Estêvão Gomes

Estêvão Gomes, also known in the Spanish versions of his name as Estevan Gómez or Esteban Gómez, (Porto, Kingdom of Portugal, c. 1483 - Paraguay River, 1538), was a Portuguese cartographer and explorer. He sailed at the service of Castile in the fleet of Ferdinand Magellan, but deserted the expedition before reaching the Strait of Magellan, and returned to Spain in May 1521. In 1524 he explored present-day Nova Scotia sailing South along the Maine coast. While historical accounts vary, Gomes may have entered New York Harbor and seen the Hudson River. Because of his expedition, the 1529 Diogo Ribeiro world map outlines the East coast of North America almost perfectly.

Gomes was born in Porto, northern Portugal, and probably sailed in Portuguese ships during his youth. In 1518, he moved to Castile (Spain), where he was appointed a pilot in the Casa de Contratación in Seville.

In 1519, Gomes sailed with Magellan in the First Circumnavigation of Earth, as the captain of the San Antonio. Before reaching the Strait of Magellan, though, he deserted the expedition, returning to Spain in May 1521. He was immediately jailed, but when the remaining ship reached Spain, and the surviving crew related their terrible experience, he was freed.

Gomes was able to convince the Emperor Charles to finance a new expedition to find a northern passage to the Spice Islands, the fabled Northwest Passage. A 50-ton caravel, La Anunciada, was built for the purpose.

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