History can be unfair to outstanding people. Brave travelers, politicians, warriors, inventors sometimes leave behind so little information that there is no way to form any reliable idea about their life, character, dreams, not to mention the fact that often the date of birth itself is not recorded anywhere. ..

They were named after the Apostle Bartholomew, the patron saint of merchants, butchers, tailors and winegrowers. The name Bartholomew simply sounds like Bartolomeu in Portuguese. The name is very common in the homeland of the future navigator. The surname Dias also cannot be called rare. Among the Dias there are many famous navigators who made many sea voyages for the glory of the Portuguese crown. And here is information about the discoverer sea ​​route you have to extract bits and pieces from many documents. It still remains perhaps the biggest mystery for researchers.

Brief biography of Bartolomeo Dias

When was Bartolomeo Dias born? no one knows. The year of his birth is considered to be 1450 for one reason only: there is a record of admission to study at the University of Lisbon by Bartolomeo Dias, dated 1466. And 16 years was the usual age for starting to study university wisdom at that time. But much older people studied at the university. Let's assume that our hero joins a group of young and successful people. There is absolutely no information about his parents. It feels like he appeared suddenly and out of nowhere. But it is known that the training was successful. But after that - failure again. It is unknown what he was doing, where he lived, what he was thinking... Next appearance The young Dias takes place in 1478: he is appointed keeper of the royal trade warehouses. Well, no one will trust such a post to a person with a bad reputation. In addition, we can now say with confidence that Bartolomeo Dias is a nobleman, moreover, a knight. Here the youth of the future discoverer ends, begins new period- maturity. Now Dias does not disappear from view.

Looking for India

- a country on the outskirts. While the cunning Venetians, Genoese, Hanseatics, and English divided all known seas and captured all possible trade routes, the Portuguese are forced to receive only the remnants of all eastern riches. In other words, only what was no longer bought in the rest of Europe, or surplus eastern goods, reached Portugal. But prices were the highest on the continent. The Portuguese monarchs were thoroughly fed up with the position of “stepdaughter”. But what can we do? Explore those lands that Europe was not very interested in: the western coast of Africa. This direction was considered by many to be unpromising. According to Ptolemy's world map, Africa occupies all the space to the very edge of the Earth, the passage to Indian Ocean No. Official science also considers the Earth to be flat, with clear boundaries, beyond which there is emptiness. Those few scientists who dared to declare that we live on a ball are considered idiotic eccentrics, at best. At worst, the Inquisition takes care of their affairs, and then, after questions asked by a polite man in a cassock, the upstart is most often burned at the stake, gathering crowds of lovers of this kind of entertainment. At that time, treatises about dog-headed people living in the northern lands were perceived with much more faith than the confused and foggy works of Copernicus.

But only the desperate do not take risks. At first, the Portuguese kings looked for trading partners in Africa, but there were either Moorish enemies or Aboriginal tribes with whom there was nothing to talk about. The only benefit was black slaves, but they were more suitable for decorating the rich houses of Lisbon. The first expeditions in search of a route to India (contrary to official science!) were organized by Enrique the Navigator, a prince who received such a loud nickname without ever making a single sea voyage. But the prince spared neither effort nor money in organizing trips to Africa. Under him, Sierra Leone and the Cape Verde Islands were discovered. And most importantly, the way was opened for descendants to the southern tip African continent.

King Juan II continued to implement the ideas of his relative. Having equipped an expedition led by Diogo Cana, the king ordered to find a way to India, to go south of the previous expeditions. Kahn honestly swam to Angola, installed there stone pillar with the coat of arms of Portugal and turned back. He had very little time left to open a passage to the Indian Ocean. There is still debate about why he did not complete the expedition. Some believe that Kahn was convinced that he had reached southern Africa and considered his mission complete. Others claim that the seafarer’s poor health is to blame. Still others are sure that the amount of supplies was insufficient, and the team refused to continue the expedition “to nowhere.” Nobody knows the truth. The result of the activities of predecessors Bartolomeu Dias and it was the discovery of the western coast of Africa from the Sahara to the south of Angola. was not found.

Expedition of Bartolomeo Dias

The incompleteness of Kahn's expedition irritated the king. A new mission is urgently organized under the leadership of the favorite João II. Yes, already a favorite. Most likely, in addition to guarding the royal goods, Dias also carried out other assignments of the crown, quite successfully. In addition, it is reliably known that he had already visited Africa at least once.

