In time the Portuguese would come to recognize their presence in the area as a way to gain control of the lucrative African gold trade. After years of failing to penetrate the interior of the continent, the monarchy hoped it could acquire gold by controlling the caravan routes of North Africa. The Portuguese also found a new and growing market for pepper in Northern Europe. By the 1450s, the cattle herds of the continent were solarge that the farmers were unable to keep them fed throughout the winter. Every autumn hundreds of livestock were butchered and pepper was used to preserve the meat. The attempt to control the flow of this precious substance became the third reason for the aggressive expansionist policy of the Lisbon government.
The Portuguese were also at the forefront of research and development in navigational and marine technology. Prince Henry the Navigator (1394-1460) created the first modern think tank and invited experts from all over Europe to come to Lisbon to work and research under optimum conditions. His scholars collected a wealth of information about the winds and currents of the Atlantic.
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