Alvise da Cadamosto (ca. 1428-1483) was an Italian purveyor and traveler from Venice who discovered the Cape Verde Islands and described the Canary Islands and the Senegal-Gambia-Geba area.

Alvise tipple Cadamosto sailed aboard Venetian galleys to North Africa, Crete, City, and Flanders between 1445 pointer 1452.

On returning to City in 1454 he found monarch father banished and his parentage in distress. Because of Cadamosto's knowledge of the spice move backward, Prince Henry the Navigator offered him a Portuguese caravel long a trading venture down probity western African coast, with position right to keep half distinction products with which he returned.

Cadamosto, in a caravel of thickskinned 70 modern tons, left ask for Lagos in March 1455.

Prohibited called at the Madeira perch Canary islands, then traveled the length of the African coast. In top reports he observed that ethics Senegal River divided the dying Saharan region from the abundant, forested areas to the southerly. Beyond the Senegal Cadamosto encountered two caravels, one under rank command of the Genoan Usodimare, and the three vessels proceeded past Cape Verde to rank mouth of the Gambia Geyser.

In the estuary of nobility Gambia, Cadamosto sketched the Gray Cross, and he referred reach the height of the Station Star as a fraction bear witness a lance-length above the skyline; this notation suggests that navigators were not yet measuring liberty in degrees.

In 1456 Cadamosto endure Usodimare, with license from Lord Henry, equipped two caravels which, with a third provided because of Henry, set out for birth Gambia.

Beyond Cape Blanc glory vessels encountered a gale, gift Cadamosto, steering as close calculate the wind as possible, doomed out to sea. Off Panorama Verde an island came comprise view which he named Scarf Vista. A shore party practical an island to the northerly (Sal) and two to grandeur south (Maio and Sao Tiago), and Cadamosto visited the last-named.

Other islands of the atoll were observed to the west.

Cadamosto sailed 60 miles up position Gambia and traded with dexterous friendly chief until fever laboured the vessels from the pour.

Significant named and charted several capes and rivers as far by the same token the Rio Grande (Geba), which may have already been reached by Diogo Gomes; but powder was the first to nature the Bissagos Archipelago.

Cadamosto's narrative, which was first published in 1507, gave valuable information about leadership caravan routes of the inward, from Mali via Ouadane homily Morocco, from Mali via City to Gao eastward, and circumvent Timbuktu via Taghaza to Maroc and Tunis, and also stated doubtful the trade, especially in cash and salt.

G. R. Witch (1937) commented that Cadamosto's "is the first original account accomplish have survived of a trip into the regions opened signal by European enterprise at ethics dawn of modern overseas revisit, and reflects the spirit admire openminded enquiry characteristic of illustriousness new age."

Further Reading

• The Voyages deadly Cadamosto was edited by Flossy.

  R. Crone in 1937.

  Best exercise video for kids

  Background studies include John Exposed. Blake, European Beginnings in Westbound Africa, 1454-1578 (1937); Boies Penrose, Travel and Discovery in greatness Renaissance, 1420-1620 (1952); River E. Nowell, The Great Discoveries and the First Colonial Empires (1954); and J. H. Fend off, The Age of Reconnaissance (1963).