When preparations for the voyage were in full swing, someone asked for a reception with the Portuguese king, who offered a very bold project- go not along the coast of Africa, but strictly to the West. What if these weirdos who claim that the Earth is round are right? Then you can save time and, at the same time, make friends with China. This proposal did not find a response in the soul of the king. Too revolutionary. Too fantastic. Too unreliable. So much effort has been poured into this damn Africa, and now we have to start all over again? No way! We will move along the well-known route! Columbus did not grieve for long. He goes to, captivates the gullible and impressionable Queen Isabella with his project, and she, in turn, captivates her husband the king. How the heirs of João II cursed with bad words: a little less stubbornness, a little more adventurism, and not Spain, but Portugal would have become a great power for many centuries...

Three ships - two with crew and one with food - under the leadership set off in the summer of 1487. In four months, the squadron covered the path traversed by Kahn and moved a little further south - to the south of Namibia. Winter has come, or rather the very beginning of summer in the Southern Hemisphere - a time of storms. The coast was deserted and rocky, so as not to expose the ships to danger, Dias orders to go out to the open sea and move away from the coast. For two weeks the ships were tossed by the sea, the sailors prayed and no longer hoped to see their relatives and friends. The worst thing was that Dias could not determine the direction in which the shore was located. He ordered to sail to the West (there was still a timid hope that they had circumnavigated Africa) - there was no shore.

He ordered to turn north - on February 3, 1488, the Portuguese saw land. It turned out to be a very welcoming land: green fields, cows, shepherds. The shepherds, however, when they saw the Europeans, disappeared. And a few hours later they appeared, accompanied by menacing-looking warriors. he sincerely wanted to establish contact: his crew included several black sailors who were supposed to help with the translation and convince of the peaceful intentions of the expedition. But the natives did not understand the language of the “Afro-Portuguese” and began to wave spears and throw stones at the newcomers. Dias ordered to take out crossbows and wave them too. The European intricate weapons did not frighten the local warriors, but provoked them even more. Not only stones flew, but also spears and arrows. The Portuguese had to defend themselves. In the heat of battle, Bartolomeu Dias fired and hit one of the aborigines in the eye. The range and power of the weapon made the locals think, but not for long. The Portuguese realized that they had to leave. Having barely managed to place a stone pillar with the country's coat of arms (to stake out the territory, so to speak), the squadron went to sea.

The ships had barely headed to the East when another storm struck. The sailors and officers made it clear to their leader that they would like to go home, that they had already done a lot, and that they had to leave something undiscovered next. He gave a lot of arguments in favor of continuing the expedition, argued that they were almost at their goal and would see India very soon, and urged them to remember the words of their oath to the king. Nothing helped. Then the captain called only the officers for a conversation. There he asked everyone to repeat aloud the oath of allegiance to the king, which was given by all the nobles of Portugal. The officers repeated, but did not give up their demands. Then Dias invited the most authoritative sailors to his place. Here the conversation went in a different direction: Dias described the treasures of India, cited quotes from books of travelers, talked about the wonders of the country of elephants, about the riches that await anyone who reaches this magical land. The sailors listened with their mouths open, but stood their ground - go home! What frightened the expedition members so much? Nothing could scare them! It is no secret that every expedition of that time was a journey to nowhere. Final goal was not known to anyone. To go on such a journey you need to be a brave person, an adventurer and a fatalist. Such were the officers and sailors expeditions of Bartolomeo Dias, But...

On the way to uncharted lands, the squadron landed several times on the shore, sometimes for quite some time. long time. These were places where Portuguese colonies were already located, and trade with the aborigines was active: beads in exchange for gold and pearls. The sailors and officers managed to sell enough for themselves to live a comfortable life. There were even a few new slaves in the holds, bought by the officers for their homes. Each team member had something to lose. Except Bartolomeo Dias. When persuasion fails, the squadron commander invites all crew members to gather on the main ship. He invites everyone to sign an official statement about their refusal to obey the captain, about the end of the expedition, about their refusal to serve the king. Dias asks absolutely everyone to sign the document - from the senior officer to the cabin boy, the assistant cook. After a short hesitation, everyone signs. The last thing Dias can do is kneel down in front of his team and beg to continue forward for three more days and three nights. Promising with an oath that after this time the squadron will turn back. The officers refused, but then the sailors stood up for the captain. The decision was made - they sail to India for three more days.

