Amerigo Vespucci’s first two voyages were for the Spanish crown and the third and fourth voyages were for the Portuguese crown. On May 14th, 1501, Vespucci departed on his third voyage, this time for Portugal. This voyage is largely considered a successful one.
Departing from Lisbon in 1501, the fleet sailed first to Cape Verde, where they encountered two ships of Pedro Alvares Cabral, returning from India.
In a letter from Cape Verde, Vespucci wrote that he hoped to visit the same lands that Pedro Alvares Cabral had explored, suggesting that his intention was to sail west to Asia. On reaching the coast of Brazil, they sailed south along the coast of South America to Rio de Janeiro’s bay.
After the first half of the expedition, Vespucci mapped the constellations Alpha and Beta Centauri.
Vespucci’s fourth voyage was another expedition for the Portuguese crown down the eastern coast of Brazil. The voyage began in May 1503, and returned to Portugal in 1504.
When the expedition did not make any new discoveries, the fleet was disbanded. However, it has never been confirmed that Vespucci was aboard on this voyage.