Pêro de Ataíde facts for kids

Pêro de Ataíde (also known as Pedro d'Ataíde) was a brave Portuguese sea captain. He lived in the late 1400s and early 1500s. People even gave him the nickname O Inferno, which means "Hell"!

Pêro de Ataíde explored the Indian Ocean with other Portuguese sailors. He was briefly in charge of the first permanent Portuguese fleet there. He also wrote a famous letter about what happened to his fleet. He was born around 1450 in Portugal and sadly passed away in 1504 on Mozambique Island.

About Pêro de Ataíde

Pêro de Ataíde was known as a very honorable and good knight. He came from a noble family in Portugal. His father was Pedro de Ataíde, the Abbot of Penalva do Castelo. Pêro had two brothers, Vasco de Ataíde and Álvaro Gonçalves de Ataíde.

Some people think Pêro de Ataíde was related to the famous explorer Vasco da Gama. This is probably a mistake! There were two different noble families named Ataíde. Vasco da Gama married a woman named Catarina de Ataíde. But her family was not connected to Pêro's family. Both families were important in building the Portuguese Empire in the East. This is why people sometimes get them mixed up.

First Trip to India

In the year 1500, Pêro de Ataíde joined a big journey to India. This journey was called the 2nd India Armada. It was led by Pedro Álvares Cabral. Pêro de Ataíde was the captain of a small ship called the São Pedro. It was a 70-tonne carrack, a type of sailing ship. His older brother, Vasco de Ataíde, was also a captain on this trip.

Discovering Brazil

The armada left Lisbon in March 1500. On their way, they made an amazing discovery: Brazil! Sadly, Pêro's brother Vasco and his ship were lost. This happened in May while they were trying to sail around the Cape of Good Hope.

Ship of Pêro de Ataíde, a detail from an old drawing called Memória das Armadas.

Elephant Chase in India

In India, Pêro de Ataíde had an exciting adventure. His commander, Cabral, asked him to stop a ship. This ship was secretly carrying war elephants for the Zamorin of Calicut. The Zamorin was a local ruler. He even came to the beach to watch!

The smuggler's ship was very clever and almost got away. But Ataíde chased it down near Cannanore. Pêro de Ataíde and his small crew bravely boarded the larger smuggler ship. They won the fight and brought the ship and its elephants back. Cabral gave the elephants to the Zamorin as a gift.

However, things soon went wrong between Cabral and the Zamorin. The Portuguese were forced to leave Calicut.

The Famous Letter

In April 1501, Pêro de Ataíde was on his way back to Portugal. His ship, the São Pedro, was given to another captain. Pêro was then given command of a larger ship. He was supposed to sail back with Cabral. But his new ship was heavy and hard to steer. He got separated from the others near Cape Correntes.

Pêro de Ataíde sailed to a common stopping point called Aguada de São Brás (Mossel Bay). He hoped to find the other ships there, but they were gone. At São Brás, Ataíde wrote a very important letter. In it, he described the situation in India. He warned future Portuguese captains to avoid Calicut because it was now dangerous.

He placed his letter inside a shoe. He then hung the shoe on a tree, which is now famous as the Post Office Tree. Later that year, another admiral, João da Nova, found Ataíde's letter. Ataíde continued his journey alone. He finally met up with the other ships in Senegal. They all arrived back in Lisbon in July 1501.

Second Trip to India

Pêro de Ataíde sailed to India again in February 1502. He commanded a ship called the São Paulo. This was part of the 4th India Armada, led by Vasco da Gama. He took part in many events during this journey.

Leading the Patrol

In February 1503, the armada was getting ready to return home. Pêro de Ataíde was chosen to stay behind in India. He became captain of one of six ships. These ships were to form a naval patrol. This was the first permanent Portuguese fleet in the Indian Ocean. It was meant to protect Portuguese trading posts in Cochin and Cannanore.

The patrol was first led by Vicente Sodré. But Sodré decided to sail to the Gulf of Aden. He wanted to capture Arab ships there. The other captains were upset because the trading posts were left unprotected. Also, the Sodré brothers kept most of the treasure from the captured ships for themselves.

A Storm and New Leader

In April 1503, the patrol was near the Khuriya Muriya Islands (off Oman). Local people warned them about a big storm coming. Most captains moved their ships to a safe spot. But Vicente Sodré and his brother refused. As predicted, the storm hit and sank their ships.

The remaining captains then chose Pêro de Ataíde as their new leader. He helped repair the ships. He also divided the remaining crews and supplies among the four ships. Then, he set the patrol back on course for India. The journey was tough due to bad weather. They had to stop at Anjediva island for repairs.

Some people wonder why the patrol stayed so long at Anjediva. At that time, the Portuguese trading post in Cochin was under attack. It is likely that their ships were too damaged to go help. They had to wait for more Portuguese ships to arrive.

In late August or early September, new ships arrived. These were part of the 5th Armada. They helped Ataíde's patrol finish repairs. Together, they sailed to Cochin and stopped the attack. Pêro de Ataíde then helped punish local rulers who had sided against Cochin.

Pêro de Ataíde in Mozambique

In January 1504, Pêro de Ataíde was chosen to captain a ship full of spices. This ship was to sail back to Lisbon. He set out with two other ships. But they disagreed on the route and separated. Ataíde's ship, which was heavily loaded, ran aground and sank. This happened near the Quirimbas Islands in Mozambique.

Ataíde lost his ship and its cargo. But most of his crew made it safely to shore. They were stranded without supplies. Ataíde took a small boat with about fifteen crew members. He hoped to reach Mozambique Island. He promised to send a rescue party back for the others.

A Difficult Situation

When he arrived in Mozambique, Ataíde arranged for local boats to pick up his shipwrecked crew. Just as they were about to leave, another Portuguese ship arrived. This was the ship of António do Campo. Ataíde asked Campo for help and supplies. But Campo refused to join the rescue mission. He also wouldn't share any supplies or money. Ataíde and his crew had to "beg the Moors" (local people) for food. Campo then left, taking only a few of Ataíde's sailors with him.

Pêro de Ataíde was very sick, probably with malaria. He believed Campo would give a bad report about him in Lisbon. So, in February 1504, he wrote his famous letter to King Manuel I of Portugal. In the letter, he explained what happened to the patrol. He also complained about António do Campo's actions. He ended the letter by reminding the king of his loyalty. He asked the king to give him a position that belonged to the late Vicente Sodré.

Pêro de Ataíde died shortly after finishing his letter. In July 1504, the next Portuguese fleet found Ataíde's letter when they stopped at Mozambique Island.