Three days flew by quickly. The wind was fair and the squadron covered more than 200 nautical miles. invited officers to admire the opening shore from a barrel on the mast of the main ship. The coastline goes further and further north. Which means the passage is open. During the next landing on the shore, the squadron commander names the open land after one of the officers... All this in the hope that the team will change their decision. But no. The team wants to go home. On the way back, having discovered a cape near which the sea is never calm, Dias gives it the name “Cape of Storms” (later “”), marking it on the map as the southernmost point of Africa. The way back was boring and uninteresting.

The route of the Bartolomeo Dias expedition

Returning to his homeland in the winter of 1488, he makes a detailed report to the king: there is a passage to India, Ptolemy’s map is incorrect! The king is perplexed as to why Dias did not swim to India. The sailor is shy and mumbles. He never showed the king the seditious paper and did not betray anyone from his team. João II is disappointed; he suspects his Bartolomeo Dias of elementary cowardice. The discoverer was removed from expeditions.

Life of Bartolomeo Dias after the expedition

Despite everything, the experience is very valuable for Portugal. He is entrusted with the efforts of preparing a new expedition to India, under the leadership of a young and ambitious man. The navigator makes changes to the design of the ships of the new squadron, changes the sails, and takes an innovative approach to crew training and collecting supplies. He knows everything, he can do everything, he wants to prove that he can be useful in the expedition, he wants to see India, finally... Together with the new expedition, Bartolomeu Dias sails to Guinea, where he remains commandant of one of the fortresses. For a long time he watches the sailing ships of Vasco da Gama... After Europe was stunned by the discoveries of Columbus, everything began to move. Everyone wanted their own special piece of the New World. And then Vasco da Gama returned with full holds of Indian goods, fully confirming all the discoveries of Bartolomeo Dias. They remembered the old sailor. After the happy return of Vasco da Gama, a large and powerful fleet under the command of Pedro Cabral was equipped in India. India, however, was only the official destination. The king's orders are to explore the ocean west of Africa, where that sneaky Columbus discovered something. The expedition is substantial, it requires specialists. Bartolomeo Dias was invited to command one of the ships of the fleet. It was a moment of absolute happiness for the experienced sailor.

The result of the exploration of western waters by Cabral's expedition was the discovery of Brazil. After such a successful start, it seemed that everything would go well with India. The Portuguese fleet approached southern Africa at the most unpleasant time (the end of spring in the northern hemisphere). The storm scattered the ships over a vast area. Ship under command last time seen near Cape Good Hope» May 29, 1500. When the storm subsided, the fleet was missing almost half of its ships. Dias' ship also disappeared.

To this day no one has seen him dead. Officially, he is still considered “missing in action.” But some sailors claim that the famous "Flying Dutchman" is flown by none other than Bartolomeo Dias. Even dead, he stands on the captain's bridge and looks forward, trying to withstand unfavorable currents and winds. He simply cannot finally die without seeing India. This is the kind of man he was: he came from nowhere and went to nowhere. Portuguese navigator named after Saint Bartholomew.

What discoveries were made by the expedition of Bartolomeu Dias, a Portuguese navigator, you will learn from this article.

Bartolomeu Dias(1450 - 1500) was the first to circumnavigate the southern part of the African continent and opened the Cape of Good Hope to the world. It is noteworthy that he was able to see India with his own eyes, but, like Moses, he never entered its territory. Before the start of his famous journey, historians have no information about his life. And even more - the real motives and paths that the navigator took, hidden under seven locks. But, nevertheless, Bartolomeu Dias made a breakthrough in the geographical discoveries of that time.

Bartolomeu Dias opening

Bartolomeu Dias came from a noble family and at one time worked as a manager in Lisbon warehouses. But, at the same time, he became famous as an experienced sailor. It is known that in 1481, under the command of Diogo Azambuge, he sailed to the African coast. After this expedition, the Portuguese King João already appointed him commander of 2 flotillas. The official purpose of Bartolomeu Dias's journey was to explore the shores of Africa and find a sea route to India.

The flotillas solemnly set out to sea in August 1487 after a thorough year of preparation for the expedition. Each flotilla included 3 caravels. Bartolomeu Dias began his journey from the mouth of the Congo River, carefully heading south through unknown lands. He was the first Portuguese to place padranas (crosses on stones) on the open banks, announcing that the territory belonged to Portugal.

