BARTHOLOMEW DIAS

As a Portuguese navigator, Bartholomew Dias (Diaz) was born sometime around the mid-15th century. However, in the early summer of 1500, he was lost at sea while traveling to India from Brazil. However, going back to 1478, Dias was believed to be an identical discoverer who was exempted from certain customary payments on ivory that had been brought back from the Guinea coast. By 1481, Dias was the commander of a vessel sent out by King Joao II, under Diogo d'Azambuja heading to the Gold Coast.

By 1486, Dias was considered an important member of the king's household and in fact, was the superintendent of the royal warehouses. Then in October of that same year, he was given an annuity of 6,000 Reis from the king for future services. Sometime in the summer of the following year, Dias left Lisbon, taking three vessels to continue African exploration, which had been advanced by Diogo Cao.

For 13 days, Dias moved his ships to the south, eager to explore Africa's western coast. However, they battled strong winds and dangerous storms along the way and without being aware; he and his crew were carried to the continent's southern point, landing at the Great Fish River mouth. There, he soon realized he was on the eastern coast, not the western coast. When done, they ended up at the south coast of Cape Colony at Mossel Bay.

From that point, the expedition crossed to the east, passing Algoa Bay where pillars were erected along with wooden crosses. With the going being tough, most of the officers and other crewmembers started to insist that Dias return home. As hard as he tried to persuade them otherwise, Dias could only get them to go to the Great Fish River. However, about mid point between Port Elizabeth and East London, the coast became unmistakable, as they realized the way around Africa had been opened.

When Dias did return, he probably named Cape Agulhas after St. Brandan. Then, as he spotted the highlands, he was impressed. With that, he bestowed the name of Cape of Storms or "Cabo Tormentoso". The cape was quite stormy, thus the name, which the King of Portugal eventually changed to Cabo de Boa Esperance or Cape of Good Hope, as we know it today. In addition, Dias erected yet another pillar known as Diaz Point, which is located just to the south of Luderitz Bay or Angra Pequena and believed to be the last one. In fact, today fragments of that pillar still exist.

After reaching Prince's Island, just to the southwest of the Cameroons, along with the Gold Coast, Dias appeared in Lisbon in December of 1488. The result of his travels was some 1,260 miles of discovered coast. In fact, he had traveled from Pero de Covilhao, being credited for solving the earlier mystery of an ocean route around Africa to the West Indies and then traveled and explored many other fascinating lands of East and South Asia.