By Manuel Luciano da Silva & SÃlvia Jorge da Silva
On May 2005, my wife and I spent six days in Madeira Island. We were enchanted by its people, by the marvelous panoramas, by so many thousands of flowers, and also by its monuments and works of art. It was a fantastic trip!
On the last day of our stay in Madeira, we went to the most historical place in Madeira, which is located in Funchal harbor. We visited the small island which is now called the Forte of São José da Pontinha.
It was our guide Mr. Renato Barros (high school teacher) who is the legal owner of this small fort. He took us to the top platform of the fort, from where we could see on the Atlantic side, a triangular anchor and steps carved by João Gonçalves Zarco and Tristão Vaz Teixeira, and their sailors after July 1st, 1419.
Due to the dense forest that Madeira presented itself in 1419, the new discoverers, without knowing the dangers that might exist inside the forest, they decided to build a cave inside of this small island and therefore creating a fort with a shelter. For several years this dock served for people to get into Madeira and also to leave it.
As I contemplated this triangular anchor and the steps on this small island, my brain went all over the world to recall small islands and famous places where man put his feet for the first time:
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