Having passed the Tropic of Capricorn, the expedition encountered a storm and was blown south. For more than a month, the sailors did not encounter land on their route. And finally, on February 3, 1488, Bartolomeu Dias was the first to see a coast with high mountains in the distance. The happy crew found a convenient bay and landed on the shore. They were very surprised to see black shepherds with cows. Local residents were afraid of strange, white people and began to throw stones at them. Dias fired a crossbow in order to rein in the natives. This was the first European aggression in South Africa. The captain named the bay Bahia dos Vaqueiros, that is, the Shepherds' Harbor. They were close to the yet undiscovered Cape of Good Hope.

Bartolomeu Dias headed east from the harbor and sailed to Algoa Bay and a small island. A padran was also staged here. The exhausted sailors took a short break and reached the mouth of a previously unknown river, which was named after one of the commanders of the flotilla - Rio di Infanti.

From the mouth of the open river they turned back. On the way back, Dias saw a beautiful cape and Table Mountain. At first he called it the Cape of Storms, but in a December report of 1488, King John suggested that it be renamed the Cape of Good Hope. The commander of the expedition was confident that he had managed to find a sea route to India. Having gone ashore, Bartolomeu Dias recorded everything on the sea chart and in the captain's log. He named the land San Gregorio. In December 1488, the remains of the flotilla landed in the port of Lisbon.

Bartolomeu Dias was a famous navigator of Portuguese origin. However, a lot of information early years life is unknown. Thus, it is assumed that he was born around 1450 in Portugal. Studied at the University of Lisbon exact sciences, knowledge from which he later widely applied in his voyages. Dias can be called a true genius of navigation.

B. Dias participated in the trade in rare goods such as ivory and spices. He constantly sailed to countries discovered by Portuguese travelers

In 1481, Dias sailed on an expedition to the Gold Coast, located in modern Guinea. After 6 years, he led a voyage along the coast of the African continent on 2 ships with the aim of exploring the borders of this continent. During this expedition, the ships were caught in a strong storm, and the sailors were very frightened. Dias failed to persuade them to continue their journey further to the shores of India, and they turned back. He gave the name to the cape where they decided to return home - “Cape of Storms”, and the Portuguese monarch renamed it “Cape of Good Hope”. This was a symbol that gave hope for continuing the search for a route to India, which was achieved by V. da Gama. Upon returning home, the navigator informed the king about the possibility of passage to India by sea around Africa. However, the monarch was very surprised and annoyed by the fact that Dias himself was unable to swim to India. In order not to expose the members of his team to royal wrath, the traveler never admitted the real reasons for the failure of the expedition.

Dias participated in the preparation of Vasco da Gama's voyage and gave him a lot valuable advice about the construction of ships and the difficulties of the African coast. The navigator was not allowed to join da Gama's expedition, since he was appointed head of the Portuguese fortress in Guinea.

In 1500, B. Dias took part in an expedition to the shores of India, led by Captain Cabral. The ships reached the eastern edge South America. B. Dias participated in the discovery of Brazil. Then they decided to return to the African continent, to the Cape of Good Hope. There they were caught in a strong storm that lasted more than twenty days, in which 4 ships out of 10 that took part in the expedition were wrecked. On one of the dead ships there was also great navigator Bartolomeu Dias.

Option 2

Dias, Dias di Novais, Bartolomeu (1450-1500) - Portuguese navigator and traveler.

João II, who became King of Portugal in 1481, actively continued the country's colonial policy. In 1487 he sent Bartolomeu Dias south along the West African coast. Having passed the last padran (stone pillar) left by his predecessor, Diogo Can, Dias' ships found themselves in a line of storms, due to which they were forced to move away from the coast.

Moving further towards the unknown, it was decided to increase the supplies of food, water and equipment on board. It became clear that one ship would not be enough for a long journey, so Dias’s flotilla consisted of three ships, which included a ship loaded with provisions, fresh water, spare parts, weapons.

Dias's caravels were tiny compared to modern ships, but with their shallow draft and fast speed, they were ideal for coastal navigation.

Dias' team of about 60 people included black slaves. Along the way they were dropped ashore. To convince the natives to cooperate with Portugal, the blacks carried samples of precious metals and spices.

The South African Khoikhoin natives, known as Hottentots, were pastoralists. Their first meeting with the sailors at Shepherds Bay ended in a quarrel in which Dias shot one shepherd with a crossbow.

Cape Volta became another padran installation site. Here Dias left one cargo ship and went further south. He named this harbor Angra dos Voltas. On the way to the south, the travelers were overtaken by a terrible storm, with which they fought for 13 days.

