Learning about Brazil history part 2, the trip

The trip of Pedro Alvares Cabral part 2

The Treaty of Tordesillas (1494) settled the question of possession of the new lands between Spain and Portugal.

It was agreed that territories lying east of a meridian 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde Islands should belong to Portugal, the lands to the west to Spain. This imaginary line, from pole to pole, cut through the eastern-most part of the South American continent and constituted Brazil's first frontier, although the formal discovery by Pedro Alvares Cabral did not take place until six years later in 1500.

The son of Fernao Cabral, a nobleman, and of Isabel de Gouveia, Pedro Cabral was heir to a long tradition of service to the throne. He himself enjoyed the esteem of King Manuel I of Portugal, from whom he received various privileges in 1497; these included a personal allowance, the title of counselor to his highness, and the habit of the military Order of Christ. Following up on da Gama's pioneering voyage, three years later the king entrusted him with the command of the second major expedition to India, expressing -the great confidence we have in Pedralvares de Gouveia, nobleman of our household.- Cabral was named admiral in supreme command of 13 ships, which set out from Lisbon on March 9, 1500. He was to follow the route taken earlier by Vasco da Gama, strengthen commercial ties, and further the conquest his predecessor had begun.

We however , confirm the day 22, April 1500–based in the letter that D. Manoel wrote Pedro Vaz de Caminha- , that he participated in the brazilian expedition as Clerk of the armada, eyewitness, and a person deign of the whole concept; letter that one see published by P. Ayres of Cazal in the his distinguished one–- Corographia Brasilica- ,–and more precisely in the–Foreign–Noticias Tom. 4. Besides have in our support the authorities valuable mui of the same–Cazal, of Varnaghen, of Fr. Francisco of S. Luiz- in his Indice Chronologico- and of other authors. But it happens that the own Authors that they believe it was the day 24 of the month of April 1500, we present weapons to confirm ourselves in our opinion: because mentioned him pilot asserts it was the discovery in the–Quarta feira- Wednesday of the oitavario of Easter, that he the same as precisely says the author Caminhas in the mentioned letter of the discovery of Brazil.

After a stay of only 10 days in Brazil, Cabral sailed for India, in a voyage that was plagued by a series of misfortunes. On May 29, while the fleet was rounding the Cape of Good Hope, four ships were lost with all hands aboard. The remaining ships cast anchor on September 13, 1500, at Calicut (now Kozhikode), India, where the zamorin (dynastic ruler) welcomed Pedro A.Cabral and allowed him to establish a fortified trading post.