João Faras
Encyclopedia
Mestre João Faras, better known simply as Mestre João ('Master John"), was an astrologer, astronomer, physician and surgeon of King Manuel I of Portugal
who accompanied Pedro Álvares Cabral
in the discovery of Brazil in 1500, and wrote a famous letter identifying the Southern Cross constellation
.
by the historian Francisco Adolfo de Varnhagen, and published for the first time in 1843.
Despite much search, the figure of Mestre João Faras remains elusive. In his 1500 letter, Mestre João identifies himself simply as a bacherel of arts and medicine ('bachelor
' was a general term for someone with formal learning) and a personal physician and surgeon of the King Manuel I of Portugal
.
Besides the 1500 letter, the only other concrete clue we have of Mestre João's existence is an (unpublished) manuscript translation of Pomponius Mela
's De Situ Orbis from Latin into imperfectCastilian
He may also have gone by the name 'Johannes Emeneslau'.
On account of his poor command of Portuguese and penchant for Spanish, Mestre João Faras is generally believed to have been originally of Spanish
nationality (whether Castilian
, Galician
or Aragonese
has been alternatively proposed). He was almost certainly a Sephardi Jew. He probably fled Spain for Portugal after the 1492 Alhambra decree
s, but ended up converting
after 1496, to enter the service of King Manuel I of Portugal
.
Recent researches have traced at least two original Spanish Jews who plausibly fit his profile: one, a certain Juan Faraz, a native of Seville
, another, a "Mestre Joam" (original surname and town not given), who settled in northern Portugal and took up the name João da Paz.
of thirteen ships, commanded by Pedro Álvares Cabral
, which left Lisbon
in March 1500, destined for Calicut, India
. It is unknown on which ship he sailed, although it has been conjectured (on account of his complaint about it being "small" with insufficient space) to be either the Anunciada commanded by Nuno Leitão da Cunha or the São Pedro commanded by Pêro de Ataíde
.
The purpose of his joining the expedition seems to have been purely scientific, to assist the future development of navigational science. His predecessor Mestre José Vizinho was sent to Guinea
back in 1485 to test measurements of solar altitudes. Mestre João Faras was probably sent by the king in a similar spirit, to test out new astronomical instruments and tables. It is known that Mestre João Faras brought along a new nautical astrolabe
and what he characterized as some new-fangled Arab astronomical nautical staves (cross-staff?) for experimentation. He was almost certainly furnished with Abraham Zacuto
's new tables as well.
Mestre João Faras was probably specifically charged to find a way of determining the position of the ship by the stars in the Southern Hemisphere, a difficulty which had not yet been overcome. Since the time of Prince Henry the Navigator, "compass error" (the exact deviation of the magnetic north from the true north
) could be corrected in the northern hemisphere by recourse to the position of northern Pole Star
(observed on board via the quadrant
), thus allowing navigators to determine the correct position of the ship. But the Pole Star disappeared beyond the horizon as the equator
was crossed, rendering this method useless in the southern hemisphere. It was hoped that an equivalent South Pole Star might be found.
An alternative method was to take recourse to the position of the sun
at noon. This had been suggested since at least the 1470s, but was really only opened up with the publication of the Almanach perpetuum of Abraham Zacuto
in 1496, with its tables of solar declination
. As the sun could not be observed directly by the quadrant, Portuguese navigators brought on board ship the old land-based astrolabe
(which allows measuring the sun's height without looking directly at it). Unfortunately, astrolabe readings required stability which is not possible at sea, so new small hand-held nautical astrolabes were being experimentally introduced at this time.
This was still not perfected. In 1497, Vasco da Gama
took Zacuto's tables and the astrolabe with him on the maiden trip to India, but was disatisfied with results. Upon arrival at the Bay of St. Helena in November 1497, Gama disembarked to take readings on land because he did not trust the readings of the new nautical astrolabe at sea. Master João Faras makes much the same complaint about his on-board readings in his letter - claiming the rocking of the ship put his readings off by a whole four or five degrees.
(In his letter, Mestre João hints the pilots on board had engaged him in a friendly charting competition - the pilots betting they could find the Cape of Good Hope
more accurately by compass and chart alone than Mestre João could with his astrolabe.)
sighted the land coast of Brazil
, and anchored a couple of days later at Cabrália Bay (just north of Porto Seguro
, Bahia
), where they were met by local Tupiniquim
indians.
