Zanzibar(Click on map for a larger view..)Date 1498 You have sailed with the
monsoon winds to the island city of Zanzibar which is just one of the
port cities of east Africa. Others include Kilwa, site of a great mosque
built of coral and stone (photograph), In these bustling cities products from the interior of Africa, such a gold, iron, ivory and coconuts are traded for Indian textiles and jewelry and Chinese porcelain. While trading here you hear a commotion in the harbor. A strange-looking ship has arrived filled with Europeans. The leader of the Europeans says his name is Vasco da Gama and he has sailed from Portugal down the east coast of Africa and around the Cape of Good Hope. He tells you he is looking for a route to India. You are amazed at his lack of sophistication. Arab captains have known how to ride the monsoons to India as well as to Zanzibar since the pre-Islamic times. Da Gama offers you fifteen dinars if you can write a paper for him that explains how the monsoon winds work and how he can use them to sail to India. Click on the following links to find the information you need. Monsoons as weather Sailors in History
Good Luck! Core Values Project, Bret Harte Middle School, OUSD. Coaching support is from Computer Strategies, LLC Maps by L Swanson based on graphics copyright 2001 arttoday.com Last updated 2/12/01 |
