All authorities agree that the fleet, or armada, fitted out for Vasco da Gama's voyage numbered four vessèls, but they are not agreed as to the names which these vessels bore. We are not, however, likely to be misled if we accept the unanimous testimony of the author of our Roteiro, of João de Barros, Lopez de Castanheda, Pedro Barretto de Rezende, and Manuel Faria y Sousa: according to whom the names of the ships and of their principal officers were as follows :–

S. Gabriel (flag-ship).–Vasco da Gama, captain-major: Pero d'Alenquer, pilot: Gonçalo Alvarez, master; Diogo Dias, clerk.

S. Raphael.–Paulo da Gama, captain; João de Coimbra pilot; João de Sá, clerk.

Berrio.–Nicolau Coelho, captain; Pero Escolar, pilot; Alvaro de Braga, clerk.

Store-ship.–Gonçalo Nunes, captain.

Correa and the unknown author of the Jornal das Viagens (p. 145) call the “Berrio” S. Miguel, and make the S. Raphael the flag-ship; whilst L. de Figueiredo de Falcão (p. 147) substitutes a S. Miguel for the S. Raphael. It is just possible that the vessel popularly called Berrio, after its former owner, had been re-christened S. Miguel.

The Berrio was one of those swift lateen-rigged vessels for which Portugal was famous from the thirteenth to the beginning of the sixteenth century, and which, after the barinel had been discarded, were exclusively employed in the exploration of the African coast.