Like other European countries, Portugal was very interested in the riches of Asia. As they explored the west coast of Africa, they found lots of wealth in ivory and gold. When Bartholomew Dias was young, he was one of the men who sailed down the coast looking for treasure. His skills as a sailor improved until King John II decided he could use him as an explorer. He told Dias that he could lead an expedition to explore along Africa's western coast. Dias really wanted to lead that expedition because he knew he could do it. Dias got scared when John II, Prince Henry 's nephew, told him that no other European has ever gone as far south as he had. When he left Portugal in 1481, he sailed south for several months. When he sailed, he was exploring the coast and making charts. His work was rewarded by making him a member of The Royal Household.
In 1485, King John the II gave Dias a command of an expedition to continue to explore the western part of Africa. On August 1487, Dias left Lisbon, and went to sea. While traveling down the coast he was caught in huge storm. The strom blew him out to sea. After thretten days the storm finally stopped. He sailed east hoping to site land. When he didn't find land he decided to sail north. At last they found land. As they sailed up the coast, they saw that the coast went northeast. When Dias saw that he knew that he had gone around the southern tip of Africa. It was now 1488, one year after he had left Lisbon. He called the spot where he landed Herdmen's Bay, and put up a stone marker.
When Dias returning to Lisbon, he had to pass the Cape Of Storms again. When he got to Lisbon, he told King John about the voyage. When King John heard about the Cape of Storms, he decided to call it the Cape of Good Hope. King John was probably afraid that sailors wouldn't what to go to a cape that sounded that dangerous. In the 1500, Dias sailed again, but this time he was not the captain. The captin was Pedro Cabral. When they reached the Cape of Good Hope, they were hit by a storm. Four ships were lost, and Dias was on one of them. The great explorer died at sea..