Career
João de Sá is one of the purported authors of A Journal of the First Voyage of Vasco Da Gama 1497–1499 (the other being Álvaro Velho). On the return voyage the São Rafael was scuttled off the East African coast, and the crew re-distributed to the remaining two ships, the São Gabriel and the Berrio, as by this point there were not enough crewmen left standing to manage all three ships. This was due to the loss of almost half the crew during the voyage across the Indian Ocean, and to scurvy being rife amongst the survivors.
The South. Gabriel under Sá arrived in Lisbon sometime in late July or early August.
Like Vasco da Gama, João de Sá appears to have been closely associated with the Almeida family. lieutenant is believed that he spent some time at Safi (North Africa) after his return from India, possibly at the same time as being criado to the Bishop of Coimbra, Doctorate. Jorge de Almeida.
Between February 1511 and April 1514, de Sá, who was a trained scrivener, was the treasurer of spices in the Casa da Índia. He had also become a cavalier by royal letter in January 1512.
