THE TRAVELLING HISTORIAN -- PORTUGAL, MADEIRA & PRINCE HENRY THE NAVIGATOR

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PORTUGAL
&
MADEIRA
&
PRINCE HENRY THE NAVIGATOR

PORTUGAL

Located at the southwest section of Europe at the junction of the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean, where it connects two continents, Portugal is a land of sunshine, sand and the sea.

The Hills of Portugal across the Tagus River as seen from Spain.
photo by
G. Wilson

A popular part of this lovely land is the Algarve, situated on the extreme southern part of the country, where golfing is good, beaches are fine and there is much to see and do.

Algarve Shoreline
photo by
G. Wilson

Beach front
photo by
B. Wilson

Two daring souls sacrifice safety from their perilous perch for a sight to behold.
Cabo de S. Vincente
photo by
G.Wilson

Cork comes from Portugal's Oak Trees.
photo by
G. Wilson

Moorish Fort Atop Hill at Silvas
photo by
G. Wilson

Belem Tower, Lisbon
photo by
John

Triumphal Tribute to Portugal's Explorers
photo
by G. Wilson

This impressive monument epitomizes Portugal's great role in global exploration. Located at the mouth of the Tagus River, this huge, stylized sandstone ship has a crew composed of Portugal's pioneer pathfinders. It is built like the prow of the fifteenth century ships, that sailed forth into the wide world with men seeking the unknown. Initially constructed in 1940, the monument was re-constructed in 1960 to mark the 500th anniversary of the death of Henry the Navigator, lauded leader of these trailblazers. Henry holds in his hand a model of a caravel, the very vessel in which they rode the wind into danger and discovery. This rugged little vessel ploughed the perilous seas in search of a precious cargo: information about and insights into the new world.

Leading the lot is Henry the Navigator holding the Caravel, mainstay of Portuguese mariners.

The caravel, a relatively long, narrow vessel, was a small 15th-16th century ship, with broad bows, a high, narrow poop and usually three masts with lateen or both square and lateen sails. It was one of the most efficient ships in history that had the special distinction of being able to sail against the wind. Its predecessors lacked this facility and as a result were pinned to the coast of Europe by the prevailing westerly winds. Its secret - a lateen or triangular sail "whose lower edge almost feathered the sea. The yards were rigged from the deck and by simply moving them from one side of the vessel to the other, the sail would open from any quarter according to the direction of the wind."

THE CARAVEL

Daring explorers set out into perilous seas in search of new lands in their frail caravel, a small, highly manoeuvrable, two or three-masted ship that was used by the Portuguese and Spanish for long voyages of exploration beginning in the 15th century.

THE CARAVEL


It was Portugal's ancient navigators who discovered and mapped two-thirds of the world as we know it today. These intrepid travellers, undaunted by danger, even death, that lay in wait for the unwary. They launched out into uncharted seas and revealed to the waiting world, routes to Brazil, Africa, India and the Far East. Portugal is the motherland of men whose names - Vasco da Gama, Magellan, Henry the Navigator - resound through the halls of history. They opened routes around the world that led to new lands and new lives for those who followed.

"Henry the Navigator inaugurated the commercial revolution that was to transform the map of the globe."

Prince Henry The Navigator

Sagres, no natural advantages except magnificaent views of its rugged seacoast, where land ends and the Atlantic Ocean begins.

Sagres
photo by
G. Wilson

Sagres
photo by
G. Wilson

Sagres
photo by
G. Wilson

Sagres is a village in the Southwest of Portugal, where land ends and the Atlantic Ocean begins, This ridge, high atop windswept crags, where the boundless sea commences its course towards Africa, is starkly beautiful. Perpetual winds whistle over the barren headland and out across the ocean, whipping up white caps that dot the distance as far as the eye can see. Below the mighty sea surges and foams ashore, thundering against the rocky ramparts of fortress Europe. Sensational sights and sounds combine with the salty smell of the sea, its fresh, bracing fragrance as clean and sharp as the view of the great, blue ocean. stretching away as far as the eye can see.

On the precipice of this promontory, Henry the Navigator, who never set foot on an ocean-going vessel, was one of the great, driving forces behind world exploration, established his school of navigation. Gathering about him astronomers, cartographers, shipwrights and sailors, Henrique, son of the King of Portugal, convened his small court, an informal clearing house of nautical knowledge and enterprise. The astronomers and ship-builders, cartographers and instrument-makers, navigators and geographers were men like himself, all fascinated with discovery and seaborne trade. Comprised of the greatest sailors and scientists of the day, Henry's court planned and plotted Portugal's conquest of the seas. Romans named this hauntingly beautiful, desolate place, Sacrum promotorium, [Promontory where gods gathered]. In tribute to the Ships passing this last lonely point of land, still dip their sails in tribute to the man and his memory.

Beware the Rocks of Sagres
photo by
G. Wilson

At Henry's expense and under his direction, gentlemen adventurers - Danes, Germans, Italians and Portuguese - sought fame and fortune through exploration and conquest. Henry's purpose was twofold: "The service of God, our Lord, and our own advantage." Tragically for the poor souls who lived along the coast of Africa, the emphasis was on the latter, more than the former. The first major result of Henry's labours was the inauguration of the African slave trade, resulting in the savage seizure of sturdy Negores for brutal and barbaric use as slaves in Europe and ultimately elsewhere in the world. Man had become a commodity called human beasts of prey.

