António de Abreu
Encyclopedia
António de Abreu was a 16th century Portuguese
navigator
and naval officer. He participated under the command of Afonso de Albuquerque
in the conquest of Ormus
in 1507 and Malacca
in 1511, where he got injured. Departing from Malacca in November 1511 with three ships, in an exploratory voyage to the 'Spice Islands' of Maluku
, he led the first European expedition to reach Timor
and the Banda Islands
, in Indonesia
, in 1512.
that went up the Malacca River at high tide, allowing the Portuguese contingent to land and conquer the city in August. Severely wounded in the face, having lost some teeth and tongue, he refused the proposal from Albuquerque to relieve the command.
In November that year, after sending ambassadors to Pegu and Siam one month before leaving Malacca, Albuquerque trusted Abreu with the command of a fleet of three ships sailing in search of the "Spice Islands
". Abreu was captain-major in the ship Santa Catarina, the deputy commander was Francisco Serrão
on the ship Sabaia, and a third vessel, a caravel, was under command of Simão Afonso Bisagudo, having as pilot Francisco Rodrigues, an able cartographer who wrote about this expedition. With a crew of 120 Portuguese and 60 slaves they were guided by Malay pilots, recruited to guide them through Java
, the Lesser Sunda Islands
and Ambon Island
to the Banda Islands
, where they arrived in early 1512. They remained there for about a month, buying and filling their ships with nutmeg
and cloves. Abreu then sailed to Amboina whilst his deputy commander Serrão stepped forward to the Moluccas but sank, ending in Ternate
. Occupied with fighting elsewhere in the archipelago, such as Ambon and Ternate, he returned only in 1529.
Abreu returned to Malacca in December 1512, from where he departed for India with Fernão Pires de Andrade
in January 1513, then sailing for Portugal. He died in Azores, before reaching continental Portugal.
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
navigator
Navigator
A navigator is the person on board a ship or aircraft responsible for its navigation. The navigator's primary responsibility is to be aware of ship or aircraft position at all times. Responsibilities include planning the journey, advising the Captain or aircraft Commander of estimated timing to...
and naval officer. He participated under the command of Afonso de Albuquerque
Afonso de Albuquerque
Afonso de Albuquerque[p][n] was a Portuguese fidalgo, or nobleman, an admiral whose military and administrative activities as second governor of Portuguese India conquered and established the Portuguese colonial empire in the Indian Ocean...
in the conquest of Ormus
Ormus
The Kingdom of Ormus was a 10th to 17th century kingdom located within the Persian Gulf and extending as far as the Strait of Hormuz...
in 1507 and Malacca
Malacca
Malacca , dubbed The Historic State or Negeri Bersejarah among locals) is the third smallest Malaysian state, after Perlis and Penang. It is located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, on the Straits of Malacca. It borders Negeri Sembilan to the north and the state of Johor to the south...
in 1511, where he got injured. Departing from Malacca in November 1511 with three ships, in an exploratory voyage to the 'Spice Islands' of Maluku
Maluku Islands
The Maluku Islands are an archipelago that is part of Indonesia, and part of the larger Maritime Southeast Asia region. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone...
, he led the first European expedition to reach Timor
Timor
Timor is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, north of the Timor Sea. It is divided between the independent state of East Timor, and West Timor, belonging to the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara. The island's surface is 30,777 square kilometres...
and the Banda Islands
Banda Islands
The Banda Islands are a volcanic group of ten small volcanic islands in the Banda Sea, about south of Seram Island and about east of Java, and are part of the Indonesian province of Maluku. The main town and administrative centre is Bandanaira, located on the island of the same name. They rise...
, in Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, in 1512.
