Medieval Towns — tJieir Business and Buildings 529 a successor of Vasco da Gama reached Java and the Moluccas, where the Portuguese speedily built a fortress. By 15 15 Por- tugal had become the greatest among sea powers ; and spices reached Lisbon regularly without the intervention of the Moham- medan merchants or the Italian towns, which, especially Venice, were mortally afflicted by the change (see above, p. 519). The Malay Archipelago The outline of the United States has been drawn in to make clear the vast extent of the region explored by the Portuguese at the opening of the sixteenth century. It is not far from 2000 miles from Ceylon to Malacca Strait, and as far from there on to the Spice Islands as from Denver to Richmond, Virginia There is no doubt that the desire to obtain spices was at importance this time the main reason for the exploration of the globe, encouragin^g This motive led European navigators to try in succession every navigation possible way to reach the East — by going around Africa, by sailing west in the hope of reaching the Indies (before they knew of the existence of America), then, after America was discovered, by sailing around it to the north or south, and even sailing around Europe to the north.
