Vasco da Gama
Until Spaniards and Italians devoted themselves to the New World, another strong maritime nation actually succeeded in what everybody desired - discovering a water way to India. The Portuguese Vasco Da Gama was only 28 years old when he set sails, leading three ships, each weighing 100 tones and a crew of more than 160 people south to Cabo Verde and further south up to the Cape of Good Hope. Bartolomieu Diaz, another Portuguese explorer, had reach the Cape (precisely up to Rio do Infante) but returned because of the difficult and dangerous passage. Vasco succeeded in passing on 16th of December 1497. After that they entered waters in which no European has ever been to. They reached the first coast on Christmas, and called it Natal (Christmas in Portuguese).
When the expedition reached Mozambique they had no decent gift to offer to the king, so an angry crowd saw them off at the port - Da Gama's crew responded with firing a canon at the city. At Mombasa and Malinde the crew took up piracy (surprisingly enough - perhaps they had exhausted their provisions). Shortly after, Vasco da Gama found and hired a Gujarati guide, who helped them go in the fastest way to Kozhikode (south-eastern coast of India). Finally the dream had come true - water way to India gave European nations independence as the Road of Silk through the Muslim countries was so venturesome. Vasco da Gama was a perfect merchant - even though he could take very few goods from India, he sold them upon return with 3000% profit! He was proclaimed Admiral of the Indian Ocean - title which now looks to us as if it is taken from a cartoon book.
The second voyage he was in charge of 20 warships, sent to enforce Portuguese interests in the newly discovered territories. Da Gama revealed himself as a very cruel and merciless person - his people looted a ship coming from Muslim Mecca, took all the valuable objects, and killed the 380 passengers, among which there were women and children. Then they sank the whole ship. When he returned after the second voyage, Vasco was given county - Vadiguiera and feudal rights upon its territory. Such things prove to us that not only in modern times discoverers of new things are born with silver spoon in their mouths.
When the person in charge of Portuguese interests in India could no longer cope with the job, Vasco da Gama was sent to take over; but he died soon after arriving at Calicut. He was a strong and fierce man. The Empire of Portugal owed most of its positions to him. However, the domination of Lisbon was not more than 100 years, after which it gave way to British and Dutch colonial supremacy.
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