th, they got sight of land in the forenoon, and were so 

 rejoiced, that the ships were decorated with flags, and the captains and crews put on their best 

 array, no doubt anxious to come to anchor somewhere, and land. It was some days, however, 

 before they could do so, at a point believed to have been near the present St. Elena Bay. Da 

 Gama with the other captains went ashore to endeavour to learn from the natives the distance 

 to the Cape of Good Hope. 



Leaving St. Elena they encountered heavy gales, during which Da Gama proved the 

 possession of great courage and resolution. The waves ran mountains high, and the little 

 vessels seemed in peril of being engulfed every minute. The wind was piercingly cold, and 

 so boisterous that the commands of the pilot could seldom be heard amid the din of the 

 elements. The sailors exhausted by fatigue and abandoned to despair, surrounded Da Gama, 

 entreating him not to devote himself and them to inevitable destruction. But he resolved to 

 proceed ; and, at length, on Wednesday, the 20th November, all the squadron safely passed 

 round the Cape, and on the 25th had sighted land beyond the furthest point reached by Diaz. 



At Mozambique, Vasco da Gama sent a Moor ashore with presents to the Sheikh, who 

 tried to act treacherously towards him, by stealing his merchandise. Nor did he fare much 

 better at Quiloa, where the king endeavoured, by means of false pilots, to run Da Gama's ships 

 on the shoals at the entrance of the port. But at Melinde they were received with full 

 honours, and large supplies of provisions were sent on board. The king visited the ships, and 

 was received with royal hospitality. The expedition sailed on August 6th, the long delay 

 being caused by the monsoons. After a passage of about twenty days they first sighted 

 the high land of India off the coast of Cananore. The news of the arrival spread with 

 great rapidity, and the natives were alarmed, for had they not the legend " that the whole 

 of India would be taken and ruled over by a distant king, who had white people, who 



