Portuguese sea chart. 16th century nautical chart of the coastlines of Western Europe (top) and West Africa (bottom). North is at top. The chart shows the names of locations along the coastlines, and gives lines used for navigation at sea. Artworks of camels and a castle fill the African interior. Nautical charts such as these were used during the Age of Discovery, that included the 1497-9 voyage of the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama, which opened the maritime trading route from Europe round Africa to India. This map is from a 1563 atlas by the Portuguese cartographer Lazaro Luis, at the Sciences Academy of Lisbon.