Master João Faras left the ships on April 27, and with the assistance of the pilots Afonso Lopes and Pedro Escobar
, set up a large wooden astrolabe on the beach (more reliable than the tin ones used aboard ship) with the objective of taking the altitude of the sun at mid-day and determine their position. The latitude measure calculated by Faras on April 27, 1500 was 17º S (Cabralia Bay is actually at 16º 21' S, thus his error was less than 40').
Mestre João Faras assumed they had landed on an island (more precisely, four islands, in his estimation, on account of being told 'via gestures' by their Tupiniquim hosts that hostile indians often arrived by canoe from elsewhere). Indeed, he believed these islands were already discovered and depicted on earlier maps, but not known to be inhabited. In a curious passage of his letter (that has since produced much speculation), Mestre João advised the king to consult an old mapa mundi then in the possession of the Portuguese navigator Pêro Vaz da Cunha (nicknamed Bisagudo) in Lisbon, which depicted these very islands (modern historians speculate this might be a copy of the 1448 map of Andrea Bianco).
Mestre João Faras's conclusion that they were on an island was probably shared by Pedro Álvares Cabral
and certainly by the secretary Pêro Vaz de Caminha
, who wrote up the official report. (But the account of an anonymous Portuguese pilot, the only other eyewitness of this journey, was less sure, reporting it was unclear whether they were on an island or on "firm land").
On May 1, 1500, both Pêro Vaz de Caminha and Mestre João Faras wrote up their separate letters to King Manuel I of Portugal, signed from the location of Vera Cruz (the name Cabral bestowed on the 'island'). Both letters were given to the captain of a ship to be sent back to Lisbon (either under Gaspar de Lemos
or André Gonçalves
, the sources conflict). The armada left Brazil in the direction of the Cape of Good Hope
on May 3, 1500.
In his letter to the king, Mestre João Faras provided a rudimentary sketch of the stars of the southern hemisphere
sky, in an attempt to identify the Southern Pole Star
, although he apologized to the king for not having taken their precise height measurements (he blamed it on his bad leg). He identified the five-star constellation now known as the Southern Cross, but he then called "las Guardas", as they were always bright and visible above the horizon. But he recognized they were not the elusive pole star
of the south. Instead, he tentatively pointed out two lower stars (small and bright, possibly Chi Octantis
and Mu Hydri
as possible candidates for the southern pole star ("el polo antartyco"). He rounded off his letter in a pessimistic note, suggesting that it was probably better for ships to continue trying to navigate by the altitude of the sun (via the astrolabe
), rather than hoping to find the Southern Pole Star with a quadrant.
Although historians generally credit Mestre João Faras as the "discoverer" of the Southern Cross constellation, some point out that the he might have been preceded by the Venetian navigatorAlvise Cadamosto, who, sailing at the mouth of the Gambia River
in 1455, drew a similar constellation which he called the carro dell'ostro (the "southern chariot"). However, Cadamosto's constellation has too many stars and is positioned incorrectly.
Nothing more is heard from or about Mestre João Faras after this letter.
According to one author, 'João da Paz' (one of the possible identities of João Faras) settled in Porto
, Portugal. A search in the 1518 household roster of King Manuel I shows nobody by that name, suggesting he was probably already dead by that time.
Manuel I of Portugal
Manuel I , the Fortunate , 14th king of Portugal and the Algarves was the son of Infante Ferdinand, Duke of Viseu, , by his wife, Infanta Beatrice of Portugal...
who accompanied Pedro Álvares Cabral
Pedro Álvares Cabral
Pedro Álvares Cabral was a Portuguese noble, military commander, navigator and explorer regarded as the discoverer of Brazil. Cabral conducted the first substantial exploration of the northeast coast of South America and claimed it for Portugal. While details of Cabral's early life are sketchy, it...
in the discovery of Brazil in 1500, and wrote a famous letter identifying the Southern Cross constellation
Constellation
In modern astronomy, a constellation is an internationally defined area of the celestial sphere. These areas are grouped around asterisms, patterns formed by prominent stars within apparent proximity to one another on Earth's night sky....
.
Background
The celebrated 1500 letter of Mestre João Faras was discovered in the Portuguese royal archivesArquivo Nacional da Torre do Tombo
The Arquivo Nacional da Torre do Tombo is the Portuguese national archive established in 1378. It is located in Lisbon. It was renamed in 2009 as Instituto dos Arquivos Nacionais .-Significant collections:...
by the historian Francisco Adolfo de Varnhagen, and published for the first time in 1843.
