Cristóvão de Mendonça facts for kids

Cristóvão de Mendonça (born around 1475 in Mourão, Portugal – died in 1532 in Ormus) was a Portuguese nobleman and explorer. He was active in Southeast Asia during the 1500s.

Cristóvão de Mendonça was the son of Diogo Furtado de Mendonça, who was the lord mayor of Mourão. His mother was Brites Soares de Albergaria. Cristóvão married Maria de Vilhena, but they did not have any children.

Mendonça's Adventures in Asia

Cristóvão de Mendonça is known from a few Portuguese historical writings. The most important source is João de Barros, a famous Portuguese historian. Barros wrote a big history called Décadas da Ásia (Decades of Asia). It tells the story of the Portuguese Empire in India and Asia.

What Did Barros Say About Mendonça?

João de Barros mentions that Cristóvão de Mendonça was from Mourão. He became the Captain-Major (a high-ranking leader) of Hormuz (now called Ormus) in 1527. He stayed there until he died in 1532.

Barros also says that Mendonça was the captain of a ship that left Lisbon in 1519. After reaching Goa, he was given an important mission. He had to search for the legendary Isles of Gold, also known as Chryse. People believed these islands were somewhere "beyond Sumatra."

The Search for the Isles of Gold

In 1520, King Manuel of Portugal ordered a search for these rich islands. Diogo Lopez, another Portuguese leader, chose Cristóvão de Mendonça for this task.

However, Mendonça's mission was interrupted. He was told to help build and defend a fort at Pedir in Sumatra. Other Portuguese captains also helped with this important work. Because building the fort took a long time, Mendonça and others had to stay there. They needed to make sure the fort was strong enough to be defended.

After the fort was secure, Cristóvão de Mendonça went to Malacca. It is not clear if he ever went back to search for the Isles of Gold. João de Barros does not mention it again.

Earlier Attempts to Find the Isles of Gold

Before Mendonça, another explorer named Diogo Pacheco also tried to find these islands. He was very skilled at sea. But his ship was wrecked off the coast of Sumatra. Pacheco's attempt was the first time someone lost their life trying to find the Isles of Gold.

The idea of the Isles of Gold came from ancient stories. These stories mentioned places like Suvarnadvipa and Suvarnabhumi, which meant "Land of Gold." Ancient Greek and Roman maps also showed Islands of Gold and Silver.

Mendonça and the Discovery of Australia Theory

In the 1970s, Cristóvão de Mendonça's name became famous in Australian history. This happened because of a theory by Kenneth McIntyre. He suggested that the Portuguese might have discovered Australia before other Europeans.

The Portuguese Discovery Theory

McIntyre believed that Mendonça led a fleet of three ships called caravels between 1521 and 1524. He thought they explored the east coast of Australia. There are not many Portuguese documents or maps that directly link Mendonça to Australia.

McIntyre thought the voyage was kept secret. This was because it might have broken the Treaty of Tordesillas. This treaty divided the world between Portugal and Spain for exploration. Also, many Portuguese records were lost in a big earthquake in Lisbon in 1755.

Other writers, like Lawrence Fitzgerald and Peter Trickett, also supported McIntyre's idea. They agreed that Mendonça might have been the commander of a Portuguese fleet that mapped Australia's east coast.

The Mahogany Ship Legend

McIntyre suggested that one of Mendonça's ships was wrecked near Warrnambool, Victoria, in Australia. This wreck became known as the Mahogany Ship in Australian stories. Even though the wreck has not been seen since the 1880s, some people still believe it was a Portuguese caravel from Mendonça's fleet.

However, Kenneth McIntyre himself later said that the exact Portuguese discoverer was unclear. He was sure it was a Portuguese explorer, but not certain it was Mendonça.

New Information About Mendonça

In 2007, science journalist Peter Trickett wrote a book called Beyond Capricorn. He shared new information about Mendonça. He found a stone fragment in South Africa with Mendonça's name and the date 1524 carved on it. He also found a drawing that might show Mendonça's fleet in 1519.

Trickett also suggested that Mendonça might have discovered the North Island of New Zealand.

Luis Felipe Thomaz, a professor from Portugal, also studied Mendonça's expedition. He shared his research at a conference in 2008.

Different Ideas About the Theory

Not everyone agrees with the theory that Mendonça discovered Australia.

In 1984, Captain A. Ariel said it was very unlikely. He thought no sailor in the 1500s would have sailed south along Australia's eastern coast. This area had dangerous waters and strong winds going the wrong way.

In 2006, Professor W.A.R. Richardson said that the claim about Mendonça sailing down Australia's east coast is just a guess. He noted that there are no real details left about these voyages.