Bartolomeu Dias

Bartolomeu Dias, also known as Bartholomew Diaz or Bartolomé Diaz (ca. 1450 - 29 May 1500) was a Portuguese navigator, the first European to sail around the Cape of Good Hope.

Very little is known about the early life of Bartolomeu Dias. One of the reasons that explains this obscurity is the fact that historical documents of the period mention several seafarers named "Bartolomeu Dias", making it difficult to know which one of them corresponds to this famous navigator. Some historians have considered him to be related with João Dias, a navigator who sailed around Cape Bojador in 1434, or with Dinis Dias, the discover of Cape Verde, Africa’s westermost point.

In 1481 John II became the new king of Portugal and began a policy of renovation of the exploration work on Africa's western coast that had began in the early 15th century under Prince Henry the Navigator. The king hoped to find a sea route to India, that would avoid the Muslim lands of the Middle East, and to establish diplomatic relations with Prester John, a legendary black Christian ruler that lived somewhere in East Africa; it was expected that this ruler would ally with Europeans in the fight against Islam. To achieve these goals, the king sent several expedition. By sea Diogo Cão went on voyages along the unknown part of the African coast (1482-1485), that went as far as Cape Cross, on the modern country of Namibia. Another important effort was the expedition of João Afonso de Aveiro to the kingdom of Benim. The explorer returned to Portugal in 1486 accompanied by a native, who informed the Portuguese that around 250 miles east of the of the kingdom of Benim lived a powerful ruler named Ogane, identified by the royal cosmographers as the Prester John.

It was under these developments that Bartolomeu Dias was named commander of the expedition whose mission was to know the exact extension of the west coast of Africa and, eventually, find the passage that led to India. Dias left Lisbon on August 1487, leading a fleet consisting of two caravels of fifty tons each and a supply ship. One caravel was under his command, the other under the direction of João Infante and the supply ship was commanded his brother, Pêro Dias. This supply ship was to be left on a spot of the African coast, in order to allow the other ships to take its provisions when they returned to Portugal (previous voyages to the African coast had been limited due to the lack of provisions).

By early December 1487 Dias had passed Cape Cross, the farthest point reached by Diogo Cão on his 1485 voyage. On 4 December he named a part of the African coast Land of Saint Barbara (Terra de Santa Bárbara), because the day coincided with the feast of Saint Barbara. The convention of naming points of coast according to the religious calendar continued as the ships headed south. Some of these names, first attributed during this expedition, have endured until modern times (e.g, Conception Bay, Golfo de Santa Maria da Conceição).

At Luderitz Bay (Angra das Voltas) the supply ship was left with a party of nine men, while the two caravels continued to the south. By the end of the month of December the ships had passed Elisabeth Bay (Golfo de São Estêvão) and were at the beginning of January 1488 at Cardow Berg (Serra dos Reis).

At this point of the journey a storm drove the ships to the open sea, where they stayed for about two weeks. When the weather conditions improved, Dias took the ships in an eastwards direction, hoping to approach the African coast that he mistakenly believed was there. However, when no land appeared after a few days, Dias decided to sail northwards. Finally, the south coast of Africa appeared and the ships anchored at mouth of the Goritz River (Rio das Vacas). They continued sailing eastwards along the coast, making stopovers at places like Mossel Bay (Baía de São Bráz), Cape Recife (Cabo do Arrecife) and Algoa Bay (Angra da Roca). It is here, near the modern South African town of Porth Elisabeth, that the coast begins to angle to the northeast.

Bartolomeu Dias was now determined to sail up the eastern coast of Africa until India was reached. However, his men were tired and feared to be left without provisions. Explicit orders from the king stated that Dias had to follow the opinion of the majority, who voted for the return. Nevertheless, the crew agreed to sail eastwards for a few more days.