aportugueseinthemiddleofthepolemics

A Portuguese In The
Middle Of The Controversy!
By João Saramago, Staff writer of the “Morning Post” (Correio da Manhã), Lisbon, Portugal July 2004

Subtitle = TV: The theory of the discovery of America by the Chinese agitates the historians

A Portuguese physician living for more than 50 years in the United States of America, will refute in a TV program, which will be shown on PBS on July 14, concerning the tremendous successful book: “1421 – The year China discovered the world”, written by the ex-maritime British officer, Gavin Menzies.

“The discovery of America by the Chinese in 1421 -- is a big lie!”, declared Manuel Luciano da Silva to the ‘Morning Post’(Correio da Manhã). As the author of the book “Portuguese Pilgrims and Dighton Rock” Da Silva went further in his criticism of Menzies: “ He falsified a map to fit ‘his’ preconceived theory.” On the same TV program which will be aired at 9PM, Da Silva will refute Menzies, item by item, especially concerning the discovery of the Atlantic Cost.

Menzies defends that the first navigators who arrived in America were part of a fleet commanded by Admiral Zheng He. On March 5, 1421, Zheng He left the port of Tanggu, commanding 300 ships and 30 thousand men. The main objective of this Chinese fleet was to demonstrate to the world the power of the Chinese civilization.

Up to now, the investigators believe that Zheng He’s fleet only travel in the Indian Ocean, and did not pass the Cape of Good Hope into the Atlantic . Menzies pretends to prove by his book just the opposite, there is, that the success of the Chinese fleet on the Atlantic Ocean was such, that it was even able to reach America, 70 years before Christopher Columbus (1472).

Luciano da Silva, 76 years old, does not agree with that and refutes Menzies by showing his own research demonstrating that the Portuguese arrived in North America before Columbus’ father was born, revealed by the Nautical Chart of 1424, made by Zuane Pizzigano.

On the Nautical Chart of 1424 there are displayed four islands, on the most northern-western part of the Azores, and according to Luciano da Silva they represent Newfoundland and Nova Scotia . On the other hand Menzies says they represent Puerto Rico and Guadalupe.

But Da Silva emphasizes: “ I am really amazed that Mr. Gavin Menzies, being a retired captain of the British submarine, did not see, immediately, that those four islands on the Nautical Chart of 1424, are on the same north latitude as the southern part of England – the same country where he was born!”

And Da Silva continues: “These four islands are encompassed within the same latitudes between 35.5 and 47 degrees north measured on the Nautical Chart of 1424! The latitudes of the islands of Puerto Rico and Guadalupe in the Caribbean have latitudes of 17 and 18 degrees north. There is a difference of more than 27 degrees of latitude which is equivalent to more than 1,750 miles. How could a British Captain made such a discrepancy?”, Da Silva asks.

Portuguese or Chinese – Which ones were the first in America? This is the controvery which will appear in the American television.

The Portuguese Newport Tower

Newport Tower with my wife Sílvia	Charola, Tomar, Portugal, with my wife Sílvia



Altar niche in the Newport Tower	Altar niche in the Charola, Tomar, Portugal

Gavin Menzies in his book “1421: The year China discovered the world?”, irritates Luciano da Silva for other reasons. The British author dedicates the 13^th chapter of his book to the colonization of North America and on this part he enters in conflict with Da Silva’s theses. Menzies days that it was the Chinese that built the Newport Tower . Luciano da Silva lists a series of criticisms and says: “ Menzies forgot to say in his book that in all of China does not exist one round tower” similar to the Newport structure. This construction is a true enigma in New England and several theories have been presented by other authors: Celtics, Vikings and British. For Luciano da Silva it was built by the Corte Real navigators.

Gavin Menzies says that Dighton Rock has Chinese hieroglyphics engraved on Dighton Rock. Luciano da Silva does not agree: “ How can Menzies make such a statement if he never examined Dighton Rock in loco and does not know anything about archaeology, nor epigraphy?”

“There are no Chinese hieroglyphics engraved on Dighton Rock” stresses Da Silva, who has been studying Dighton Rock since the age of 22 and affirms that there are engraved on the Dighton Rock the Portuguese Cross of Order of Christ, the date 1511, two Portuguese Coat of Arms and the name of Miguel Corte Real.

Manuel Luciano da Silva is married, has two sons and four grandchildren. He was born on September 5^th 1926, the village of Cavião, Vale de Cambra. In 1948 he entered New York University and obtained a bachelor degree in Biology in 1952.

In the same year he returned to Portugal and was admitted into Coimbra Medical School and completed his medical degree with distinction in 1957.

Returned to the United States and did his internship at St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford , MA , and then completed his specialization in Internal Medicine at the famous Lahey Clinic in Boston . He was the Medical Director of the Rhode Island Veterans Home in Bristol for 21 years. In 1968 he received from the Portuguese Government the Prince Henry Award for his historical investigations. In 1975 he was Chief Marshal of the Fourth of July Parade, the highest honor for any citizen from Bristol . On June 12, 2001, the Library-Museum Dr. Manuel Luciano da Silva was inaugurated in his hometown, Cavião, Vale de Cambra.