The Portuguese equivalent of the Spanish Manila Galleon was the Portuguese east Indiaman. And like the Manila Galleons the Indiamen, which sailed from Lisbon to Cochin or Goa and back, were far larger and as a consequence slower than their transatlantic equivalent, the caravel and carrack. The Brazil Company built its nao’s and caravels in the colony’s using local hardwoods which were considered superior to European timber, primarily because they better resisted shipworm. Portuguese Indiamen were built on the Indian subcontinent, although they used Indian teak. This was also considered better than traditional timber but slightly inferior to Brazilwood.

The 17th century Indiamen were huge compared to standards of the day. They were self-contained vessels, like floating cities. They incorporated the armaments of the galleon with the cargo carrying capacity of a merchant vessel. Their crews often numbered as many as 150, with up to 800 passengers. When the Indiamen arrived at Goa the galleons were loaded with exotic merchandise from the remotest corners of Asia. From China came blue and white porcelain, highly regarded in Europe. From present day Indonesia came the spices’ nutmeg, mace, and cloves. from Pegu in Burma, pottery and stoneware; cinnamon from Ceylon; and from India, gold, jewels, white cotton, silk and peppercorns. Chinese trades people are said to have remarked upon the arrival of the Portuguese Indiamen. Their ships are dark and smelly; the passengers and crew, pale and fierce with long noses.

On September 14, 1606, the east Indiaman galleon Nossa Senhora dos Mártires ( our lady of martyrs) was returning from India on her yearly round trip journey. She carried much desirable luxury items such as ceramics and on this particular trip the Indiaman’s cargo included a large amount of peppercorns. The peppercorns were stored in barrels and sealed with cork to protect them from the humidity. Spanish and Portuguese archives have revealed information about some of the passengers aboard the Martires. There was Father Francisco Rodriquez, a Jesuit priest, returning to Europe after helping to establish a Catholic mission in Japan. He brought back with him a young Japanese Catholic called Miguel. The ships captain, Manuel Barreto Rolim who came from a rich family, had married against his familys wishes and as a result been disinherited. The captain had traveled to India the previous year to seek his fortune.

As the Nossa Senhora dos Mártires approached the coast near Lisbon the fortress of Sao Juliao de Barra was in sight. The ship had just entered the mouth of the River Tagus when a freak squall forced the ship onto submerged rocks. Because the ship sank quickly over 200 people lost their lives, despite the galleons close proximity to the harbor. Father Rodriquez perished after giving his place in a boat to another. His protege Miguel survived and returned to the missions.

From 1996-1998 the Centro Nacional de Arqueologia Nauticaa e Subaquatica archaeologically excavated the wreck site. Amazingly a layer of peppercorns up to one foot deep, in places, still covered the hull. The shipwreck became known as the pepper wreck. Important finds included a Lisbon made astrolabe with the ships date of departure, as well as other navigational devices. However, most of the artifacts recovered were trade goods from the orient. The exotic goods; Chinese porcelain, pewter, coral, gold beads and pearls, told a story of the Portuguese Indiamen far reaching trade routes.

The virtual tour model of the 'Pepper Wreck'.

Images from commons.wikimedia.com.