(bright instrumental music)
- [Narrator] This is a little fishing village in Portugal.
- Thanks for your help, Vasco.
- A-ha.
- Hey, let's go for a ride (snickering).
Hey, why don't we take that one, it's Pedro's boat.
(snickering)
(bright music)
- Hey, what are you doing?
The wind is blowing, we'll never make it back.
- Don't worry, Vasco, I'm on watch.
- [Vasco] But we're being blown out to sea, look.
- He's right, you better make for shore.
- Eh, you're taking a walk eh.
- It's no use, it's impossible to sail against the wind.
We'll have to tack.
- What?
- Let me do it. - Yeah.
- We could capsize any second.
Quick, move to the other side as a counterweight.
Quick, go!
- What's going on, Pedro?
- The children took my boat and they almost capsized.
- The children, my son?
- I was just sleeping in the boat.
That boy really knows what he's doing.
Look at him, Vasco will be a good sailor, he's a natural.
- That lad, we've just seen improving his seamanship
in his native Portuguese village, near Lisbon.
And will soon go a long way, a very long way.
The end of the 15th Century was approaching.
Christopher Columbus, 18 years his senior,
would soon set off for America.
But Columbus thought he was sailing to the Indies,
but adventurers were already sailing farther across the sea
and some went by land.
Like a certain Pero da Covilhã,
who was sent by the King of Portugal
as an emissary to spy and travel the so called Spice Route.
Pepper, ginger, cinnamon, and clove,
saffron, nutmeg.
At that time these were very precious, and very expensive.
- Expensive?
What are you saying?
I can go to the supermarket and buy all I want.
- Ah, yes, today you can;
but back then it wasn't quite so simple.
We'll see for yourself.
The voyage, it required at each port
the call of duties were levied
and merchants' profits paid.
And then when the spices finally arrived in Lisbon.
- Good day, Merchant, I will have some pepper and nutmeg.
- Noble sir, prices have gone up.
Turk position is higher, not to mention the taxes,
and now it's taxes on taxes.
It means the end of shopkeeping as we know it.
- How much?
- Well, sir, I'm afraid pepper is worth its weight
in pure silver, that's how it is.
- That's sheer madness.
Nevertheless, I need it, very well.
- Good decision, sir.
(upbeat music)
And nutmeg is worth half its weight in pure gold.
That's how it is, a luxury product.
- Hm.
- But, really, Father, it's a fortune.
- Yes, we pay too much for spices, you're right.
- Well, we have our own ships, we could get it.
- That's impossible, my boy,
we don't know where or how to find such spices.
Some experienced sailors say you'd have to sail
all the way around Africa.
But who would dare try it,
they say the sea rushes into a void,
that sea monsters lie in wait for ships.
Why, one of our men has voyaged fathers,
Captain Cormez, and he barely pass the equator.
- Oh, I'm only 10, everything will be discovered
when I grow up.
- Oh, my son, there will be discoveries.
No one has reached the tip of Africa yet,
or the Indies, we really know so little.
The Pole Star vanishes in the South.
- Disappears?
- Yes, you've heard of the Pole Star, Vasco?
- Yes, father,
Pedro told me all about the Big and Little Dippers.
- Dippers, what do you mean?
- I'll be very happy to explain about it, Father.
There's the constellation of the Great Bear,
some call it the Big Dipper.
You calculate a distance five times as great
as the distance between the stars in the handle.
And that's the Pole Star, indicating north.
And the Little Dipper, the Little Bear,
the Pole Star is at the end of the handle.
- And do you know why it is the Pole Star disappears
when we approach the equator?
- I know why, the Earth is round;
as we go towards the South,
it get lower in the horizon until it disappears.
- [Narrator] Young Vasco da Gama
will serve as apprentice seaman.
He'll take part on many voyages.
A few years later, his friend, Bartolomeu Dias,
will be the first to sail
and reach the southern tip of Africa,
the Cape of Storms
later it would be called the Cape of Good Hope.
- [Man] Vasco? (crowd cheering)
- Bravo, you reached the Indian Ocean.
Do you realize Bartolomeu, no one has ever gone
as far as you did?
- I might have gone much father, but my crew wouldn't go on.
Around Africa, all the way to the Indies,
who can say, but my men were terrified,
insisted on sailing back, so here I am.
