Map proves Portuguese discovered Australia: new book

[pocaracas]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2007/03/2...9720070321

A 16th century maritime map in a Los Angeles library vault proves that Portuguese adventurers, not British or Dutch, were the first Europeans to discover Australia, says a new book which details the secret discovery of Australia.

The book "Beyond Capricorn" says the map, which accurately marks geographical sites along Australia's east coast in Portuguese, proves that Portuguese seafarer Christopher de Mendonca lead a fleet of four ships into Botany Bay in 1522 -- almost 250 years before Britain's Captain James Cook.

Sorry we couldn't hang around until the brits came by, but I think you ended up a bit better than the Brazilians, so thumbs up!

[Something completely different]

You know that the vikings discovered America (despite the fact that it was discovered by the people who lived there in the first place)

And what use was it to the vikings?

non, since they didnt capitalise on their discovery.

[pocaracas]

Still, it's nice to set the record straight and have the history books tell the correct tale, instead of the winning tale.

[Anomalocaris]

I thought aborigines discovered Australia. Beat the Europeans by at least 45,000 years. And unlike Vikings or portugese, did something with their discovery.

[FallentoReason]

I thought aborigines discovered Australia. Beat the Europeans by at least 45,000 years. And unlike Vikings or portugese, did something with their discovery.

Huh? What did they achieve? In 45 000 years they never discovered gold :|

[Dee Dee Ramone]

They booze all day right? Love their rock in the desert though.

[Psykhronic]

Gold = achievement? Yeah, just fucking learning to survive on a certain landscape is not badass enough.

[CapnAwesome]

It's also likely that Chinese explorers sailed along the coast of California pre-Columbus. There is something to be said for the first people to decide to permanently settle in a New Land. Since the Portuguese in this case may not have even touched down on land (We really don't know what they did, since all we have is a map that seems accurate to one part of one port.) It doesn't really surprise me that the Portuguese saw Australia, they had been to Japan by that time. However James Cook led to the colonization of Australia. He actually accurately categorized and claimed it. Whether it's moral or good is different, but it is far more historically significant. The same that Columbus's journey is far more important than the viking explorations, which didn't lead to anything long term.

[Darth]

As goldbuggy as I am, it's useless until you can melt it down and refine it. They were hunter gatherers.

Nobody is trading in nuggets, especially when you're constantly on the move.

Thanks for this thread, I was under the impression it was the dutch, I shall have to look into this

[Aractus]

Sorry we couldn't hang around until the brits came by, but I think you ended up a bit better than the Brazilians, so thumbs up!

Not to piss on your parade, but it's long been believed that Cook used a map or maps from the Dutch/Portuguese, and all this is is further evidence that it was in fact the Portuguese that discovered Australia first. I'm no historian, but I believe you will find plenty of people who will look at that evidence and tell you they believe the Dutch also likely voyaged to the east coast of Australia around that time, even if we don't have a Dutch map as old yet. So it will still be a point of contention and disagreement over whether it was the Dutch or Portuguese who visited first, as it has been for quite some time.