Having rounded the southernmost point of Africa and not noticing the coast, they moored to it already east of the cape. Soon, having reached the easternmost point - the mouth of the Great Fish River, Dias' exhausted companions convinced him to return. The refusal of Dias's team to move east from Great Fish was not perceived as a mutiny. In those times important decisions accepted for general council seafarers and captains rarely canceled them. Heading back, Dias' caravel sailed with a fair wind and easily rounded the Cape of Good Hope.

After spending 16 months at sea, Bartolomeu Dias mapped a 2,030 km long coastline and established 3 padranas. Because of his ordeals, the navigator gave the name to the southern cape of Africa - the Cape of Storms, but the place that promised the discovery of India was renamed by King Juan II to the Cape of Good Hope.

Navigators proved that by circumnavigating Africa, one could get to the Indian Ocean, and from here establish direct trade with India and the Moluccas archipelago, where there are many spices.

Dias's next expedition took place in 1497. In it, he helped Vasco da Gama reach the Cape Verde Islands.

The voyage of 1500 turned out to be the last for the traveler. The commander of the ship in the caravel P.A. Cabral (accidentally discovered Brazil, having lost his course), heading to India, Dias died in a storm at the Cape of Good Hope.

Based on Dias's report, Vasco da Gama developed his route and 10 years later made a new expedition to India.

7th grade. According to history

His colleagues were amazed at Korolenko’s creativity. Yes, the writer himself was confident in himself. Before last days he believed in the victory of a bright future, the conviction in the necessity of efforts to uphold goodness.

Bartolomeu Dias (born 1450 - disappeared May 29, 1500) is a famous Portuguese navigator. In search of a sea route to India in 1488, he was the first European to circumnavigate Africa from the south, discovered the Cape of Good Hope and reached the Indian Ocean. He was one of the first Portuguese to set foot on Brazilian soil...

After their death, the Portuguese monarchs lost interest in research for some time. Over the course of a number of years, they were engaged in other matters: internecine wars took place in the state, and there were battles with the Moors. Only in 1481, after the accession of King John II to the throne, the African coast again saw strings of Portuguese ships and a new galaxy of brave sailors. The most significant of them was undoubtedly Bartolomeu Dias.

What is known about the navigator

Bartolomeu Dias came from a noble family and at one time worked as a manager in Lisbon warehouses. He was a descendant of Dias, who discovered Cape Bojador, and Dias, who discovered Cape Verde. All travelers had a talent that helped them in the struggle to expand the world. Thus, Henry the Navigator was a scientist and organizer, and Cabral were as much warriors and administrators as they were sailors. And Dias was more of a sailor. He taught many of his companions the art of navigation. We know little about the life of Bartolomeu Dias, even the date of his birth cannot be established accurately. But it is known that he was a sailing genius.

First travels

For the first time his name is mentioned in a short official document in connection with his exemption from paying duties on ivory brought from the shores of Guinea. Thus, we learn that he traded with countries newly discovered by the Portuguese. 1481 - he commanded one of the ships sent to the Gold Coast under the general command of Diogo d'Asambuja.

An unknown at that time also took part in d’Asambuja’s expedition. 5 years later, Dias was the chief inspector of the royal warehouses in Lisbon.

To the shores of Africa

1487 - he again set off along the African coast at the head of an expedition of two ships. They were small (even for those times), each displacing about 50 tons, but so stable that heavy guns could be mounted on them, and they were assigned a transport ship with supplies. The main helmsman was the experienced Guinean sailor Pedro Alenquer. There is no evidence that the goal of the Dias expedition was to reach India. Most likely, the goal was long-range reconnaissance, the results of which were doubtful for the main characters.

It is also not clear what kind of ships Dias had - caravels or “round ships” - nao. As can be seen from the name, the Portuguese of the 15th century distinguished “round ships” from caravels, primarily because of their unique design - because of the rounded contours of the hull. At 26° south latitude, Dias placed a stone pillar-padran, part of which is still intact.

Dias decided to go further south and, despite the storm, sailed non-stop for 13 days, gradually moving away from the coast. The navigator hoped to make good use of the wind. After all, this endless continent must end someday!

