D. João de Castro.
João de Castro (Lisbon, February 27, 1500 - Goa, June 6, 1548) was a nobleman of the House of King Manuel I, sailor, cartographer and Portuguese colonial administrator (he was governor and captain general, 13th governor and 4th Viceroy of India).
He studied Literature, by the will of the father, but he preferred to dedicate himself to the military career. In 1535 he accompanied the expedition of Carlos V destined to the conquest of Tunisia. In 1538 he left for India in the army of Viceroy García de Noronha.
On this trip he wrote the first of three famous writings. The first writing evidences the few cosmographic knowledge of the author. The second writing of the coast of India was elaborated in the expedition of the viceroy to Diu. The last was drawn up in 1541, on the trip of Governor Esteban de Gama from Goa to Sinai. The work contains detailed descriptions of the lands he traveled.
For its accuracy, the writings became the best guide of the time for navigation in the Red Sea. As a reward for his services, he received high honors from the monarch, the eldest being the appointment to the office of Viceroy of India, although he served for a short time, since he died three weeks later, in 1548.
wiki
