CABRAL, or CABRERA, PEDRO ALVAREZ, the discover of Brazil, was descended from an old and patrician Portuguese family. Nothing is known of his early life, save the fact, that he must have recommended himself by talent and enterprise to king Emanuel of Portugal, who, after the first voyage of Vasco de Gama, appointed C. to the com mand of a fleet of 13 vessels, carrying 1200 men, and bound for the East Indies. On the 9th Mar., 1500, he sailed from Lisbon. To avoid the inconvenience of being becalmed on the coast of Africa, he took a course too far westerly, fell into the South Ameri can current of the Atlantic, and was carried to the unknown coast of Brazil, of which he claimed possession for the king of Portugal, April 24, 1500, naming the new country " Terra da Santa Cruz." After sending home one vessel to bear news of this great accidental discovery, C. sailed for India; but on the 29th of May, four of his vessels foundered, and all on board perished, including Diaz, the great navigator; and soon afterwards three more vessels were lost. C. therefore landed at -Mozambique, on the e.
coast of Africa, of which he first gave clear information, and also discovered (Aug. 23) the Antschedives islands, of which he described correctly the position. Hence he sailed to Calicut, where, having made the terror of his arms felt, he was permitted to found a factory; entered into successful negotiations with native rulers, and thus established the first commercial treaty between Portugal and India. He returned from India, bringing with him a considerable booty, and arrived in the port of Lisbon, July 31, 1501. It appears probable that the king was dissatisfied with the results of the expedition (although it had annexed Brazil to the crown of Portugal), for subsequently we find no mention made of C. among other discoverers. At the request of C., Sancho de Toar wrote a description of the coast of Sofola. C.'s voyages are described in Ramusio's Narigatione e Viaggi, 3 vols. (Venice, 1563; new ed., Venice, 1835).