A NATION REMEMBERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18891, 13 December 1924, Page 2 (Supplement)

A NATION REMEMBERS.

HONOUR TO VASCO DA GAMA.

EMPIRE BUILDER.

FOUR HUNDRED YEARS AGO.

FAME OF GHHAT EXPLORER.

Portugal. Britain's eldest ally, lias invited the British Government to .send a cruiser to Lisbon at Christmas, when she commemorates the iourtlA centenary of the death of Vaseo da Gam;i v the great captain, explorer, and vicecby who founded the Indian Empire whichv she lost, and the great African Colonies which she still holds. Brazil, which once belonged to Portugal, and still bears to* that country the same relationship as the United States bears to Britain, speaking the. Portuguese tongue and sharing Portuguese history and culture, will send a dej>utafio*n of distinguished men to do honour to her Motherland. And it is hoped ftbat South Africa will also be sending representatives. Ir. was Vaseo da Gania who first, on Christmas Day in 1497. sighted a land which he called Natal, which is '.the Portuguese name for Christmas. He Had been sent by the King, with a fleet «of four ships a'jid 160 men. to explore the road to India past the Capo, following i>p ihe venturesome expeditions of Bartholomew

Diaz. He carried letters from his King to the Princes of the East, among them the fabled Prester John, and his voyage took him ten months, during which time he suffered and triumphed over stormy seas, privation, mutiny, and all manner of hardships.

. Massacre and Vengeance.

Even when da Gama did reach Calicut, on the coast of India, on May 20, 1498, the Arab merchants made such trouble that lie had to fight his way out of the harbour. He returned to Lisbon in September. 1499. and was received with the greatest honour. The King sent out a new fleet to found a factory at Calicut. It was driven out of its course to the shores of Brazil, and half of the 13 ships were lost before they could reach the Indian coast, where the factory was founded.

The Indians murdered the 40 merchants who were left behind, and da Guna was despatched with a fleet of 20 sail to take vengeance. He weighed anchor in 1502, and broke his journey to establish the colonies of Mozambique and Sofala, on the east coast of Africa, which a'e .Mill a, source, of great wealth to Portugal. Da, (Jama bombarded Calicut, destroyed the Indian and Arab fleets, and returned with rich treasure, having laid the foundations of an Empire in India.

Da Gama then lived the life of a quirt country gentleman, but after 20 yearlie was called from his seclusion, for things were going badly in the East, and only he could put them right. His triumph was complete. Ho re-established order and security, and made the name of Portugal to be' respected once again. But death overtook da Gama in tho hour of victory and he died at Cochin on Christmas t)ay. 1524. His body was embalmed and taken back to his native land whore he was buried with great pomp at Vidigueira.