Return to Lisbon, Portugal: September 9, 1499

It took us three months to re-cross the Indian Ocean. Many men died from diseases such as scurvy on this part of the journey. We had to burn the São Rafael as a result of a lack of crew. I have returned back to Lisbon with only 55 of the original 170 men that I had started my journey with. However, Portugal was pleased with the stones and spices that I have brought back. I was awarded with a great celebration upon my return. Many people looked up to me as a hero and King Manoel awarded me with various titles and a large income.

Leaving Calicut, India: August 29, 1498

The remainder of my crew and I are leaving here on a bad note. We have gotten little accomplished in the time that we have spent here. The Zamorin did not want to anger the local merchants; therefore I was not able to establish a trading station or trading agreement. Muslim merchants despised us and threatened not to trade with us on a regular basis. On top of all this, when I finally wanted to leave, the Zamorin said that in order to leave I would have to pay a heavy tax and leave all of the goods behind that I had brought with me as a form of collateral. I was certainly not going to agree to this deal, so with five hostages and all of our possessions we finally made it out of Calicut, India. I also made an agreement with the Zamorin before we left. I now have a letter with me stating that the Zamorin will trade spices and gems if the Portuguese could get scarlet cloth, coral, silver, and gold.

Arriving at Calicut, India: May 20, 1498

As we traveled farther up the eastern coast of Africa we reached the port of Malindi. The people welcomed and embraced us here. We felt much more welcome here than at ports near the southern end of the east coast. It was at this location that I met Ahmad Ibn Majid, an Arabian pilot. Ahmad guided us the rest of the way to India. After being at sea for twenty-three days, we had finally crossed the Indian Ocean. We have arrived in a place called Calicut, India. There was a huge selection of stones, pearls, and spices here to choose from. We seemed to be well accepted by the Hindu ruler. There was great ceremony held for us and I was taken to a Hindu temple. However, the ruler felt insulted by the gifts that we had brought him. He said that these items were of little value to him.

Mozambique: March 2, 1488

Today we reached the port of Mozambique. There were many Muslim trading posts here and the Muslims immediately looked at us as a threat. They did not want any interference in their trade centers. They became so threatened by us that they attempted to steal our ships. They looked at us as competition in trading and made it seem like we were trying to take over their trading posts. Despite all of this, the sultan of Mozambique supplied us with pilots who would help guide us on our journey northward up the coast of Africa.

Rounding the Cape of Good Hope: November 22, 1497

We have finally rounded the Cape of Good Hope and will soon be sailing aside the east coast of Africa. We are starting to run low on supplies and many of the crew members still want to return home. We need to stop at port soon; the supplies that remain will not last very long. I have reason to suspect that the chance of running into more hostile people is high. I predict that we will run into some type of confrontation with other people, like the Muslims, in the near future.

Cape of Good Hope: November 7, 1497

We reached the Cape of Good Hope today. Many of us thought it would be a sigh of relief to see land again. Unfortunately it did not turn out the way we thought it would. The natives in the area greeted us, but they were not too happy to see us. We were not sure what their intentions were as we approached them, but in another few moments we would find out. More natives came running out of the vegetation that lied beyond the shore. They began shooting arrows at the ship screaming with rage. The crew began loading up their muskets with gunpowder, however the natives already had a head start on us. After what seemed like hours, we finally made our way out of the warzone that was now behind us. Five of our crewmembers were injured in the battle. We are now extremely close to rounding the southern tip of Africa, and many of the men want to return home as a result of the events that occurred earlier today. However I cannot do that; I set out on a mission to reach Asia and I do not plan on abandoning that mission.

Lisbon, Portugal: July 18, 1497

Today 170 men, including me, will set sail on a mission to find a direct sea route to Asia. I plan on completing what Bartolomeu Dias had started almost a decade ago. A fleet of four ships will leave the port toady: the São Gabriel, the São Rafael, the Berrio, and a storage ship. We have packed enough food for our crew members to last us until we reach the Cape Verde Islands. I myself will be in charge of the São Gabriel and will follow the route shown on the map below. Our plan is to sail to the Cape Verde Islands from Lisbon. From the Cape Verde Islands we will sail southwest away from the coast of Africa, the less encounters we have with the natives, the higher our chance of survival becomes. We will sail southeast to the Cape of Good Hope and stop at ports along the west coast to gather supplies and trade goods. We will gather information on our desired location by asking the locals at the ports we stop at. We may even hire men to guide us to Asia in order to arrive there safely and at a faster pace.