In 1469, responding to meager returns from African explorations, King Afonso V granted monopoly of trade in part of the Gulf of Guinea to the merchant Fernão Gomes. For an annual rent of 200,000 "reais", Gomes was to explore 100 leagues of the coast of Africa annually, for five years (later the agreement would be extended for another year). He gained monopoly trading rights for a popular substitute of black pepper, then called "malagueta", the guinea pepper ("Aframomum melegueta"), for another yearly payment of 100,000 "reais".