Despite much search, the figure of Mestre João Faras remains elusive. In his 1500 letter, Mestre João identifies himself simply as a bacherel of arts and medicine ('bachelor
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
' was a general term for someone with formal learning) and a personal physician and surgeon of the King Manuel I of Portugal
Manuel I of Portugal
Manuel I , the Fortunate , 14th king of Portugal and the Algarves was the son of Infante Ferdinand, Duke of Viseu, , by his wife, Infanta Beatrice of Portugal...
.
Besides the 1500 letter, the only other concrete clue we have of Mestre João's existence is an (unpublished) manuscript translation of Pomponius Mela
Pomponius Mela
Pomponius Mela, who wrote around AD 43, was the earliest Roman geographer. He was born in Tingentera and died c. AD 45.His short work occupies less than one hundred pages of ordinary print. It is laconic in style and deficient in method, but of pure Latinity, and occasionally relieved by pleasing...
's De Situ Orbis from Latin into imperfectCastilian
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
He may also have gone by the name 'Johannes Emeneslau'.
On account of his poor command of Portuguese and penchant for Spanish, Mestre João Faras is generally believed to have been originally of Spanish
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
nationality (whether Castilian
Castilian people
The Castilian people are the inhabitants of those regions in Spain where most people identify themselves as Castilian. They include Castile-La Mancha, Madrid, and the major part of Castile and León. However, not all regions of the medieval Kingdom of Castile think of themselves as Castilian...
, Galician
Galician people
The Galicians are an ethnic group, a nationality whose historical homeland is Galicia in north-western Spain. Most Galicians are bilingual, speaking both their historic language, Galician, and Castilian Spanish.-Political and administrative divisions:...
or Aragonese
Aragonese people
The Aragonese are an ethnic group or nation living in the historical region of Aragon, between the centre and the north-east of Spain. Their native Aragonese language, which might have been spoken in the whole of the Kingdom of Aragon in the Middle Ages, is nowadays a seriously endangered language,...
has been alternatively proposed). He was almost certainly a Sephardi Jew. He probably fled Spain for Portugal after the 1492 Alhambra decree
Alhambra decree
The Alhambra Decree was an edict issued on 31 March 1492 by the joint Catholic Monarchs of Spain ordering the expulsion of Jews from the Kingdom of Spain and its territories and possessions by 31 July of that year.The edict was formally revoked on 16 December 1968, following the Second...
s, but ended up converting
New Christian
New Christian was a term used to refer to Iberian Jews and Muslims who converted to Roman Catholicism, and their known baptized descendants. The term was introduced by the Old Christians of Iberia who wanted to distinguish themselves from the conversos...
after 1496, to enter the service of King Manuel I of Portugal
Manuel I of Portugal
Manuel I , the Fortunate , 14th king of Portugal and the Algarves was the son of Infante Ferdinand, Duke of Viseu, , by his wife, Infanta Beatrice of Portugal...
.
Recent researches have traced at least two original Spanish Jews who plausibly fit his profile: one, a certain Juan Faraz, a native of Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
, another, a "Mestre Joam" (original surname and town not given), who settled in northern Portugal and took up the name João da Paz.
Voyage and Mission
Mestre João Faras joined the 2nd Portuguese India Armada2nd Portuguese India Armada (Cabral, 1500)
The Second Portuguese India Armada was assembled in 1500 on the order of King Manuel I of Portugal and placed under the command of Pedro Álvares Cabral. Cabral's armada famously discovered Brazil for the Portuguese crown along the way...
of thirteen ships, commanded by Pedro Álvares Cabral
Pedro Álvares Cabral
Pedro Álvares Cabral was a Portuguese noble, military commander, navigator and explorer regarded as the discoverer of Brazil. Cabral conducted the first substantial exploration of the northeast coast of South America and claimed it for Portugal. While details of Cabral's early life are sketchy, it...
, which left Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
in March 1500, destined for Calicut, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It is unknown on which ship he sailed, although it has been conjectured (on account of his complaint about it being "small" with insufficient space) to be either the Anunciada commanded by Nuno Leitão da Cunha or the São Pedro commanded by Pêro de Ataíde
Pêro de Ataíde
Pêro de Ataíde or Pedro d'Ataíde , nicknamed O Inferno , was a Portuguese sea captain in the Indian Ocean active in the early 1500s...
