António de Abreu
António de Abreu (c. 1480 – c. 1514) was a 16th-century Portuguese navigator and naval officer. He participated under the command of Afonso de Albuquerque in the conquest of Ormus in 1507 and Malacca in 1511, where he got injured. Departing from Malacca in November 1511 with four ships, in an exploratory voyage to the 'Spice Islands' of Maluku, he led the first European expedition to reach Timor and the Banda Islands, in Indonesia, in 1512.
António de Abreu | |
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Effigy of António de Abreu in the Monument of the Discoveries, in Lisbon, Portugal | |
| Born | c. 1480 Madeira, Kingdom of Portugal |
| Died | c. 1514 |
| Nationality | Portuguese |
| Occupation(s) | Navigator, naval officer |
| Known for | Leader of the first European expedition to reach Timor and the Banda Islands. |
Abreu was born about 1480 in Madeira, the son of nobleman João Fernandes de Andrade. After serving in Morocco, he fought in the campaigns of Afonso de Albuquerque in India and the Red Sea. On 25 July 1511, during the conquest of Malacca, António de Abreu led the Chinese junk that went up the Malacca River at high tide, allowing the Portuguese contingent to land and conquer the city in August. Severely wounded by a musket shot in the face, he lost several teeth and part of his tongue but indignantly refused Albuquerque's request to hand over his command.