This established a route still followed by sailing vessels. Setting off in July 1497, da Gama's expedition took advantage of the prevailing winds by sailing south down the coast of Africa, then veering far out into the Atlantic and swinging back in an arc to arrive off the southern African coast. In 1497, he was appointed to command an expedition equipped by the Portuguese government, whose intention was to find a maritime route to the East. Vasco da Gama was born in about 1460 into a noble family. © Da Gama was a Portuguese explorer and navigator, and the first person to sail directly from Europe to India.
