"I Vasco da Gama, who now have been commanded to set out to discover the seas and lands of India and the Orient, do swear on the symbol of this cross."
— Vasco da Gama
I Vasco Da Gama Who Now
I Vasco da Gama, who now have been commanded to set out to discover the seas and lands of India and the Orient, do swear on the symbol of this cross.
About this quote
This oath is attributed to Vasco da Gama before his 1497 departure, but the Roteiro does not record a formal oath in these exact words; the text begins directly with the account of the voyage. The sentiment is consistent with the documentary record of da Gama's commission: King Manuel I's orders were framed in explicitly religious and commercial terms — to find the sea route to India, establish relations with Christian rulers if any existed, and open direct spice trade. Da Gama's first voyage succeeded on both counts, reaching Calicut on May 20, 1498, and returning to Lisbon in September 1499.
Source
Oath before departure, 1497