18 EARLY EAST AFRICA 



was his mission to discover. He now wandered 

 away through Ormuz to Abyssinia, where it is said 

 he was detained by force, but being a person of 

 philosophical temperament he promptly married a 

 lady of the country, and ended his days in affluent 

 circumstances. 



The news of the discovery of the African conti- 

 nent's southern extremity was received on the 

 return of Dias with the utmost enthusiasm, and 

 only the death of King Joao in 1495 interrupted 

 the immediate fitting out of a further squadron. 

 Luckily the Duke of Beja, who now ascended the 

 throne as King Manuel I., was to the full as keen 

 as his distinguished predecessors to prosecute at all 

 hazards the important projects which they had so 

 successfully initiated. In 1494, therefore, at con- 

 siderable cost and with much difficulty, a small 

 fleet of four vessels was specially built for the pur- 

 pose, under the superintendence of Dias. On their 

 completion, the supreme command was not at once 

 given to Vasco da Gama, but to Paulo, his elder 

 brother. He, however, declined it, and nominated 

 Vasco, then unmarried, and, as we learn, a harsh, 

 stern, passionate individual not yet forty years of 

 age. On July 8, 1497, therefore, the four vessels, 

 consisting of the Sao Gabriel, the Sao Rafael 

 (names still perpetuated in the Portuguese Navy), 

 the Bertio, and a store ship, hoisted sail and 

 stood down the Tagus on their great quest. These 

 four vessels are said to have had on board some 170 

 men, amongst whom a number of criminals were 

 included for the purpose of being landed in 

 dangerous and doubtful places to obtain informa- 



