According to Dr. F.F. Lopes (1957) Corte Real received a charter from King Manuel of Portugal on May 12, 1500 to discover and claim jurisdiction over lands in the New World. That summer he left Lisbon with one ship, possibly picking up another ship at the island of Terceira. Upon reaching North American Shores Corte Real found a land full of large trees and fertile soil. This land he named Greenland or Terra Verte. B.G. Hoffaman(1961) states that "From the description of the "Terra Verte' or Land of Corte Real' to be found in the Cantino and Pasqualigo, as well as in the accounts by Galcano and Goes, and in the 'Iocalize general de todas ilas del mundo,' localized Corte Real's explorations as having taken place in the Newfoundland area."
Local Historians such as W.G. Gosling (1910) and Hatton and Harvey (1883) have further hypothesised that Corte Real named Conception Bay and Portugal Cove, explored Trinity Bay, the Northeast coast of the island and the Strait of Belle Isle, and started the first fishery in Conception Bay. Heavy ice conditions prevented Corte Real's northern advance and he returned to Portugal.
The following year, with three ships, he again set out on an expedition
bound for Terra Verte. After travelling along what was probably the
coast of Labrador and the Island of Newfoundland the expedition
captured perhaps sixty native men and one native woman. The ships
separated, probably along the southern part of the island and two
ships and seven captives returned to Portugal. Corte Real is said to
have headed in a southern direction; it is not known for certain,
however, since he was never heard from again. Miguel Corte Real
attempted to find his brother but his expedition ended as mysteriously
as Gaspar's.
