Estêvão da Gama (16th century)

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Estêvão da Gama (c.1505–1576) was the Portuguese governor of Portuguese Gold Coast (1529–15??) and Portuguese India (1540–1542). He was the second son of Vasco da Gama and brother of Cristóvão da Gama, and named after his paternal grandfather Estevão da Gama.

He commanded the fleet that entered the Red Sea, with the intent of attacking the Ottoman fleet in its harbor at Suez, leaving Goa December 31 1540 and reaching Aden January 27 1541. The fleet reached Massawa February 12, where Gama left a number of ships and continued north. Reaching Suez, he discovered that the Ottomen long known of his raid, and foiled his attempt to burn the beached ships. Gama was forced to retrace his steps to Massawa, although pausing to attack the port of El-Tor on the Sinai Peninsula.

Once back at Massawa Gama found the men he had left were restless and convinced by the self-described patriarch John Bermudez that they should provide military assistance to the beleaguered Emperor of Ethiopia. Gama submitted to their demands, and landed 400 men, 130 military slaves, and sufficient supplies for them at Massawa and the nearby port of Arqiqo under the charge of his brother Cristóvão, before departing for India July 9.

External links

• Don Juan de Castro The Voyage of Don Stefano de Gama from Goa to Suez, in 1540, with the intention of Burning the Turkish Galleys at that port (Volume 6, Chapter 3, eText)

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