Who is that sailor, do you know him?
- He is a captain from Genoa,
his name is Christopher Columbus.
For some time now, he's tried to convince our king
the he can reach the Indies by sailing west.
- By sailing west?
That idiocy.
- If you can reach the Indies by sailing around Africa,
it will ruin all I've planned.
- Da-myer-erz, this is just what we need.
Come, my friends, look at this map.
It is highly secretive and included everything known
about the world.
My astronomer Abraham Zacuto Ben Samuel
has brought it up to date,
including information of Pero da Covilhã on the Indies.
It's quite interesting.
- The Indies, no one's ever sailed to the Indies.
- Covilhã has been all the way to the to Arabia
on a camel.
- [Vasco] And the Arabs let him do it?
- They converted him into an Arab.
(group laughs)
- [Bartolomeu] So, once I sailed around Africa,
I was closer to the Indies
than I was to Portugal.
- Unless I am wrong, you could have reached the Indies
in less than a month.
- Oh, My crew wouldn't go on.
- [Vasco] What is this here?
- Oh, that's a land discovered by one of my captains.
It's a state secret.
On your oath, you must tell nobody.
- Couldn't that be the Indies?
- Oh, no, it's a newly discovered land.
We found no gold or spices,
but there is a wood as red as braised coal,
so it's Brazil.
- Well then, that captain from Genoa
who wants to sail westward, what was his name?
- Christopher Columbus.
He's wrong, to get to the Indies, you have to
sail around Africa to the east.
- I see why your majesty refuses to finance his expedition.
- I have confidence in only you, my Portuguese captains.
This Columbus is now selling his services to Spain.
- [Narrator] On the 12th of October, 1492,
after 36 days at sea, Columbus landed.
He thought he had reached the Indies.
But the American continent got in the way;
he discovered it for the Europeans.
You could say he didn't know where he was going,
he didn't know where when he got there,
and he didn't know where he'd been when he got back.
Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain
have an audience with the Pope, Alexander VI.
- Your Holiness, it is most important that
Spanish and Catholic interests
be protected over the Western oceans.
Permit me to remind you that you are Spanish as well.
- Write it down.
I here-ward declare that all territories
discovered by Christopher Columbus
now and henceforth are Spanish.
All of the territories discovered west of the a-zulz
will be considered the possessions of Spain as well.
Will the do it? - Uh-huh.
(snickers mischievously)
- Ow, oo.
- Idiot.
- Here is your edict.
- [Narrator] And the parchment with the people boo
sent to the King of Portugal.
- No, I cannot agree with his.
Look at it, they want everything, these Spanish.
I will personally confront Ferdinand and Isabella.
Give me the other map, I won't take this one.
- It is the Pope's decree, he is quite right,
Spain is large country, it's only right
that we take the greater part.
Now Portugal is small with a smaller part, that's all.
- We do not agree.
I remind you, Portugal has a powerful and very great navy.
Consider. - What do you suggest?
- I suggest a line of demarcation drawn here.
- I don't see what you gain,
there is nothing but water.
However, if that will please you.
- [Narrator] And so you see,
through the treating signed at Tordesillas,
Portugal acquired Brazil.
The Spanish didn't even know it existed,
but the Portuguese did.
- Ah.
I've made up my mind.
Vasco, you command the expedition to the Indies.
Paulo da Gama, you'll be captain of one of the ships.
And you, Abraham, you'll instruct my captains
in the mysteries of the stars in the Southern Hemisphere.
Diaz, with your knowledge and experience,
you're the best suited to supervise preparations.
- You never leave by the Southern Cross, Captains.
- Anyway, my cousin, you'll soon be king.
You must always remember to entrust in Portugal,
ride beyond the seas.
- Salted meat, biscuits, lentils, sardines,
prunes, almonds, onion, garlic, and mas-kad.
Sugar, flour, honey, it's all here.
- I did it, I'm part of their crew,
assigned to the supply ship.
I'm gonna give them plenty of headaches, alright.
- And I'm gonna make sure that they get
a big reception in Africa.
Don't worry, the Spanish always pay well
for you. (laughs)
- The Holy Church grants eternal salvation to all
who so boldly venture forth on the seas
for the glory of our country.
- Helmsman, starboard.
- Course hon-a starboard!
