The Start of the Expedition and Route
Who was King of Portugal when Vasco da Gama's expedition was planned, and who had he been preceded by?
King Manuel followed King John the Fortunate on the throne.
What was the main concern that complicated the voyage across the sea from the eastern coast of Africa to Calicut?
Finding a pilot to guide them across the sea to Calicut.
On what date did Vasco da Gama drop anchor at Calicut?
May 20, 1498.
When did Vasco da Gama return to Calicut for a second time, and with how many ships?
In 1502, with twenty ships.
Before the expedition, what kind of person was Vasco da Gama described as needing to be?
He had to be a soldier and a diplomat, a fine seaman, a thickset, hard-jawed man, and a good navigator.
How many ships and men were in Vasco da Gama's initial expedition for the three-year journey to India?
Four ships and about 170 men.
What cruel thing did Vadco Da Gama do to pilots that were uncooperative?
The pilot was given a mixture of boiling water and resin (the "drops") which was ladled onto his skin, drop by drop.
How was Vasco da Gama transported from his ship to the king's palace to meet the local Hindu ruler?
He was carried in a fancy sedan chair (palanquin).
During his second voyage, what act of violence did Vasco da Gama commit against a large passenger ship sailing back from Mecca?
He seized its cargo and set the ship on fire, with 380 passengers (women and children included) locked up on deck.
What was the purpose of the Portuguese expedition, according to the text?
To follow the route to Calicut, the center for treasures on the southwest coast of India, as a way to bring back more treasure.
What route was Vasco da Gama's fleet prepared to follow to reach Calicut?
The route around the Cape of Good Hope across the Indian Ocean to Calicut, following Bartolomew Diaz's path.
Where did Vasco da Gama finally find a pilot, known as "The Lion of the Sea of Fury", to take him across the Indian Ocean to Calicut?
At the port of Malindi on the coast of what is now Kenya.
What was the response of the King's Muslim officers to the gifts Vasco da Gama presented?
They were outraged. They considered the gifts only fit for a native chief and an insult to a civilized ruler.
After seizing the city and getting rid of the Muslims, what new relationships did Vasco da Gama establish?
Friendly relations with the neighboring state of Cochin and with other towns on the way.
What was Vasco da Gama's mood described as being during the happiest scene of his journey near Herdsmens' Bay?
In a holiday mood, a stern, forbidding man, but apparently he was in a holiday mood.
After leaving Portugal, where did the fleet make a short stopover, and why?
At the Cape Verde Islands to avoid the coastal storms that had plagued Bartolomew Diaz.
What disease afflicted the sailors due to the lack of fresh fruit and vegetables (Vitamin C) as they neared Calicut?
Scurvy.
Vasco da Gama's trade was largely controlled by which religious group in Calicut?
Arabs (Muslims).
What position was Vasco da Gama appointed to in India in 1524?
Viceroy.
What did Vasco da Gama prove by making the longest voyage of any European vessel and successfully rounding Africa?
That all that India could be reached by sea.
What was the significance of the date November 4 on the voyage?
It was when Vasco da Gama returned to land on November 4th just north of the Cape of Good Hope.
What was the condition of the fleet when it finally arrived in Portugal in August 1499?
Only two ships and 55 survivors from the original 170 men returned.
What ultimately made Vasco da Gama abandon diplomacy and decide to "conquer" Calicut?
The King intended to impose a tax on everything Vasco da Gama was ready to leave.
How old was Vasco da Gama when he returned to India as Viceroy, and what ultimately happened to him?
He was sixty-four years old, and he died after a short illness on Christmas Eve, 1524.
What astronomical bodies did Vasco da Gama use for navigation after leaving Malindi?
The Lion, the Orion, the Great Bear, and the North Star.