The Journal of the First Voyage of Vasco da Gama to India
Composed between 1497-1499 by a participant "at least one degree of separation removed from the explorer's hand" (Brooks, 130), this text (commonly referred to as Vasco's Roteiro) reflects the explicit desires of both Vasco da Gama's and King Manuel I of Portugal to make contact with the kingdom of Prester John on this first voyage to India. In particular, the anonymous writer describes the enthusiasm produced within the crew when they heard in Mozambique that Prester John's land were not far from that port.
While Vasco da Gama is himself reportedly armed with a letter from the Portuguese king to Prester John, and though the text contains several short discussions of Prester John (most of them relating whether the communities the party visited knew or did not know the stories of his famed kingdom), this text does not add substantially to the canon of Prester John lore. As is clear in the brief extracts below, the intelligence the crew was able to gather suggested that Prester John's kingdom could only be found inland, which would involve a trek outside of the immediate interests of the crew's plans.
Find a selection of the Roteiro's mentions of the legend below:
[In Mozambique, 1498]:
"We were told, moreover, that Prester John resided not far from this place; that he held many cities along the coast, and that the inhabitants of those cities were great merchants and owned big ships. The residence of Prester John was said to be far in the interior, and could be reached only on the back of camels. These Moors had also brought hither two Christian captives from India. This information, and many other things which we heard, rendered us so happy that we cried with joy, and prayed God to grant us health, so that we might behold what we so much desired."
[In Cairo]:
"At Cairo the spices are embarked on the river Nile, which rises in Prester John’s country in Lower India, and descending that river for two days they reach a place called Roxette [Rosetta], where duties have to be paid once more. There they are placed on camels, and are conveyed in one day to a city called Alexandria, which is a sea-port. This city is visited by the galleys of Venice and Genoa, in search of these spices, which yield the Grand Sultan a revenue of 600,000 cruzados in customs duties, out of which he pays to a king called Cidadym an annual subsidy of 100,000 cruzados for making war upon Prester John. The title of Grand Sultan is bought for money, and does not pass from father to son."
[In Calcutta]
"At the city of Chalichut they have some knowledge of Prester John, but not much, as he is far away. These Christians believe that Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary, without sin, was crucified and killed by the Jews, and buried at Jerusalem. They also have some knowledge of the Pope of Rome, but know nothing of our faith beyond this. They [the people of Prester John] have letters and a written language."
"He says that in those countries there are many gentiles, that is idolaters, and only a few Christians; that the supposed churches and belfries are in reality temples of idolaters, and that the pictures within them are those of idols and not of Saints. To me this seems more probable than saying that there are Christians but no divine administrations, no priests and no sacrificial mass. I do not understand that there are any Christians there to be taken into account, excepting those of Prester John, whose country is far from Calichut, on this [i.e., the western] side of the Gulf of Arabia, and borders upon the country of the King of Melinde, and, far in the interior, upon the Ethiopians, that is the black people of Guinea, as also upon Egypt, that is the country of the Sultan of Babylon [Cairo]. This Prester John has priests, who offer sacrifices, respect the Gospels and the Laws of the Church, much as is done by other Christians."
The account can be read in E.G. Ravenstein's English translation (1898).
More on Vasco da Gama and the Journal.
While Vasco da Gama is himself reportedly armed with a letter from the Portuguese king to Prester John, and though the text contains several short discussions of Prester John (most of them relating whether the communities the party visited knew or did not know the stories of his famed kingdom), this text does not add substantially to the canon of Prester John lore. As is clear in the brief extracts below, the intelligence the crew was able to gather suggested that Prester John's kingdom could only be found inland, which would involve a trek outside of the immediate interests of the crew's plans.
Find a selection of the Roteiro's mentions of the legend below:
[In Mozambique, 1498]:
"We were told, moreover, that Prester John resided not far from this place; that he held many cities along the coast, and that the inhabitants of those cities were great merchants and owned big ships. The residence of Prester John was said to be far in the interior, and could be reached only on the back of camels. These Moors had also brought hither two Christian captives from India. This information, and many other things which we heard, rendered us so happy that we cried with joy, and prayed God to grant us health, so that we might behold what we so much desired."
[In Cairo]:
"At Cairo the spices are embarked on the river Nile, which rises in Prester John’s country in Lower India, and descending that river for two days they reach a place called Roxette [Rosetta], where duties have to be paid once more. There they are placed on camels, and are conveyed in one day to a city called Alexandria, which is a sea-port. This city is visited by the galleys of Venice and Genoa, in search of these spices, which yield the Grand Sultan a revenue of 600,000 cruzados in customs duties, out of which he pays to a king called Cidadym an annual subsidy of 100,000 cruzados for making war upon Prester John. The title of Grand Sultan is bought for money, and does not pass from father to son."
[In Calcutta]
"At the city of Chalichut they have some knowledge of Prester John, but not much, as he is far away. These Christians believe that Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary, without sin, was crucified and killed by the Jews, and buried at Jerusalem. They also have some knowledge of the Pope of Rome, but know nothing of our faith beyond this. They [the people of Prester John] have letters and a written language."
"He says that in those countries there are many gentiles, that is idolaters, and only a few Christians; that the supposed churches and belfries are in reality temples of idolaters, and that the pictures within them are those of idols and not of Saints. To me this seems more probable than saying that there are Christians but no divine administrations, no priests and no sacrificial mass. I do not understand that there are any Christians there to be taken into account, excepting those of Prester John, whose country is far from Calichut, on this [i.e., the western] side of the Gulf of Arabia, and borders upon the country of the King of Melinde, and, far in the interior, upon the Ethiopians, that is the black people of Guinea, as also upon Egypt, that is the country of the Sultan of Babylon [Cairo]. This Prester John has priests, who offer sacrifices, respect the Gospels and the Laws of the Church, much as is done by other Christians."
The account can be read in E.G. Ravenstein's English translation (1898).
More on Vasco da Gama and the Journal.