.
The purpose of his joining the expedition seems to have been purely scientific, to assist the future development of navigational science. His predecessor Mestre José Vizinho was sent to Guinea
Guinea (region)
Guinea is a traditional name for the region of Africa that lies along the Gulf of Guinea. It stretches north through the forested tropical regions and ends at the Sahel.-History:...
back in 1485 to test measurements of solar altitudes. Mestre João Faras was probably sent by the king in a similar spirit, to test out new astronomical instruments and tables. It is known that Mestre João Faras brought along a new nautical astrolabe
Astrolabe
An astrolabe is an elaborate inclinometer, historically used by astronomers, navigators, and astrologers. Its many uses include locating and predicting the positions of the Sun, Moon, planets, and stars, determining local time given local latitude and longitude, surveying, triangulation, and to...
and what he characterized as some new-fangled Arab astronomical nautical staves (cross-staff?) for experimentation. He was almost certainly furnished with Abraham Zacuto
Abraham Zacuto
Abraham Zacuto was a Sephardi Jewish astronomer, astrologer, mathematician and historian who served as Royal Astronomer in the 15th century to King John II of Portugal. The crater Zagut on the Moon is named after him....
's new tables as well.
Mestre João Faras was probably specifically charged to find a way of determining the position of the ship by the stars in the Southern Hemisphere, a difficulty which had not yet been overcome. Since the time of Prince Henry the Navigator, "compass error" (the exact deviation of the magnetic north from the true north
True north
True north is the direction along the earth's surface towards the geographic North Pole.True geodetic north usually differs from magnetic north , and from grid north...
) could be corrected in the northern hemisphere by recourse to the position of northern Pole Star
Pole star
The term "Pole Star" usually refers to Polaris, which is the current northern pole star, also known as the North Star.In general, however, a pole star is a visible star, especially a prominent one, that is approximately aligned with the Earth's axis of rotation; that is, a star whose apparent...
(observed on board via the quadrant
Quadrant (instrument)
A quadrant is an instrument that is used to measure angles up to 90°. It was originally proposed by Ptolemy as a better kind of astrolabe. Several different variations of the instrument were later produced by medieval Muslim astronomers.-Types of quadrants:...
), thus allowing navigators to determine the correct position of the ship. But the Pole Star disappeared beyond the horizon as the equator
Equator
An equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass....
was crossed, rendering this method useless in the southern hemisphere. It was hoped that an equivalent South Pole Star might be found.
An alternative method was to take recourse to the position of the sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
at noon. This had been suggested since at least the 1470s, but was really only opened up with the publication of the Almanach perpetuum of Abraham Zacuto
Abraham Zacuto
Abraham Zacuto was a Sephardi Jewish astronomer, astrologer, mathematician and historian who served as Royal Astronomer in the 15th century to King John II of Portugal. The crater Zagut on the Moon is named after him....
in 1496, with its tables of solar declination
Declination
In astronomy, declination is one of the two coordinates of the equatorial coordinate system, the other being either right ascension or hour angle. Declination in astronomy is comparable to geographic latitude, but projected onto the celestial sphere. Declination is measured in degrees north and...
. As the sun could not be observed directly by the quadrant, Portuguese navigators brought on board ship the old land-based astrolabe
Astrolabe
An astrolabe is an elaborate inclinometer, historically used by astronomers, navigators, and astrologers. Its many uses include locating and predicting the positions of the Sun, Moon, planets, and stars, determining local time given local latitude and longitude, surveying, triangulation, and to...
(which allows measuring the sun's height without looking directly at it). Unfortunately, astrolabe readings required stability which is not possible at sea, so new small hand-held nautical astrolabes were being experimentally introduced at this time.
This was still not perfected. In 1497, Vasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama, 1st Count of Vidigueira was a Portuguese explorer, one of the most successful in the Age of Discovery and the commander of the first ships to sail directly from Europe to India...
took Zacuto's tables and the astrolabe with him on the maiden trip to India, but was disatisfied with results. Upon arrival at the Bay of St. Helena in November 1497, Gama disembarked to take readings on land because he did not trust the readings of the new nautical astrolabe at sea. Master João Faras makes much the same complaint about his on-board readings in his letter - claiming the rocking of the ship put his readings off by a whole four or five degrees.
