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National Geographic : 1960 Nov
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Washed by Tagus Waters, the Tower of Belm Guards the Approaches to Lisbon Built in 1520 to protect river traffic, the tower evokes memories of Portugal's golden age. Once Da Gama reached India and Pedro Alvares Cabral discovered Brazil, decades of patient groundwork begun by Prince Henry bore dividends beyond the wildest dreams. Almost overnight Portugal became a world sea power and one of Europe's richest nations. Silt changed the channel of the Tagus, leaving the tower on the sandy north bank; the structure orig inally rose from an islet in the stream. A lighter, mov ing upstream, passes the fortress. Fishmongers pick and choose as boats unload at the Ribeira Nova, Lisbon's seafood market. After making a selection, vendors speed away to cry their wares. To the swiftest generally go the sales. Her feet a blur, cargo balanced on her head, the fishwife at right rushes along a Lisbon street. KODACHROMES© NATIONAL GEOGRAPHICSOCIETY bold and proper route of standing right out into the South Atlantic from the Line, and sailing south with the trade wind abeam. That is the way we sailed in the last of the windjammers. That is the way recommended in the Admiralty directions, Ocean PassagesFor the World, still in use. A vessel bound for the Cape of Good Hope should "stand across the South-East Trade wind on the port tack .. , for the wind will draw more to the eastward as the vessel advances...." [A vessel] "when to the southward of the South-East Trade will meet with fresh winds variable in direction..." but gen erally from the west. The sailing ship, having reached the latitude of Good Hope, simply runs to the east. We called it running our easting down, and it was the most stimulating part of the voyage. We could continue on to Australia, or pull out of the west winds and stand up for East Africa or India. But how did the route plotters for Vasco da Gama know about this mid-ocean route? How could they know? For no one 653
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