(grunts)
- If you stay along the coast,
your route will be shorter and safer.
But the winds are erratic and the currents
will slow you up.
- I won't hug the coast,
I'm going much father out, and due south,
to take advantage of favorable winds.
- 1,000 miles out to sea,
hm, well, it will be dangerous.
But you know what you're doing, may God protect you.
(upbeat music)
(laughs)
(speaks foreign language)
- [Vasco] The Pole Star
- What's the, Captain?
- Lad, come and see.
The Pole Star, also called the North Star,
it will go below the horizon very near the equator.
- But then, how will you find directions, Captain?
- [Vasco] You'll see, lad.
What is you name?
- Midilito, I want to be a sailor one day.
- Steer a course south-southwest.
- We'll head south-southwest, Captain?
Oh, we'll sail away from Africa.
- You heard me, I want south-southwest.
- Ha-da-star-uh!
- I don't get it, which way is he steering,
right or left, starboard?
- That's very simple, starboard is tot he right of a ship;
starboard is to the right and port to the left of the ship.
- Right, but why to starboard, to the right,
when Africa is on the left, to port?
- Yeah, a daring decision.
But based upon observations of Portuguese sailors
who'd sailed these waters,
Vasco made for open sea to avoid the counter-currents
and unfavorable winds that he knew he would find
that were nearer to the coast.
- We've been sitting weeks out on the open sea.
The Captain's taking us to our doom.
- Yes, we outta go back home.
- Yeah - We can commender his ship.
- Yeah, let's do it. - Yeah.
- Huh. - Hm.
You see, the midday sun is practically below the horizon.
We are near the Tropic of Capricorn.
We're right here.
- [Midilito] So we sailed to port side, close to the east.
- That's right, Midilito.
Relay my order, go on. - Me, sir?
- Yes. (laughs)
- [Midilito] Par to board side, steer due east.
- Hey, hold on there.
Are you giving the orders here?
- No, I'm giving them.
And those are my order,
har-da port side, steer due east.
- Aye-aye, Captain, at your orders.
- [Narrator] Meanwhile, on the other side of Africa.
- Is it very far to Mombasa?
- [Man] Only three, four weeks.
Who's in hurry, hurry?
- Hm.
It's three months since we've been out to sea,
and no sign of land.
With this captain, we'll all be lost.
- Now we take the ship.
- Huh? - Hey, look at that there.
- Seaweed, we must be near land.
Sound the depth.
- 104, 105, 106, 107,
108, 109, 110, no, uh,
9000, seven, six.
- A remarkable, truly extraordinary feat,
never done until then:
three months out in the open sea with no means of navigation
except the stars.
And Vasco da Gama stepped ashore
almost exactly where he had intended,
not far from the Cape of Good Hope, naturally,
the sailors shouted with joy.
(cheering)
- We made it! - Yay!
- Hey!
- Foiled again, but they haven't seen the last of me.
(upbeat music)
- We stay here for a few days to repair our sails,
and then we'll take out our new provisions.
See to it.
- (both) Whoa.
- Wa-ha.
(laughs idiotically)
(laughs)
- Well.
(men laugh)
He wants to return to his home.
Take him ashore.
They seem friendly, and very much like us.
I think we might get on very well, all of us,
don't you think?
- No, wait,
look pal, the Portuguese are very bad,
they're bad, alright?
They want your necklaces and your bracelets
you gotta attack them with you as-in-eyz
and your spears, right?
(speaks foreign language)
(laughs mischievously)
- Huh? - Oh.
(yelling)
- I'll be alright, don't worry, it's only a scratch.
But I am surprised,
they seemed to be extremely friendly.
Well, too bad.
We have our provisions, and so we can be on our way.
We sail south.
Look there.
It's the exact spot where Bartolomeu Diaz
turned around 10 years ago.
- You mean nobody's ever gone any further?
- [Vasco] Not yet.
- Huh?
- Eh.
- Oh, no, Captain, Captain, over here, quick!
- [Paulo] Lucky thing the water wasn't deeper,
we'd have lost all or supplies.
- No, we can't abandon her like that.
Burn the ship.
Foiled, foiled again, rats, rats. (growls angrily)
- Here.
(upbeat music)
- Psst, psst.
In two days, ship are going to come here
with a lot of Portuguese sailors.
