Gama, VASCO DA, the greatest of Portuguese navigators, was born about 1469, of good family, at Sines, a small seaport in the province of Alemtejo. He early distinguished himself as an intrepid mariner, and, after the return of Bartolomeu Diaz in 1487 from his venturesome voyage past the Cape of Storms had determined King João to make explorations farther, was appointed by his successor, Manoel the Fortunate, to command an expedition of four vessels, manned with 160 men. At the same time he was furnished with letters to all the potentates he was likely to visit, among them the mythical 'Prester John,' then supposed to be reigning in splendour somewhere in the east of Africa. The little fleet left Lisbon 8th July 1497, but was vexed by tempestuous winds almost the whole way, and was four months in reaching St Helena Bay. After rounding the Cape, in spite of dreadful storms and mutinies among his crews, he made Melinda early in the following year. Here he found a skilful Indian pilot, next steered eastwards across the Indian Ocean, and arrived at Calicut, in India, on the 20th of May 1498. The zamorin or ruler of Calicut was at first merely suspicious, but soon became, at the instigation of the jealous Arab merchants, actively hostile, until at length Da Gama had to fight his way out of the harbour. In September 1499 he cast anchor at Lisbon, and was received with great distinction, and created a noble.
King Manoel immediately despatched a squadron of thirteen ships, under Pedro Alvarez Cabral, to establish Portuguese settlements in India. Sailing too far westwards he discovered the unknown coast of Brazil, and, after losing half his ships, at length made Calicut, where he founded a factory. Here, after Cabral's departure, the forty Portuguese who had been left behind were murdered by the natives. To avenge this insult and secure the Indian Ocean commerce the king fitted out a new squadron of twenty ships, which set sail under Da Gama's command in 1502, founded the Portuguese colonies of Mozambique and Sofala, bombarded Calicut, destroyed a fleet of twenty-nine ships, and extorted a peace with suitable indemnification, and reached the Tagus with thirteen richly-laden vessels before the close of December 1503. Da Gama had effected his purpose with marvellous despatch, but not without cruelties that have left an indelible stain upon his name. For the next twenty years he lived inactive at Evora, while the Portuguese conquests in India increased, presided over by five successive viceroys. The fifth of these was so unfortunate that King João III., the successor of Manoel, was compelled in 1524 to summon Da Gama from his seclusion and despatch him, with the title of viceroy and a fleet of thirteen or fourteen vessels, to the scene of his former triumphs. His firmness and courage succeeded in making Portugal once more respected in India, but while engaged in his successful schemes he was surprised by death at Cochin in December 1525. His body was conveyed to Portugal, and buried with great pomp at Vidigueira. The great achievement of Vasco da Gama is one of the most important points in the history of modern civilisation, second only in importance to the discovery of America by Columbus but a few years before. His story gave its impulse to the enthusiasm of Camoens, whose Lusiads would alone have given the subject immortality. See the Three Voyages of Vasco da Gama, trans. by Lord Stanley of Alderley for the Hakluyt Society (1869).