page_title: Álvaro Fernandes
section_title: 1446 Expedition
hierarchical_section_title: Álvaro Fernandes / 1446 Expedition
caption_attribution_description: English: Location map of Banyun people (Carte de l'Afrique françoise ou du Senegal) Français&#160;: Localisation des Bagnones (Bainouk) (Carte de l'Afrique françoise ou du Senegal )
context_page_description: Álvaro Fernandes, was a 15th-century Portuguese slave-trader and explorer from Madeira, in the service of Henry the Navigator. He captained two important expeditions, which expanded the limit of the Portuguese discovery of the West African coast, probably as far as the northern borderlands of modern Guinea-Bissau. Álvaro Fernandes's farthest point would not be surpassed for ten years, until the voyage of Alvise Cadamosto in 1456.
context_section_description: Álvaro Fernandes set out again on a caravel in 1446, this time on direct mission for Prince Henry. Fernandes headed straight to his last point (Cabo dos Mastos), and landed a little exploring party, but finding nobody, re-embarked and continued sailing on.  At an indeterminate point south of there, they spotted a local coastal village and disembarked a party, only to be met by an armed native force (probably Serer), intent on defending their village.  Álvaro Fernandes killed what he believed was the native chieftain at the beginning of the encounter, prompting the rest of the local warriors to briefly halt the fight.  The Portuguese landing party availed themselves of the pause to hurry back to their ship.
   Having sailed a little on, the next day, the Portuguese captured two young local women collecting shellfish by the shore. The caravel resumed sail, and continued "for a certain distance", until they reached a large river, which is recorded in the chronicles as "Rio Tabite" (location uncertain, see below). Although probably aware of the fate of Nuno Tristão on a similar river venture, Alvaro Fernandes nonetheless decided to set a launch to explore upriver.  The first exploratory boat made a landing on the bank near some local huts, where they quickly captured a local woman and brought her back to the caravel.  Then refitting the boat, they set out again, this time intending to sail further upriver. But they did not get far before they came upon four or five native canoes with armed men heading towards them.  Fernandes immediately turned the boat around and began racing back to the caravel, with the canoes hot on his tail.  One of the canoes went fast enough to nearly catch up with Fernandes's boat, prompting Fernandes to turn and prepare for a fight.  But the lead native canoe, realizing it was alone, slowed down to wait for the others, thus giving the Portuguese boat the opportunity to resume their flight back to the caravel.  The Portuguese escaped, but Álvaro Fernandes himself was gravely wounded in the leg by a poisoned arrow shot from one of the canoes.  Once aboard ship, he disinfected the wound with urine and olive oil.  He lay in fever for a few days, on the edge of death, but recovered.
  Despite the near-fatal experience, the caravel proceeded straight south for a little longer, until they reached a sandy cape and large sandy bay. They put a small boat to explore near the beach, but found a force of some 120 natives, armed with shields, assegais and bows marching towards them.  The explorers immediately returned to the caravel.  Nonetheless, the armed native party gave what seemed like a peaceful festive demonstration from the beach - waving and inviting the Portuguese to land.  But given Fernandes's ill condition and still shaken by their earlier near-escape, the decision was made to quit the area and set sail back to Portugal.
  On the way home, Fernandes stopped by Arguin island and a nearby cape in the bay, where they negotiated the purchase of a black slave-woman from some Berber traders.  Upon arrival in Portugal, Álvaro Fernandes was amply rewarded by Prince Henry the Navigator who offered him 100 dubloons, and regent Peter of Coimbra, who gave him another 100, for having sailed further than any other Portuguese captain thus far.
caption: The environs of the Casamance River, from a French map c. 1726
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