E. Napp Europeans Search for New Trade Routes In this lesson, students will be able to define the following terms: Reasons for European Exploration of New Trade Routes Prince Henry the Navigator Bartholomeu Dias Trade With Asia During the 1300s and 1400s, Arab merchants carried goods from Asia to the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea. Other European countries wanted to profit from trade with Asia. They began to search for new trade routes. Prince Henry the Navigator was determined to help Portuguese explorers discover new trade routes. Dias was the first European explorer to circumnavigate Africa. Once Dias proved that the circumnavigation of Africa was possible, others followed.