Henry's Fortress
photo by
G. Wilson

Walls of Henry's Fortress
photo by
G. Wilson

Henry's eyrie at Sagres was an oblong defensive works enclosing plain stone buildings, the ruins of which remain on the bleak landscape. Inside the walls of the fortress, which date from the 15th century, there is a large, impressive geometric figure, which was discoverd in 1928. Made of rough stones and measuring some 43 metres in diameter, it is thought to be a rosa dos ventos, a 'wind rose' or mariner's compass, dating back to Henry's time.

Rosa dos Ventos [Compass]
photo by
G. Wilson

Here Henry concentrated everything needed to attract and supply seamen - naval provisions, food, water, even a chapel for worship. In addition he accumulated invaluable information about winds, tides and ocean currents as well as improved maps and charts he had commissioned. By combining knowledge, skill and daring, Henry opened uncharted seas to discovery and exploration and in the process inspired faith and dispelled myths about the "end of the world." Sagres was a hive of effort and energy and the point of departure for explorers who launched the Age of Portuguese discoveries thereby enlarging the known world.

Statue of Henry the Navigator
photo by
G. Wilson

Inspired by Henry's vision and nurtured by his knowledge, his captains inched their way down the coast of Africa seeking to find for Henry what lay to the south of the great sea. Daunted by this unepected projection and fearful of what lay below, for horrible tales were told of what awaited unwary seamen, they turned tail and sailed for home, disheartened and hopes dashed of finding the end of the land that loomed to the south.

Henry scoffed at their failure because of fears. Undaunted Henry harried them to screw up their courage, cast caution to the winds and face whatever fate awaited. Motivated by this man who knew no fear, they upped anchors and wafted by the winds, headed south again. finding this time naught to fear, just fair and fertile lands.

Thereafter, all their trips were trial runs for the long voyage around Africa and west to the new world. Henry sent out expeditions to islands off Portugal and along the African coast past Cape Verde. His captains discovered Madeira and other jewels of the sea like the Azores and Cape Verde Islands and pushed down the coast of Africa to the Gulf of Guinea. For forty years he and his aides stacked and studied accounts of sailors and other travellers, their wide-ranging risks making Portugal the acknowledged centre of geographic and maritime science.

On the 13 November, 1460, Prince Henry died at the age of 66 years, but the search of the sea went on.

Portugal was to ocean exploration what the United States and Russia are to space research. No less brave than the astronauts and cosmonauts who soar into limitless space, were seaman who sailed into the equally awesome unknown seas "to seek, to find and not to yield."

The Portuguese pioneered the European exploration and one of Portugal's greatest explorers was Vasco da Gama.

Vasco da Gama

On 8 July 1497, Vasco, as hard-bitten as his crew of criminals, rogues and rascals, set sail to find a sea route to the fabled riches of the East. An obscure but well-connected courtier, he was chosen by King Manuel I to head up an ambitious expedition to chart a new route to India. He proved to be a brilliant navigator and commander. Combining courage with lots of good luck, he survived violent storms, restive and unruly seas and hostile rulers. Contrary of Columbus, his sea-faring rival, Vasco headed south, inching his way down the coast of Africa farther than any previous explorer. In 137 days he rounded the Cape of Good Hope, the first European to do so. He travelled 178 more days to reach Calicut, a major trading post on the coast of India, where he anchored on 20 May 1498, ten months and twelve days after leaving Lisbon. On 29 August, he left loaded with a rich cargo of the most precious of commodities - pepper, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, as well as jewellery, for an arduous year-long return trip, arriving home to much acclaim. For his glorious success at sea, VAsco received the title, Admiral of the Indian Ocean. His courage and remarkable seamanship provided Portugal with a toll-free route to India with wide economic results for Europe.

Voyaging Vasco

Vasco was sent to India a second time in 1503 and later became Portuguese viceroy to that country. In December 1424, he fell ill and died at Goa and his remains were returned to Portugal for burial at Vidigueira.

We were immediately attracted to the tomb of this great explorer whose name, Vasco da Gama, is familiar to all grade five students.

Tomb of
Admiral Dom Vasco da Gama
(c. 1469 - 1524)
Count of Vidigueira,
Vice-Roy of India
photo by
G. Wilson

Famous Feet

As much as anyone after Henry the Navigator, Gama was responsible for Portugal's success as an early colonizing power. His astute mix of politics and war on the other side of the world placed Portugal in a prominent position in Indian Ocean trade. He died in 1524 of malaria and was buried at St. Francis Church, Fort Kochi, but his remains were returned to Portugal in 1539 and re-interred in Vidigueira in a splendid tomb.

More valuable than Henry's lifetime achievements was the impetus he gave to exploration which continued long after his death. It led to discovery and maping of two-thirds of the globe as we know it today including the beautiful island of Madeira. Explorations als opened up routes to Brazil, India, and the Far East. Before Henry's time, men shared the spirit of discovery; he orchestrated it.

Funchal
Capital City of Madiera
photo by
G. Wilson

Ready for our ride down the rocks.
Madeira
photo by
John

View from our hotel window
Madeira
photo by
G. Wilson

Madeira Sunset from our hotel window,
photo by
G. Wilson

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