And there is rich cloth aboard it, and many precious things.
Oh, I think you understand me.
- [Vasco] We will go ashore tomorrow morning.
- Huh?
Oh.
(grunts)
We're under attack!
Pirates, pirates, hey, everybody!
- Oh. - Ya, yeah.
(grunting)
- Weigh anchor.
- He says a few days ago,
Spaniard show up in Mombasa,
got some bandits to come attack us.
- Scoundrels.
Ask him, what is the nearest seaport to the north?
Ask him.
- Ma-lin-dee-a, 30 leagues. - We'll sail there.
- Look, cannons, the Moores don't have any, but
maybe they're East Indians?
- Yes, could be East Indian Christians.
Make known our presence.
- Fire.
Fire.
- Yes, they are East Indians, our goal can't be far.
Now we need a pilot who knows these waters.
(fanfare)
- Look at that, they sure know how to put on a show.
- Sh, quite, he's surely a king or something.
Go and get Ahmed, he will interpret.
- Ka-deez-mu Taj Mahal .
He welcome you here,
and invites us all to festivities
he's please to be offering in honor of our visit.
- Ask him if he'll give me a pilot to go to India.
(speaks foreign language)
- He hopes you like peanuts and saffron in your curry.
(plays flute)
- Ooh.
(claps)
- Ahmed, well, where is my pilot?
- [Ahmed] When festivities are being over.
- Hm.
But is my pilot here? - He's soon coming.
- [Vasco] Ahmed, hey, Ahmed!
Ooh, we are having enough of this, come.
- Oh, my goodness, oh.
- Oh, ay-yah, oh.
The Sultan is looking for his minister,
the little bearded one, you seen him?
- You go and tell the Sultan that I will trade his minister
for a competent pilot.
- The Sultan sends respects and most experienced pilot
in Indian Ocean.
He knows all currents in the region, sandbars, you know?
His name is I-bu-ma-ti.
- Ah, then he can have his minister back.
You will drop him off and return to the ship.
- But the festivities aren't over.
- They're over, and you had a good time.
We set sail in one hour.
Paulo, take the minister ashore and round up all our men.
(people gabbling)
Now then, we'll see if this pilot is as good as they say.
What's my route to the Indies?
Ask him, hm.
(speaks foreign language)
- I suppose he said steer northeast.
- Go on.
- Steer northeast.
- Um, maybe you forgot something?
- I did forget.
Cast off all moorings and weigh anchor.
- [Vasco] That's better.
- A-tor-u said shor-u lies straight,
you sail around them, due north.
- [Vasco] Now we can see the Pole Star again,
we are moving toward the Northern Hemisphere.
- [Ahmed] Calcutta, we better announce our arrival
to Za-ma-rin.
- Za-ma-rin?
- The ruler here, Captain,
a man fond of celebrations.
- Oh, another one.
(dramatic music)
- Extraordinary scene is flooded with such magnificence,
all these spices, pepper, onion, ginger, saffron,
and all these precious jewel,
diamonds emeralds, rubies.
(speaks foreign language)
- He wants to know what you're doing here.
- I get the picture.
Tell the impotentate that I am sent by King Emmanuel
of Portugal, who sends greetings and wants to establish
friendly relations for future cause of Portugal.
(speaks foreign language.
- He says that you are welcome
and that he will send ambassador, or something like that.
- Calcutta in India,
two centuries early, the Venetian, Marco Polo,
had been here, after crossing the Asia landmass.
A century after him, Shanghai with his great junks
had called here.
And now here is Vasco da Gama,
who sailed around Africa to get here,
opening a sea route to the Indies.
From then on, the treasures of the East flowed to Europe.
New routes for trading and civilization,
they were all open now.
The return trip was to prove very difficult,
and unfortunately, many brave sailors
were to lose their lives.
Yes, it was a triumph, what an accomplishment.
12,000 kilometers, almost 8,000 miles,
three times the distance Columbus traveled,
with high winds and treacherous currents both ways.
- I think you can place a small Portuguese flag on the map.
- I'm certain that we can go from here to there
by sailing westward.
- Then you mean that,
- Yes, it's possible to sail around the world.
- There's an original, I must say, young man.
What is your name?
- Oh, you wouldn't know me, sir,
my name is Magellan,
Ferdinando da Magellan.
(upbeat music)