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PORTUGUESE ROTEIROS, 1500-I700
I79
these Roteiros survive in Portugal to-day, and had it not been
for the diligent Fleming, no record of them would have been
preserved. Reverting to Vicente Rodriguez, we may add that
his Roteiro, with slight alterations, was first printed in Portuguese
by Manoel de Figueiredo in I 6o8-more than ten years
after its appearance in translation in the Itinerario. The remaining
Roteiros of the sixteenth century need not detain us, as they
are of small importance except perhaps the-
XI. Roteiro of Manuel Gaspar, written in I 594, which
deserves a passing mention as containing one of the earliest
Roteiros of the West Indies. This work and that of Linschoten
bring us to the end of the sixteenth century, and to the next and
final section of our classification.
(C) Portuguese Roteiros of the seventeenth century.
XII. The earliest of these is due to the hand of the versatile
Joao Baptista Lavanha, who, in despite of his Jewish origin,
rose to be Engineer, Cosmographer and Chronicler-in-chief of
Portugal, and was the author of numerous scientific, historical
and literary works. It was a copy of the Roteiro da India of
Vicente Rodriguez, but with numerous additions and corrections.
Unfortunately neither the original nor any copy has
survived; but that it existed is certain, as the India fleet of I 6o8
were ordered to take copies with them, and to correct or annotate
the same during the voyage when necessary. In this connection
the King's instructions dated March I 3th, I 6o8, to Gaspar
Jorge do Couto read:
For the voyage you will use the Roteiro da India which was compiled by Joao
Baptista Lavanha, and of which you will take a copy; and should you find it to
differ in any part from what your actual experience teaches you, you will note the
same, so that it may be corrected where necessary.
The actual title of the work was-Roteiro da navegarao da
India, & de Rotas com ha .Agulha ferrada debaixo da flor de Lis, e
di.fferenras della, & signaes correntes de .Agoa, he Fentos q em
diversas parages se acha'O: Este derroteiro foi, ho que emmendon