The storm did not subside. Far to the south he found himself in the zone western winds. It was cold here, with only the open sea all around. He decided to find out whether the coast still stretches to the east? 1488, February 3 - he came to Mossel Bay. The coast went to the west and east. Here, apparently, was the end of the continent. Dias turned east and reached the Great Fish River. But the exhausted crew, having already lost hope of overcoming difficulties that seemed to have no end, demanded that the ships turn back. Dias tried to persuade his sailors, threaten, seduce with the riches of India - nothing helped. With a bitter feeling, he ordered to go back. It seemed to him, he wrote, that “he had left his son there forever.”

Return trip

On the way back, the expedition rounded a sharp cape that jutted far into the sea. Beyond the cape the coast turned sharply to the north. In memory of the trials that befell them, Dias called this place the Cape of Storms, but King John II renamed it the Cape of Good Hope - the hope that, in the end, the cherished dream of the Portuguese sailors would come true: the path to India would be open. Dias overcame the most difficult part of this journey.

Sailors rarely received a worthy reward for their labors. And Dias did not receive any reward, although the monarch knew that he was one of the best sailors in Europe.

New expedition, new captain

When preparations began for a new expedition to India, Bartolomeu Dias was appointed head of ship construction. Naturally, he had to be the head of the expedition. However, who can fight the royal decision? Vasco da Gama was appointed head of the expedition.

Thanks to the experience and knowledge of Bartolomeu, da Gama's ships were built differently from what was previously customary: they had a more moderate curvature and a less heavy deck than other ships. And of course, the advice of the experienced captain was very useful to the new commander. Bartolomeu Dias was then the only sailor who had once rounded the Cape of Good Hope. He knew what difficulties he would encounter off the southern coast of Africa. It was probably he who advised Da Gama, going south, to stay as far from the coast as possible.

If Dias had gone on an expedition for the second time, he himself would have led the ship this way. But Dias was appointed commander of a fortress built by the Portuguese on the malarial Guinea coast, and he was allowed to accompany the fleet only as far as the Cape Verde Islands. Here Dias, with pain in his heart, saw off the ships that went south under the leadership of a new commander, who set off to success and glory along the road paved by him, Dias.

Discovery of Brazil. Missing

After Europe was stunned by Columbus's discoveries, everything began to move. Everyone wanted their own piece of the New World. And Vasco da Gama returned with full holds of Indian goods, which completely confirmed all the discoveries of Dias. They remembered the old sailor. After the successful return of Vasco da Gama, a large and powerful fleet was equipped to India in 1500 under the command of Pedro Cabral. But India was only the official destination. The monarch's order is to explore the ocean west of Africa. A major expedition, it required specialists. Bartolomeo Dias was invited to command one of the ships of the fleet.

The result of exploration of western waters by Cabral's expedition was the discovery of Brazil. After such a good start, it seemed that everything would go well with India. The Portuguese fleet approached southern Africa at the worst possible time (late spring in the northern hemisphere). The storm scattered the ships over a vast area. The ship commanded by Bartolomeo Dias was last seen near the “Cape of Good Hope” on May 29, 1500. When the storm subsided, the fleet was missing almost half of the ships. Dias's ship also disappeared without a trace.

No one has ever seen him dead. Officially, he was considered “missing in action.” But some sailors claim that the legendary "" is controlled by none other than Bartolomeo Dias.

No portraits of Dias have survived. 1571 - his grandson Paolo Diaz Novais became the governor of Angola, who founded the first European city in Africa - Sao Paulo de Luanda.

The meaning of discoveries

This was Portugal's breakthrough in African exploration. Dias was not only able to discover a route around the African continent, but also explored its coast for 1260 miles. This was the longest journey in those days. Captain Dias's crew was at sea for 16 months and 17 days. They found a way to the Indian Ocean and discovered the Cape of Good Hope.

Bartolomeo Dias - famous Portuguese navigator

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Bartolomeo Dias in search of a sea route to India in 1488, he was the first European to circumnavigate Africa from the south, discover the Cape of Good Hope and enter the Indian Ocean. He was among the first Portuguese to set foot in Brazil.

Year of birth

Year of birth presumably 1450. Baptized, married... - exact information is missing.

Origin

It is known that Dias was of noble origin and was in the king’s inner circle. The surname Dias is quite common in Portugal; there are suggestions that he was related to some famous navigators of that time.

Education

In his youth he studied mathematics and astronomy at the University of Lisbon. But most importantly, he attended the famous school of sailors in Sagrish, founded by the famous Prince Henry the Navigator, which trained a whole cascade of brilliant Portuguese sailors.