Expeditions
On 25 July 1511, during the conquest of Malacca, António de Abreu led the Chinese junkJunk (ship)
A junk is an ancient Chinese sailing vessel design still in use today. Junks were developed during the Han Dynasty and were used as sea-going vessels as early as the 2nd century AD. They evolved in the later dynasties, and were used throughout Asia for extensive ocean voyages...
that went up the Malacca River at high tide, allowing the Portuguese contingent to land and conquer the city in August. Severely wounded in the face, having lost some teeth and tongue, he refused the proposal from Albuquerque to relieve the command.
In November that year, after sending ambassadors to Pegu and Siam one month before leaving Malacca, Albuquerque trusted Abreu with the command of a fleet of three ships sailing in search of the "Spice Islands
Maluku Islands
The Maluku Islands are an archipelago that is part of Indonesia, and part of the larger Maritime Southeast Asia region. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone...
". Abreu was captain-major in the ship Santa Catarina, the deputy commander was Francisco Serrão
Francisco Serrão
Francisco Serrão was a Portuguese explorer and a cousin of Ferdinand Magellan. His 1512 voyage was the first known European sailing east past Malacca through Indonesia and the Indies. He became a member of the Sultan Bayan Sirrullah, the ruler of Ternate, becoming his personal advisor...
on the ship Sabaia, and a third vessel, a caravel, was under command of Simão Afonso Bisagudo, having as pilot Francisco Rodrigues, an able cartographer who wrote about this expedition. With a crew of 120 Portuguese and 60 slaves they were guided by Malay pilots, recruited to guide them through Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
, the Lesser Sunda Islands
Lesser Sunda Islands
The Lesser Sunda Islands or Nusa Tenggara are a group of islands in the southern Maritime Southeast Asia, north of Australia. Together with the Greater Sunda Islands to the west they make up the Sunda Islands...
and Ambon Island
Ambon Island
Ambon Island is part of the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. The island has an area of , and is mountainous, well watered, and fertile. Ambon Island consists of 2 territories: The main city and seaport is Ambon , which is also the capital of Maluku province and Maluku Tengah Ambon Island is part of the...
to the Banda Islands
Banda Islands
The Banda Islands are a volcanic group of ten small volcanic islands in the Banda Sea, about south of Seram Island and about east of Java, and are part of the Indonesian province of Maluku. The main town and administrative centre is Bandanaira, located on the island of the same name. They rise...
, where they arrived in early 1512. They remained there for about a month, buying and filling their ships with nutmeg
Nutmeg
The nutmeg tree is any of several species of trees in genus Myristica. The most important commercial species is Myristica fragrans, an evergreen tree indigenous to the Banda Islands in the Moluccas of Indonesia...
and cloves. Abreu then sailed to Amboina whilst his deputy commander Serrão stepped forward to the Moluccas but sank, ending in Ternate
Ternate
Ternate is an island in the Maluku Islands of eastern Indonesia. It is located off the west coast of the larger island of Halmahera, the center of the powerful former Sultanate of Ternate....
. Occupied with fighting elsewhere in the archipelago, such as Ambon and Ternate, he returned only in 1529.
Abreu returned to Malacca in December 1512, from where he departed for India with Fernão Pires de Andrade
Fernão Pires de Andrade
Captain Fernão Pires de Andrade was a Portuguese merchant, pharmacist, and official diplomat under the explorer and Malacca governor Afonso de Albuquerque...
in January 1513, then sailing for Portugal. He died in Azores, before reaching continental Portugal.
See also
- Francisco SerrãoFrancisco SerrãoFrancisco Serrão was a Portuguese explorer and a cousin of Ferdinand Magellan. His 1512 voyage was the first known European sailing east past Malacca through Indonesia and the Indies. He became a member of the Sultan Bayan Sirrullah, the ruler of Ternate, becoming his personal advisor...
- History of IndonesiaHistory of IndonesiaThe History of Indonesia was shaped by its geographic position, its natural resources, the series of human migrations, contacts, economy and trade, conquests and politics. Indonesia is an archipelagic country of 17,508 islands stretching along the equator in South East Asia...