The passage across the gulf proved a fearful trial for the Portuguese. Foul winds and calms impeded their progress, whilst a renewed outbreak of scurvy carried off thirty victims and prostrated the remaining men, so that only seven or eight were fit to do duty in each vessel. Vasco da Gama had left Anjediva on October 5th (a Friday!), although the N.E. monsoon only sets in at the end of the month, and ninety days elapsed before the African coast came within sight, near Magadoxo, and five more before the hard-proved mariners once more found themselves with the friendly Sultan of Melinde (p. 89).
The remainder of the voyage home calls for little comment. Having left Melinde on January 11th, Vasco da Gama, passing between the mainland and Zanzibar, stopped for a fortnight at the “baixos” upon which the S. Raphael had run in the outward voyage, and there that doomed ship was set on fire, as there were no men left to sail her. Late on February 1st the remaining two vessels hove to in front of S. Jorge Island, where a padrão was erected on the following morning in drenching rain. The voyage was continued without communicating with the town of Moçambique, and on March 3rd Vasco once more found himself in the Bay of S. Braz.
The Cape was doubled on March 20th. The wind proved fair during twenty-seven days—that is, to April 16th or 17th—but after came calms and foul winds; and on April 25th, when the wearied mariners already believed themselves to be near S. Thiago, the pilots told them that they had only reached the shoals off the Rio Grande (p. 93).
Here the two consorts appear to have parted company, under circumstances not known; and whilst Vasco da Gama accompanied his dying brother to Terçeira, Coelho is said to have made straight for Lisbon, where he arrived, after a voyage of seventy-six days, on July 10th. The distance along the coast of Africa is only 1,900 miles, and that by way of the Azores, the only route at all suitable for sailing vessels, is 2,920 miles. The passage ought certainly to have been accomplished in forty days.[452] What did he do during the remaining thirty-six days? We cannot suppose for one moment that an experienced sailor like Coelho would have faced the head-winds of the coast for the sake of shortening the distance to be run. Still, such things have happened.
From the following statement of distances run it will be seen that from July 8th, 1497, the day of Vasco da Gama’s departure from Lisbon to the return of Coelho on July 10th, 1499, there elapsed 732 days, or two years and two days. Of this time 316 days were expended before Calecut was reached, 102 at Calecut and in its vicinity, and 314 on the homeward passage.[453]
Dates and Places. Days. Old
Portuguse
Leagues.[453]Nautical
Miles.Average
Daily
Run,
Miles.Lisbon to S. Thiago, July 8 to 27, 1497
19 515 1740 90 S. Thiago to First Landfall, 30° S., Aug. 3 to Nov. 4
93 1533 5180 54 To S. Helena Bay, Nov. 4 to 7
3 49 165 55 S. Helena Bay to Cape of Good Hope, Nov. 16 to 22
6 34 115 19 Cape to Bay of S. Braz, Nov. 22 to 25
3 59 200 67 S. Braz to Rio do Cobre, Dec. 8 to Jan. 11, 1498
34 259 875 26[454] Rio do Cobre to Rio dos Bons Signaes, Jan. 16 to 24
8 1 480 60 Rio dos Bons Signaes to Moçambique, Feb 24 to March 2
6 98 330 55 Moçambique to Mombaça, March 29 to April 7[455]
9 204 690 77 Mombaça to Melinde, April 12 to 14
2 18 60 30 Melinde to Mount Eli, April 24 to May 18
24 657 2220 93 Mount Eli to Capocate near Calecut, May 18 to 20
2 16 53 26 Total Outward Passage 209 3584 12108 58 Calecut to Anjediva, Aug. 30 to Sept. 20, 1498
21 71 240 11 Anjediva to Melinde, Oct. 5 to Jan 7, 1499
94 710 2400 25 Melinde to Moçambique, Jan. 11 to Feb. 1
21[456] 219 740 35 Moçambique to S. Braz, Feb. 2 to March 3
30 500 1690 56 S. Braz to Cape, March 12 to 20
8 59 200 25 Cape to Rio Grande, March 20 to April 25
36 99 3360 93 Rio Grande to Lisbon (Coelho’s vessel), April 25 to July 10, 1499
76 4 2920 25 Total Homeward Passage 286 3417 11550 40
| Dates and Places. | Days. | Old Portuguse Leagues.[453] | Nautical Miles. | Average Daily Run, Miles. |
| Lisbon to S. Thiago, July 8 to 27, 1497 | 19 | 515 | 1740 | 90 |
| S. Thiago to First Landfall, 30° S., Aug. 3 to Nov. 4 | 93 | 1533 | 5180 | 54 |
| To S. Helena Bay, Nov. 4 to 7 | 3 | 49 | 165 | 55 |
| S. Helena Bay to Cape of Good Hope, Nov. 16 to 22 | 6 | 34 | 115 | 19 |
| Cape to Bay of S. Braz, Nov. 22 to 25 | 3 | 59 | 200 | 67 |
| S. Braz to Rio do Cobre, Dec. 8 to Jan. 11, 1498 | 34 | 259 | 875 | 26[454] |
| Rio do Cobre to Rio dos Bons Signaes, Jan. 16 to 24 | 8 | 1 | 480 | 60 |
| Rio dos Bons Signaes to Moçambique, Feb 24 to March 2 | 6 | 98 | 330 | 55 |
| Moçambique to Mombaça, March 29 to April 7[455] | 9 | 204 | 690 | 77 |
| Mombaça to Melinde, April 12 to 14 | 2 | 18 | 60 | 30 |
| Melinde to Mount Eli, April 24 to May 18 | 24 | 657 | 2220 | 93 |
| Mount Eli to Capocate near Calecut, May 18 to 20 | 2 | 16 | 53 | 26 |
| Total Outward Passage | 209 | 3584 | 12108 | 58 |
| Calecut to Anjediva, Aug. 30 to Sept. 20, 1498 | 21 | 71 | 240 | 11 |
| Anjediva to Melinde, Oct. 5 to Jan 7, 1499 | 94 | 710 | 2400 | 25 |
| Melinde to Moçambique, Jan. 11 to Feb. 1 | 21[456] | 219 | 740 | 35 |
| Moçambique to S. Braz, Feb. 2 to March 3 | 30 | 500 | 1690 | 56 |
| S. Braz to Cape, March 12 to 20 | 8 | 59 | 200 | 25 |
| Cape to Rio Grande, March 20 to April 25 | 36 | 99 | 3360 | 93 |
| Rio Grande to Lisbon (Coelho’s vessel), April 25 to July 10, 1499 | 76 | 4 | 2920 | 25 |
| Total Homeward Passage | 286 | 3417 | 11550 | 40 |