Portuguese expedition to Rio Grande (1447)
| Portuguese expedition to Rio Grande (1447) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Kingdom of Portugal | Natives | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Nuno Tristão † | Unknown | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 22 sailors[1] |
80 armed men 13 cannons[1] | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Heavy[1] | Unknown | ||||||
The Portuguese expedition to Rio Grande (1447) was an expedition led by Nuno Tristão to explore the coast of Cape Verde, he was resisted by the inhabitants, which ended the expedition in failure.
Background
[edit]In 1446, Nuno Tristão doubled Cape Verde ninety miles to the north of the mouth of the Gambia River. Nuno got into touch with the locals at Cape Verde and agreed on a treaty of friendship and commerce with them. Afterwards, ships were sent from Portugal every year to trade with them.[2]
Expedition
[edit]In 1447, Nuno made his final voyage to explore the coast to the south of Cape Verde. He stood out to sea from that point and consequently failed to discover the mouth of the Gambia River. Eventually he reached the Rio Grande. However, he was met with hostility, his party was attacked by the natives and he himself was killed.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e Zurara, Gomes Eanes de (1841). "Zurara (1453, ch.30)".
- ^ Gray, J.M (1940). The History of the Gambia. London: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-107-51196-5.