Vasco or Vasques de, a celebrated navigator, was born at Sines, a sea-port town in the province of Alentejo, in Portugal. When King Emanuel resolved to extend the discoveries formerly made of the southern parts of Africa, and the seas lying between these and the East Indies, the well-known prudence and courage of De Gama pointed him out as a proper person to conduct such an enterprise. He failed from Lisbon in the month of July 1497, with no more formidable a squadron than three small armed vessels and a store ship, with which he did not reach the Cape of Good Hope till the end of four months, owing to violent and contrary winds. He doubled this promontory, and afterwards coasted along the south-east side of Africa, till he reached Melinda, having touched at different ports on his way. At this place he procured a Mahometan pilot, by whom he was conducted in safety to the coast of Malabar, and he reached Calicut in the month of May. The prince at first received him in a hospitable manner, but a plot being at length laid for his destruction by the Mahometan merchants, he made the best of his way to Europe as soon as he discovered it. He arrived at Lisbon in September 1499, with the loss of the majority of his crew, arising from fatigue and disease. Having spent some time in devotion at a hermitage, he made a splendid entrance into the city, and besides pecuniary rewards, was honoured by the king with the title of count of Videguera. By this voyage the practicability of a new passage to the Indies was fully established. De Gama undertook a second voyage, with the title of admiral of the Indian, Persian, and Arabian seas, having 20 sail of ships under his command. This voyage began in February 1502, and after compelling several princes in his route to pay tribute to him, he arrived at Cochin, where a deputation from the Christians of St Thomas, to whom he promised protection, waited upon him. The Zamorin being extremely suspicious of these new visitors, fitted out a fleet, but De Gama anticipated the design, and began the attack, making a prize of two large vessels of prodigious value. He left a squadron at Cananor after this victory, and sailed for Lisbon, at which place he arrived in the month of September 1503. On the accession of John III. to the throne, De Gama, then very far advanced in years, was prevailed upon to undertake a third voyage, with the exalted rank of viceroy of the Indies. He conquered the people of Calicut in a naval engagement, and died at Cochin in the year 1525.