Afonso Gonçalves de Anton Baldai ( port. Afonso Gonçalves de Antona Baldaya ; about 1400, Porto - about 1450) - Portuguese navigator of the XV century .
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Commanding one of two Portuguese ships, for the first time in the history of European geographical discoveries, crossed the Tropic of Cancer (23 ° 26 ′ 22 ″ north of the equator) during a sea voyage along the African coast to the south.
He was one of the captains of the expedition Zhila Eanesh , who, by order of the Infante Enrique (1394–1466), known as Heinrich the Navigator , set off in 1434 along the west coast of Africa with a mission to go around Cape Bohador , which was considered insurmountable because of strong northeastern winds as well as according to the superstitions that existed among mariners that shipping is impossible behind this cape, because the sea is teeming with monsters, and the tackles of ships light up. The expedition rounded Cape Bochador (26 ° north latitude) and made sure that there is life there, of which not everyone was then sure.
In 1435, as the leader of the expedition, following along the coast of Western Sahara , he moved much further south and opened the Gulf of Rio de Oro ( port. "Golden River"), which he took as the mouth of the mythical " Golden River ". He returned to Lisbon , bringing a large number of sealskin from his journey. For the first time, the goods from the African coast were delivered to Portugal directly, without Arab intermediaries .
In 1436 Afonso Baldai advanced south beyond Rio de Oro, along the coast of Western Sahara, about another 100 km.
Literature
- Gornung, M., Lipets Y., Oleynikov I., A History of the Discovery and Research of Africa , M., 1973., p. 44, 48.