Gordon Miller Sailing into History
The Lure of Cathay
By the end of the fifteenth century, ships launched in Europe had developed to the point they could make long offshore passages, and their crews had gained the confidence that they could find their way home again. Drawn by the riches of the Orient, Portugal and Spain sent the first ships on voyages to the south and west in hopes of finding a direct route to China, and the spice islands of southeast Asia.
Diaz off the Cape of Good Hope, 1488
Marco Polo’s departure from China
Vasco da Gama nearing the Cape of Good Hope
Pinta, Nina and Santa Maria leaving Spain, 1492
Amerigo Vespucci, Discovery of Rio de Janeiro
Magellan’s Armada de Molucca, 1519
Magellan’s fleet, first evening at sea
Magellan in the Straits of Magellan
Magellan entering the Pacific
Magellan off Pukapuka
