Alessandro Valignano S. J. showed us in the detailed picture, entitled "Historia del principio y progresso de la Compania de Jesus en las Indias Orientales", the navigation between Lisbon and Goa, and also the difficulties from which the people had suffered. He classified them into two parts: hardships in daily life, and perils which fell during this navigation; and further sorted both of them into six, respectively, i.e., the former into: 1. lack of accomodation, 2. food, 3. clothes, 4. hardships from becalmed ships, 5. lack of water, 6. disease ; while the latter into: 1. tempest, 2. reef, 3. fire at sea, 4. French pirates, 5. lack of water, 6. death. In recent years, Europeans have made all sorts of studies of his work, and particularly those who are inter- ested in studying the biography of S. Francis Xavier can not fail to disregard them. This is an evident fact that his sharp-eyed analysis and accuracy came to gain a high reputation as historical material. The present article which is chiefly based on Valignano's work tries to give a brief sketch of the actual condition and various difficulties they had to face during the voyages on Portuguese vessels from Lisbon to Goa.
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