António de Abreu
Madeira-born Portuguese naval officer António de Abreu (c. 1480 – ?) sailed east with Tristão da Cunha's eighth Portuguese India Armada in April 1506 and participated in the conquest of Hormuz (1507) and Malacca where he commanded the Chinese junk that went up the Malacca River at high tide on 25 July 1511 and established the Portuguese foothold ashore that enabled Albuquerque to take the city in August. Although he received severe facial wounds in the action, he refused to relinquish his command.
Three months later, Abreu left Malacca with a three-ship expedition to open direct trade with the Spice Islands. Although they lost Francisco Serrão's Sabaia en route, and unfavourable winds prevented them from reaching Ternate and Tidore, a month-long stay in Banda delivered a lucrative cargo of nutmeg and other spices and a junk to replace the lost vessel.
Serrão subsequently made his way to Ternate after his junk ran aground during a storm in the Banda Sea, establishing a Portuguese presence there. Unaware of Serrão's fate, Abreu's remaining vessels continued on the return journey, reaching Malacca a year after their departure.
Abreu subsequently departed from Malacca, homeward bound via Goa. Some accounts suggest he died in the Azores on the return voyage, it seems he was appointed governor of Malacca in 1526 and served there until his death
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Afonso do Albuquerque
Azores
Banda
Goa
Hormuz
Madeira
Malacca
