After more than ninety days at sea-the longest known voyage out of sight of land by a European to date-da Gama dropped anchor in the Bay of Santa Helena, 100 miles north of the Cape of Good Hope.
Two of the four ships, the São Gabriel and the São Rafael, were commanded, respectively, by Vasco and his brother, Paulo. King Manuel I named da Gama leader of the armada that sailed from the Tagus River on 8 July 1497 in search of a maritime route to India. About 1507 he transferred to the Order of Christ, and in 1519 he became first count of Vidigueira. Son of a member of the household of Prince Fernando, da Gama had been a fidalgo in the royal household of King João II and, at the time of his first voyage, a knight and commander in the Order of Santiago.
24 or 25 December 1524), Portuguese explorer, discoverer of the maritime route to India.
