Letters, narratives, and extracts from diaries, etc. of 1500-01, chiefly of Portuguese and Venetian origin, in translation.

Letters, narratives, and extracts from diaries, etc. of 1500-01, chiefly of Portuguese and Venetian origin, translated, with introduction and notes. This is a new print-on-demand hardback edition of the volume first published in 1938.

Pedro Álvares Cabral sailed around the world for Portugal in the early sixteenth century. His efforts led to a treaty opening the spice trade with India, but also years of war between his men and the kingdom of Calicut. Along the way he also discovered Brazil, perhaps by accident, opening the door for centuries of Portuguese colonization there. This biography dives into Cabral’s background, his exploration assignments, and the impact—both positive and negative—of his voyages to India and Brazil.