Afonso Gonçalves Baldaia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Afonso Gonçalves Baldaia
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| Born | c. 1415 |
| Died | 1481 Praia da Vitória, Azores, Kingdom of Portugal
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| Nationality | Portuguese |
| Occupation | Explorer, colonist |
| Known for | Explorer of the coast of Western Sahara. |
Afonso Gonçalves Baldaia was a Portuguese sea explorer in the 1400s. He explored a large part of the coast of Western Sahara between 1435 and 1436. He did this for the Portuguese prince, Prince Henry the Navigator. Later, Afonso Baldaia became one of the first people to settle on Terceira Island in the Azores.
Contents
Who Was Afonso Baldaia?
We don't know much about where Afonso Gonçalves Baldaia came from. He is believed to be the first person with the "Baldaia" last name in Portuguese records. This suggests his family might have come from another country. We do know that he worked for Prince Henry the Navigator. He was a copeiro, which means he was a special servant who served drinks.
First Journey of Exploration
In 1434, one of Prince Henry's explorers, Gil Eanes, sailed past Cape Bojador. This cape was a place that European sailors had long thought was impossible to pass. It was a big challenge for them.
In 1435, Prince Henry sent Eanes out again. This time, Eanes was joined by a second ship. This ship was a barinel and was led by Afonso Gonçalves Baldaia. Their mission was to explore the coast even further south than Cape Bojador.
Not much is known about the barinel ship. It was a new, larger ship with two masts. It could be powered by sails and oars. It was designed especially for exploring coastlines. Unlike Eanes, it seems Baldaia did not have much experience sailing before this trip.
Eanes and Baldaia sailed south to a place they called Angra dos Ruivos (Garnet Bay). They named it after the red fish they found there. This spot was about 250 kilometers (155 miles) south of Cape Bojador. They sailed along the mostly empty coast of Western Sahara. They saw some signs of people, like footprints of men and camels. However, they did not meet anyone on this journey.
- Angra dos Ruivos (Garnet Bay) 24°40′N 14°56′W / 24.667°N 14.933°W
Second Journey of Exploration
In 1436, Baldaia set off again on his barinel. This time, he went alone. Prince Henry told him to find and bring back a local person. They even brought two horses on board in case they needed to chase someone.
Baldaia's group stopped at Angra dos Cavallos (near Point Elbow). They saw some local people in the distance and sent a group after them. But they could not catch anyone. Baldaia continued south and found a coastal inlet. He named it Rio do Ouro (River of Gold). This was near modern Dakhla, Western Sahara. He thought it was the mouth of a famous 'River of Gold' that traders talked about. This river was probably the Sénégal River, which went deep into the Mali Empire.
While at Rio do Ouro, Baldaia's crew hunted monk seals. These seals rested on that part of the coast. They filled the ship with seal skins and oil.
From there, Baldaia sailed even further south. He crossed the Tropic of Cancer. He might have been the first European to cross this line of latitude. He reached as far as Pedra da Galé (Galha Point). This was a rock island shaped like a ship, off Cape Barbas. He found nothing there but some old fishing nets. After that, Baldaia turned back. In total, Baldaia had sailed about 200 kilometers (125 miles) south of where he had stopped the year before.
Prince Henry was not happy with the empty coast Baldaia described. So, he did not send out another expedition for a few years. It was not until 1441 that Henry sent out two new ships. These were early versions of the caravel, a new type of ship. One ship was led by Antão Gonçalves. He was sent back to Rio do Ouro to hunt more seals. The other ship was led by Nuno Tristão. His job was to explore beyond Baldaia's furthest point, Pedra da Galé.
- Angra dos Cavallos (Point Elbow) 24°04′N 15°35′W / 24.067°N 15.583°W
- Rio do Ouro 23°39′N 16°00′W / 23.650°N 16.000°W
- Pedra da Galé (Galha Point) 22°12′36″N 16°48′0″W / 22.21000°N 16.80000°W
Later Life: Porto and the Azores
After Baldaia returned to Portugal, we don't hear much about him for a while. We know that Prince Henry asked King Edward of Portugal to appoint Baldaia as the almoxarife (customs collector) in the city of Porto. We know he held this job until at least October 13, 1442. His replacement in this job is mentioned in 1451.
People usually believe that Afonso Gonçalves Baldaia, the explorer, is the same person as Afonso Gonçalves de Antona Baldaia. This second person was a settler in the Azores. However, there are no documents that fully confirm this.
The Azorean Baldaia appeared around 1450. He was connected to a Flemish settler named Jacob of Bruges. Jacob convinced Baldaia, who had recently lost his wife, to move to the Azores islands. Baldaia became one of the first settlers of Terceira Island. He built a home and a small chapel in Angra do Heroísmo. In 1474, Baldaia retired to Villa da Praia. He gave his lands in Angra to the Franciscan Order. His large house became a meeting place for the Franciscans and later a school. His chapel was made bigger and became the church of Nossa Senhora da Guia. Baldaia the settler died in 1481. His family continued to be important people in Azorean society.
Afonso Gonçalves Baldaia is one of the navigators shown in the Padrão dos Descobrimentos (Monument to the Portuguese Discoveries) in Lisbon. This monument was built in 1960.
Images for kids
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Effigy of Afonso Gonçalves Baldaia in the Monument to the Discoveries, in Lisbon, Portugal.
See also
In Spanish: Afonso Gonçalves Baldaia para niños
