Vasco Da Gama was born in Portugal in 1460,
He was born into a soldiering family.
His dad was an explorer and to India was about to sail,
But when daddy died the plan was going to fail.
So Vasco went across the sea in his fathers' place
And sailed on and on over the sea to another place.
He didn't encounter difficulties getting boats, supplies or crew,
Because his trip was sponsored by King John the 2.
He left in 1497 and reached Calicut the next year,
And was welcomed in by the Zamorin the Hindu ruler.
He came back a success with most of his crew,
But left again to India in 1502.
The people were frightened because he wasn't seen for a year,
But suddenly someone spotted him and screamed "Da Gama's here"
Some years later he was asked to go to India
And very soon his ship had docked on the beaches of Goa.
But he grew ill in 1524 and died in  December
And that was the end of the great explorer.