Gil Eanes

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Statue of Gil Eanes in the city of Lagos.

Gil Eanes (Eannes), pron. IPA: [ʒiɫ i'ɐnɨʃ], was a 15th century Portuguese navigator and explorer.

Very little was known of him. Eanes was in the service of the Portuguese prince Henry the Navigator. Sailing from Lagos, Eanes made an unknown number of voyages along the African coast. In his voyage in 1433, he sailed along the coast of Africa and reached the Canary Islands. He was the first to sail beyond Cape Bojador in 1434 and return, by making a wide turn. The discovery of a passable route around Cape Bojador marked the beginning of the Portuguese exploration of Africa. Before the trip of Eanes, there was a legend of a Green Sea of Darkness, beyond the Cape Bojador. Eanes made another voyage, with Afonso Gonçalves Baldaia, in 1435. They sailed about 30 leagues (144 km), or even 50 leagues (240 km) south of Cape Bojador and reached African coast.