

Vasco da Gama was the first European sailor to make it all the way to India. He also rounded the Cape of Good Hope at the very bottom.

In fact, Dias even helped him plan for the trip and sailed with him for awhile. He followed Dias' path down the west coast of Africa. So what did the king do? Well, he hired someone else to do what Dias could not! Vasco da Gama was the first European sailor to make it all the way to India, which opened a sea route to the East. His sailing skills, as well as a bit of luck from the storm, had pushed him around the tip of Africa.īelieve it or not, the king was not happy with Dias' trip! He had wanted Dias to find a way to get all the way to India, but, as we know, Dias hit the bottom of Africa and then turned around. When the storm cleared, he had founded the Indian Ocean. During the storm, he decided to point his ships to the south. While on his journey, he got caught up in a storm that lasted two weeks. He brought two large ships with him, as well as a smaller one to carry goods like food.

No one had ever sailed this far south along the African coast before.
