Le second voyage de Vasco da Gama à Calicut : $b relation flamande éditée vers MDIV reproduite avec une introduction et une traduction par J. Ph. Berjeau

A fleeting, six‑page pamphlet from Antwerp gives a surprisingly vivid snapshot of Vasco da Gama’s second journey to the Indian port of Calicut at the dawn of the 16th century. Written in the Dutch of the day and printed in a stark gothic hand, the original text was meant for a handful of readers eager for news of the Portuguese presence on the Malabar Coast. Its terse style records the departure, the daunting navigation around the Cape of Good Hope, and the first uneasy contacts with the local ruler, offering a rare contemporary voice to a voyage often known only from later summaries.

The modern edition wraps that terse narrative in a thoughtful introduction that traces the pamphlet’s discovery, its scarce surviving copies, and the quirks of its early printing—down to a reversed inscription on a crucifixion woodcut. A clear, faithful translation brings the sailor’s observations to life, letting listeners hear the ambition, the tension, and the early moments of cultural exchange that shaped an era of exploration.