This richly documented film takes us on a voyage of exploration. It follows the Europeans in the 15th Century, especially the Portuguese, who pushed the known boundaries of the "civilized world" and forever changed the continent of Africa. During the reign of Henry the Navigator, Portugal, which had been ravaged by the plague and cursed with crop failure, looked to the seas in search of riches. The film takes us step by step from the first landing in 1434 on the West African coast through the fearsome rounding of the Cape of Good Hope, up the coast of East Africa and across the Indian Ocean to Asia. The slave trade, which forever changed the course of history, began with the landings at Senegal and Gambia. So lucrative was this trade in "black ivory" that it became the main incentive for the voyages, replacing exploration. When Vasco de Gama eventually reached the Malabar coast of India in 1498, he found that Arab merchants had preceded him. The Portuguese eventually pushed out the Arabs and dominated the Indian Ocean. Thus they began a lucrative trade in precious spices like pepper, cloves and nutmeg. Interwoven with the search for wealth was the desire to convert the heathen to Christianity. This fascinating historical documentary is brought to life by colorful drawings, archival prints, and artifacts. Part I: 60 min; Part II: 30 min.