São Gonçalo, 1630

Country: South Africa

Type: Nau

Identified: Yes

Dated: 1630 (Historical accounts)

Introduction

The small nau S. Gonçalo was one of five vessels offered by the Portuguese and Spanish crown to a newly created Companhia da Índia, formed in 1628 after the image of the successful Dutch VOC.

Lost in 1630 on the south coast of South Africa, the remains of S. Gonçalo are known to lie somewhere on the bottom of Plettemberg Bay but have never been reported, although their existence is know by local fishermen.

As the ship was lost at anchor, with a large part of its crew and passengers on shore, the survivors built a camp that was still visible in 1788, when the area was settled by a Dutch immigrant named Jan Jerling.

After exposing part of the survivor’s camp site, during the construction of a new house on the site, in 1979 Jan’s descendant John Jerling supported archaeological excavations, which were conducted by a team from Cape Town University.

The Jerling collection includes over 1000 porcelain shards and many other artifacts.