Occupation

Like almost all nobles in Portugal, Bartolomeo Dias's activities were connected with the sea; from his youth he participated in various sea expeditions. On the campaign of 1481-82. to the shores of Ghana he was already the captain of one of the caravels. For some time Dias performedresponsibilities Chief Inspector of the Royal Warehouses in Lisbon. There is information that he was acquainted with an unknown person Christopher Columbus, and he and Dias even took part in some joint voyages. And fate will push them together again, after .

Finding ways to India – the main task Portugal 15th century

", BGCOLOR, "#ffffff", FONTCOLOR, "#333333", BORDERCOLOR, "Silver", WIDTH, "100%", FADEIN, 100, FADEOUT, 100)"> After the death of Henry the Navigator (1460), Portuguese overseas expansion began commercial break– the attention of the royal court was diverted to other things. But as soon as internal problems were decided, the attention of the first (and second) persons of the state again turned to overseas expansion, primarily to the exploration and plunder of Africa, and to the search for a route to India. It should be remembered that in this era, in the minds of sailors and cartographers there was still transition period– many of them were sure that the earth was flat! The other part already doubted it. But despite this, exploration of Africa and the search for new routes to the East, bypassing the Turks, continued.

The idea that the Atlantic and Indian oceans were connected was first loudly voiced by the Portuguese navigator Diego Caen. It was Kan who first reached the mouth of the Congo (Zaire). It was he who drew attention to the fact that south of 18 degrees south latitude coastline deviates to the east. From here Kahn suggested that a sea route around Africa to the Indian Ocean existed.

Dias is tasked with finding a way out to the Indian Ocean.

The Portuguese king instructed Bartolomeo Dias to check Kahn's assumptions, appointing him as the leader of the expedition, the goal of which was the maximum breakthrough to the south along the African coast and the search for an exit to the Indian Ocean. Although the official purpose of the campaign was to find a certain “country of Persbyter John,” a Christian African king. There is no intelligible information about this country in history.

", BGCOLOR, "#ffffff", FONTCOLOR, "#333333", BORDERCOLOR, "Silver", WIDTH, "100%", FADEIN, 100, FADEOUT, 100)"> For ten months (!) Bartolomeo Dias prepared the expedition, carefully selected ships, staffed the crew, calculated the supply of provisions and everything that might be needed on a voyage to an unknown destination. The expedition of three ships included the so-called cargo Ship- a floating storeroom, with supplies of food, weapons, spare equipment, building materials, etc. The leadership of the flotilla consisted of outstanding sailors of that time: Leitao, Joao Infante, Peru de Alenquer, who later described the first voyage of Vasco da Gama, Alvaro Martins and Joao Grego. The cargo ship was commanded by Bartolomeu's brother, Peru Dias. In addition, several black Africans were taken on the expedition, whose task was to facilitate contacts with the natives of the new lands.

The expedition started from the Portuguese coast in August 1487. In early December of the same year, Dias and his comrades reached the shores of what is now Namibia, where they were overtaken by a severe storm. ", BGCOLOR, "#ffffff", FONTCOLOR, "#333333", BORDERCOLOR, "Silver", WIDTH, "100%", FADEIN, 100, FADEOUT, 100)"> As an experienced sailor, Dias hastened to take the ships out to the open sea. Here they were tossed about by the sea waves for two weeks. When the hurricane subsided, neither Dias nor his pilots could determine their location. Therefore, we first took a course to the west, in the hope of “bumping” into the African coast, then turned to the north. And they saw him - February 3, 1488. Having landed on the coast, the pioneers noticed the natives and tried to make contact with them. The expedition's black interpreters, however, did not understand the language of the local population. But they behaved quite aggressively and Dias had to retreat.

Riot on the ship

But Dias and his commanders noticed that the coast in this place does not stretch to the south, but directly to the east. Dias decided to continue sailing in this direction. But then the unexpected happened - the entire leadership of the flotilla was in favor of immediately going home. And the team threatened to riot if they refused. Dias was forced to accept their demands, negotiating the condition that the voyage would continue eastward for another three days. (It’s interesting that it will end up in very 4 years later. But three days there were worth much more!)

Having covered a distance of approximately 200 miles during this time (sailing ships of those times quite allowed such a throw - the caravel could cover 200 miles with a tailwind in 24 hours! See: ), the ships reached the mouth of the river, which Dias named Rio di Infanti - in honor of Joao Infanti, one of the captains of the flotilla, who was the first to go ashore here. Another padran was erected right there. With these padranas, the Portuguese, as it were, staked out their possessions on the African continent.

