Gil Eannes | |
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| Born | |
| Nationality | Portuguese |
| Other names | Eannes, Gilianez |
| Occupation(s) | Navigator and explorer |
| Known for | First person to sail beyondCape Bojador |
Gil Eanes (orEannes, in the old Portuguese spelling;Portuguese pronunciation:[ˈʒiliˈɐnɨʃ]) was a 15th-centuryPortuguese navigator andexplorer.
Gil Eanes was born in Lagos[1] in 1395. Little is known about his personal life prior to his role in thePortugueseAge of Discovery, and was considered a household servant and shield-bearer of theInfanteHenry the Navigator. He was a native ofLagos on which he based his sea voyages, in the southernAlgarve.[2]
He joined the service of Prince Henry's expeditions in 1433, when the Infante entrusted him with a vessel and crew, in order to attempt to roundCape Bojador, acape impassable with their level of knowledge and equipment.[2][3] Sailing fromLagos, Portugal, Eanes made an unknown number of voyages along the west coast ofAfrica, before being driven west towards theCanary Islands.[4] In the islands he captured some natives and returned with them as captives toSagres, excusing his failure by recounting the dangers of the trip. His return was greeted with reserve and coldness in the court of Prince Henry, who had expected the navigator to succeed in rounding the Cape.[2] Eanes hoped to return to favour in the following year, if the Prince would favour him with a second expedition.[2] In 1434, hisbarquentine-caravel[4] and crew was able to sail beyondCape Bojador and return to Sagres via avolta do mar, reporting the conditions of the water, land and ease of navigation beyond the Cape, and bringing with him some wild roses to prove that they had succeeded in their expedition.[5] The discovery of a passable route around Cape Bojador marked the beginning of the Portuguese exploration of Africa.[6]
Eanes made another voyage, withAfonso Gonçalves Baldaia, in 1435.[2] They sailed about 30leagues (144 km), or even 50 leagues (240 km) south of Cape Bojador and reached the African coast. Although they did not discover any inhabitants immediately, they did find traces of a human presence, during a voyage that was considered favourable. They named the bay in which they anchoredAngra dos Ruivos (Cove of Reds), for the abundance of fish (resemblinggurnets) that they caught in the waters.[2]
A city square is named in his native city of Lagos, Portugal.
Anold lyceum inMindelo on the island of São Vicente, Cape Verde, was named for him. In the 1930s, it had the best education on the island and the archipelago. Today it is known asEscola Jorge Barbosa, and forms a campus of theUniversity of Cape Verde.[7]
A Portuguese Navy ship built in 1955 was named after him.
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