Cadamosto biography of rory

Cadamosto's accounts of his journeys, including his detailed observations of west African societies, have proven invaluable to historians. We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe. If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly.

Forgot your password? Retrieve it. View the Study Pack. Print Word PDF. This section contains words approx. View a FREE sample. More summaries and resources for teaching or studying Alvise da Cadamosto. Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. January 9, Retrieved January 09, from Encyclopedia. Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list.

Because each style has its own formatting nuances that evolve over time and not all information is available for every reference entry or article, Encyclopedia. History Encyclopedias almanacs transcripts and maps Alvise da Cadamosto. Alvise da Cadamosto gale. Learn more about citation styles Citation styles Encyclopedia. More From encyclopedia.

About this article Alvise da Cadamosto Updated About encyclopedia. Alvis, Hayes Julian. Alvin, Dave. Alvin, Danny originally Viniello, Daniel Alvin. Alvin Saunders Johnson. Pressing south, Cadamosto and Usodimare finally discovered the mouth of the Gambia River in late June or early July They set about sailing upriver, but their advance faced unremitting hostility from the Mandinka inhabitants upriver.

Subjected to intense missile fire, they barely fended off a massed canoe attack that sought to trap and board them. According to Cadamosto's interpreters, the Mandinka believed the Portuguese were cannibals, that they had come to the region to buy black men to eat. Cadamosto does not supply details of the return trip to Portugal.

It is known that the fleet was back in Portugal before the end of the year, as Antoniotto Usodimare would write a letter dated 12 December to his creditors back in Genoareporting the results of his voyage albeit with much exaggeration, and without mentioning Cadamosto. Cadamosto set out again from Lagos in Maythis time not alone, but together with Antoniotto Usodimare and another caravel with an unnamed Portuguese captain, another servant of Prince Henry.

Cadamosto biography of rory: Running a big ship on

The three vessels made no known trading stops, intending to sail straight to the Gambia River probably per Prince Henry's instructions. Catching a storm around Cape Vert peninsula, the little fleet was forced to sail west, away from the coast for two days and three nights about miles and stumbled on the as-yet-undiscovered archipelago of the Cape Verde Islands.

They anchored first on an island which they named Buona Vista Boa Vistabefore proceeding on to a larger island, which they named San Jacobo Santiago according to Cadamosto, on account of it being the feast of SS. Philip and James — probably an error [ 23 ] Finding the islands uninteresting, they headed on. Note: although Cadamosto claims credit for the discovery of the Cape Verde islands, this is disputed by Diogo Gomeswho claims he discovered the islands, together with Antonio da Noliin sometimes dated [ 24 ].

Cadamosto biography of rory: History.—The earliest known discovery of

Cadamosto, Usodimare and the unnamed Portuguese captain proceeded to enter the Gambia River again, albeit this time without opposition. They sailed about 10 Italian miles 15 km upriver and anchored briefly on a river island they named Santo Andrea to bury a deceased crew member, named Andrea; the island is believed to be modern Dog Island [ 25 ].

The trio proceeded upriver carefully, warily watched by native Mandinka canoes, but this time no hostilities or ambushes emerged. Eventually, one of the interpreters managed to entice some of the canoe-borne natives aboard the Portuguese ships and opened peaceful contact. The natives identified themselves as subjects of king Forosangoli of the southern bank of the Gambia [ 26 ] and that he, and most other Mandinka kings along the Gambia river were all vassal subjects of the Emperor of Mali Impatore di Melliand that some of the local kings were willing to meet the Portuguese.

Cadamosto biography of rory: Cadamosto, a noble Venetian, sent,

Following the instructions of his interlocutors, Cadamosto sailed some 60 Italian miles up the Gambia river, reaching the residence of the Mandinka king he called BattimansaMandinka for "king of the Batti' probably Badibuon the north side of the river. They engaged in some petty trade with the locals, in particular musk invaluable to European perfumersand imply they even acquired live specimens of African civet cat.

Cadamosto mentions interacting with another lord, Guumimensawhose dominion was closer to the mouth of the river. This is probably none other than the formidable 'Niumimansa', king of the Niumi-Banta of Barra region, whose rule extended over Niumi-Bato Niominka of the Diombos River shore, an old antagonist of Portuguese explorers. Cadamosto and his companions stayed in Badibu for 11 days, before departing.

They did not discover the commercial center of Cantorwhich was still several miles upriver it was only discovered a couple of years later, by Diogo Gomes. But he did discover malariaand his crew quickly fell ill with fevers. It was probably this epidemic that prompted Cadamosto to cut short his stay and leave the Gambia river, back to the ocean, where the fevers seemed to have subsided.

Resolved to continue exploring the West African coast, Cadamosto's trio set sail south, doubling Cape St. They sent a couple of launches to land to open contact, but being told the king was absent on campaign, Cadamosto did not linger but decided to continue on. After a couple of days, they lifted anchor and made their way to some "of the many islands in the sea" the Bissagos Islandsbut found it cadamosto biography of rory as impossible to communicate with the inhabitants there.

Given the language barrier, they saw no point in proceeding further. Cadamosto, Usodimare and the unnamed Portuguese captain set sail back to Portugal. The record of Portuguese discoveries prior to Alvise Cadamosto did not seem to have gone beyond the Sine-Saloum delta. But on his second trip, inopposition fell away for some reason, and he managed to become the first European along with Antoniotto Usodimare and their anonymous companions to sail up the Gambia River.

It is uncertain what caused this change of attitude from one year to the next — a new Niumimansa? A shift in senegambian politics? The unreliable Diogo Gomes later boasted that he sailed to the Gambia sometime between and and single-handedly negotiated a peace with the Niumimansa, although this is likely exaggerated. The length of coast they discovered in was the greatest leap in the Portuguese era of discoveries since Much the same coast would be covered again by Diogo Gomes around possibly as early asprobably sent by Henry as a follow-up to Cadamosto's report and Cadamosto's furthest marker would only really be surpassed by Pedro de Sintra in — After his return inCadamosto continued to live in Lagos for many years, suggesting he must have continued to engage, directly or indirectly, in West African commerce.

It is not known whether Cadamosto himself made any further trips down the African coast. Cadamosto acquired the details of that expedition from Sintra's clerk upon its return. Cadamosto's patron, Prince Henry the Navigator, died in Novemberand the monopoly on African trade reverted to the Portuguese crown and its operations were gradually transferred from Lagos to Lisbon.

Probably seeing no future for himself in the new order, Cadamosto left Portugal and returned to Venice in February Cadamosto is believed to have brought notes, logs and several nautical maps with him. Cadamosto used these to compose his famous Navigazioni sometime in the mids.