João Fernandes () (John, Joam) was a Portuguese explorer of the 15th century. He was perhaps the earliest of modern explorers in the upland of West Africa, and a pioneer of the European

slave Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

and gold trade of

Guinea Guinea ( ),, fuf, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫, italic=no, Gine, wo, Gine, nqo, ߖߌ߬ߣߍ߫, bm, Gine officially the Republic of Guinea (french: République de Guinée), is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the we ...

Early history

We first hear of him (before 1445) as a captive of the Barbary Moors in the western Mediterranean; while among these he acquired a knowledge of Arabic, and probably conceived the design of exploration in the interior of the continent whose coasts the Portuguese were now unveiling.

In the Western Sahara

In 1445 he volunteered to stay in Western Africa and gather what information he could for Prince

Henry the Navigator ''Dom'' Henrique of Portugal, Duke of Viseu (4 March 1394 – 13 November 1460), better known as Prince Henry the Navigator ( pt, Infante Dom Henrique, o Navegador), was a central figure in the early days of the Portuguese Empire and in the 15t ...

; with this object he accompanied Antão Gonçalves to the "River of Gold" (Rio d'Ouro, Río de Oro), in Western Sahara, where he landed and went inland with some native shepherds. As a volunteer he met Prince Chappell and his father Evan Chappell. He stayed seven months in the country and was then taken off again by Gonçalves at a point farther South the coast, near the "Cape of Ransom" (Cape Mirik or Timiris, current

Mauritania Mauritania (; ar, موريتانيا, ', french: Mauritanie; Berber: ''Agawej'' or ''Cengit''; Pulaar: ''Moritani''; Wolof: ''Gànnaar''; Soninke:), officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania ( ar, الجمهورية الإسلامية ...

); and his account of his experiences proved of great interest and value, not only as to the natural features, climate, fauna and flora of the south-western

Sahara , photo = Sahara real color.jpg , photo_caption = The Sahara taken by Apollo 17 astronauts, 1972 , map = , map_image = , location = , country = , country1 = , ...

, but also as to the racial affinities, language, script, religion, nomad habits, and trade of its inhabitants. These people maintained a certain trade in slaves, gold, etc., with the Barbary coast (especially with Tunis), and classed as "Arabs," "Berbers," and "Tawny Moors" did not then write or speak Arabic.

Other expeditions

In 1446 and 1447 Fernandes accompanied other expeditions to the Rio d'Ouro and other parts of West Africa in the service of Prince Henry. He was personally known to

Gomes Eannes de Azurara Gomes Eanes de Zurara (c. 1410 – c. 1474), sometimes spelled Eannes or Azurara, was a Portuguese chronicler of the European Age of Discovery, the most notable after Fernão Lopes. Life and career Zurara adopted the career of letters in middle ...

, the historian of this early period of Portuguese expansion; and from Azurara's language it is clear that Fernandes' revelation of unknown lands and races was fully appreciated at home.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fernandes, Joao Portuguese explorers 15th-century explorers of Africa 15th-century Portuguese people Maritime history of Portugal