What Happened to the Corte-Real Brothers?

A 15th-century adventurer named Joo Vaz Corte-Real set sail for the Portuguese Crown and was rewarded with high-ranking positions in the Azores Islands. Gaspar, Miguel, and Vasco Aes, three of his sons, all went on to become explorers.

For King Manuel I of Portugal, Gaspar Corte-Real sailed in 1500 to explore the North Atlantic. He arrived at Greenland, but was unable to land due to the thick ice. Gaspar embarked on another journey the next year, this time with three caravels. Once more, ice blocked his path, so he shifted directions and eventually landed on another country "where pine trees and wild berries thrived," which is typically thought to be Newfoundland, but the precise location is unknown.

With the intention of enslaving them, he discovered Indians and seized about 50 of them, but he never returned to Portugal. The other two caravelles came back, but Gaspar Corte-caravelle Real's vanished without a trace.

In 1502, Miguel Corte-Real, his brother, also set out on a rescue mission with three ships. When they arrived at the shores where Gaspar had landed, they divided into search groups and decided to reassemble at a certain location. However, the same thing occurred this time: the other two caravels returned, but the one carrying Miguel Corte-Real went missing.

The third brother actually made an attempt to launch his own rescue operation, but the king prevented him from traveling on any additional ships that were sent. The brothers Corte-whereabouts Real's are still unknown.