Vasco da Gama rounding the Cape of Good Hope. In 1497 King Manoel of Portugal fitted out an expedition to discover an ocean route to the East Indies. He selected as its commander one of his best navigators; Vasco da Gama; and in the summer of 1497 the explorers set forth from Lisbon. In November the Cape of Good Hope was reached and rounded; and the expedition proceeded to India. The discovery was one of the most important events in the history of the world. Illustration for Hutchinson's History of the Nations (Hutchinson; c.1920). Note: Image has been digitally enhanced to facilitate repro.