In 1488, Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias became the first European mariner to round the southernmost tip of Africa, reaching the Indian Ocean from the Atlantic, opening the sea route from Europe to Asia.
The discovery of the passage around southern Africa was significant. Till that time, Europeans were not able to conduct direct trade with either India, or any other Asian country, except through the overland route through the Middle East.
That was the reason why King John II of Portugal appointed Bartolomeu Dias to head an expedition to find a sea route to India. Dias set sail on October 10th, 1486.
Dias had a convoy of three ships. He followed the coast line beyond the point reached by Diogo Cao four years before him until he had crossed the Tropic of Capricorn. Dias sailed southwards for many days, until the wind and currents drove him back again towards the east. Even though he was not able to find land, Dias bravely decided to turn his ships back to the north again. Soon afterwards, they sighted an island, which came to be known as Mossel Bay, now in Cape Province, South Africa.