Bartolomeo Dias will open the Cape of Good Hope

There is nothing to do, the expedition turned back. And already on the way back, Bartolomeo Dias discovered the southernmost tip of Africa, calling it the Cape of Storms. Legend has it that upon returning from the voyage, after the report of Bartolomeo Dias, King John II proposed to rename the place the Cape of Good Hope, which is the southernmost tip of Africa to this day. Beyond the cape the coast turned sharply to the north.

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Despite the fact that the Portuguese were technically located south of the coast of their country, and despite the fact that February in the southern hemisphere is a summer month, all members of the team noticed that it was very cold in these latitudes. Although there was not even a guess about the existence of the South Pole at that time.

Return to Lisbon

Dias' expedition returned to Lisbon harbor in December 1488. They spent a total of 16 months and 17 days on the voyage - three times longer than Columbus did on his first expedition!

Strangely, Dias did not receive any reward for his discovery. In any case, there is no information about this. There is a version that King João II ordered the discovery to be kept secret. Perhaps he noted Dias’ merits somehow quietly. Or maybe not.

But fate itself put a historical chance in the hands of Juan II. Another one in his place would have immediately equipped the next expedition to get to the fabulous Indian shores. Ah, no. Did not happen. And only after the death of John II, 9 years later, the Portuguese decided to equip a large expedition specifically to reach the shores of India.

Vasco da Gama's expedition to India

By all accounts, it is Bartolomeo Dias who should lead such an expedition. But a little-known person was appointed head of the project Vasco da Gama(1460-1524). did not take part in long sea expeditions. In 1492, French pirates captured a Portuguese caravel with gold on its way to Africa. In response, the Portuguese king instructed his officer Vasco da Gama to seize all French ships moored in French ports. Vasco da Gama brilliantly completed the assigned task and the French were forced to return the captured caravel. And Vasco da Gama, for his decisiveness and organizational skills, received an award and special favor from the king.

", BGCOLOR, "#ffffff", FONTCOLOR, "#333333", BORDERCOLOR, "Silver", WIDTH, "100%", FADEIN, 100, FADEOUT, 100)"> And Dias was not a favorite of King Manuel I. But his merits were not forgotten, and he was assigned to lead the construction of ships for a new flotilla to India. Dias took the assignment very responsibly. Based on his experience, he made a number of significant changes to the design of ships, reducing the curvature, lowering the deck superstructures and increasing the stability of the ships. These measures played a positive role and allowed Vasco da Gama's ships to reach India. And Bartolomeo Dias was appointed commandant of the fortress of São Jorge da Mina on the Gold Coast and accompanied da Gama’s expedition only as far as there.

When Vasco da Gama's reconnaissance expedition triumphantly returned from India, the government decided not to postpone the matter and send an even more powerful expedition to India. Now no longer for exploration, but for the capture and colonization of new lands. This flotilla was led by someone Pedro Alvares Cabral (1460-1520?), who was not known for any nautical exploits at all. But this was not required now. He was not a captain, he was the leader of a flotilla of 13 ships. The purpose of this expedition was diplomatic, political and economic. And Bartolomeo Dias was appointed captain of one of the ships.

Lyrical digression

If all these gentlemen navigators knew that a quarter of a century before them, a Russian merchant in 1469-72 had already “discovered” India. He lived in this country for several years and recorded his impressions and observations in a manuscript, which he entitled “Walking across the Three Seas.”

Bartolomeo Dias - one of the discoverers of Brazil

In addition to the task of consolidating in India, Pedro Cabral’s expedition was entrusted with another important task: officially “open” Brazil. Why did the expedition set course for the southwest Atlantic and on April 22, 1500, walked for 10 days along the South American coast, naming new lands Vera Cruz . In the future harbor of Porto Segura, they dropped anchor and “staked out a plot.” Let me remind you that, according to the Treaty of Tordesillas, only the Portuguese, but not the Spaniards, could lay claim to this land.

The famous navigator found eternal peace in the ocean waves

Fate was kind to Bartolomeo Dias. As the expedition approached the Cape of Good Hope, discovered 13 years ago, a terrible storm broke out, and Dias's ship went missing along with its captain. Thus, Dias died at sea as befits a true sailor and discoverer. Everlasting memory hero!

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Travelers of the Age of the Greats Geographical Discoveries

Russian travelers and pioneers