(In his letter, Mestre João hints the pilots on board had engaged him in a friendly charting competition - the pilots betting they could find the Cape of Good Hope
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
more accurately by compass and chart alone than Mestre João could with his astrolabe.)
In Brazil
On 23 April 1500, Cabral's armada2nd Portuguese India Armada (Cabral, 1500)
The Second Portuguese India Armada was assembled in 1500 on the order of King Manuel I of Portugal and placed under the command of Pedro Álvares Cabral. Cabral's armada famously discovered Brazil for the Portuguese crown along the way...
sighted the land coast of Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, and anchored a couple of days later at Cabrália Bay (just north of Porto Seguro
Porto Seguro
Porto Seguro is a municipality in the Brazilian state of Bahia. It is the site where the Portuguese explorer Pedro Álvares Cabral first set foot on Brazilian soil on April 22, 1500...
, Bahia
Bahia
Bahia is one of the 26 states of Brazil, and is located in the northeastern part of the country on the Atlantic coast. It is the fourth most populous Brazilian state after São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, and the fifth-largest in size...
), where they were met by local Tupiniquim
Tupiniquim
Tupiniquim is the name of an Amerindian tribe who now only live in three reservations . All three are located in the municipality of Aracruz in northern Espírito Santo state, southeastern Brazil. As of 1997 their population was 1,386...
indians.
Master João Faras left the ships on April 27, and with the assistance of the pilots Afonso Lopes and Pedro Escobar
Pedro Escobar
Pedro Escobar, also known as Pêro Escobar, was a 15th century Portuguese navigator who discovered São Tomé and Príncipe together with João de Santarém and Fernão do Pó circa 1470. He is then recorded sailing with Diogo Cão on his first voyage in 1482, and as the pilot of the famous Bérrio caravel...
, set up a large wooden astrolabe on the beach (more reliable than the tin ones used aboard ship) with the objective of taking the altitude of the sun at mid-day and determine their position. The latitude measure calculated by Faras on April 27, 1500 was 17º S (Cabralia Bay is actually at 16º 21' S, thus his error was less than 40').
Mestre João Faras assumed they had landed on an island (more precisely, four islands, in his estimation, on account of being told 'via gestures' by their Tupiniquim hosts that hostile indians often arrived by canoe from elsewhere). Indeed, he believed these islands were already discovered and depicted on earlier maps, but not known to be inhabited. In a curious passage of his letter (that has since produced much speculation), Mestre João advised the king to consult an old mapa mundi then in the possession of the Portuguese navigator Pêro Vaz da Cunha (nicknamed Bisagudo) in Lisbon, which depicted these very islands (modern historians speculate this might be a copy of the 1448 map of Andrea Bianco).
Mestre João Faras's conclusion that they were on an island was probably shared by Pedro Álvares Cabral
Pedro Álvares Cabral
Pedro Álvares Cabral was a Portuguese noble, military commander, navigator and explorer regarded as the discoverer of Brazil. Cabral conducted the first substantial exploration of the northeast coast of South America and claimed it for Portugal. While details of Cabral's early life are sketchy, it...
and certainly by the secretary Pêro Vaz de Caminha
Pêro Vaz de Caminha
Pêro Vaz de Caminha , was a Portuguese knight that accompanied Pedro Álvares Cabral to India in 1500, as a secretary to the royal factory. Caminha wrote the detailed official report of the April 1500 discovery of Brazil by Cabral's fleet...
, who wrote up the official report. (But the account of an anonymous Portuguese pilot, the only other eyewitness of this journey, was less sure, reporting it was unclear whether they were on an island or on "firm land").
On May 1, 1500, both Pêro Vaz de Caminha and Mestre João Faras wrote up their separate letters to King Manuel I of Portugal, signed from the location of Vera Cruz (the name Cabral bestowed on the 'island'). Both letters were given to the captain of a ship to be sent back to Lisbon (either under Gaspar de Lemos
Gaspar de Lemos
Gaspar de Lemos , Portuguese explorer and captain of the supply ship of Pedro Álvares Cabral's fleet that discovered Brazil. Sent back to Portugal with news of their discovery, he was credited by the Viscount of Santarém as having discovered the Fernando de Noronha archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean....
or André Gonçalves
André Gonçalves
André Gonçalves , Portuguese explorer that accompanied Pedro Álvares Cabral in the discovery of Brazil. Gonçalves was one of Cabral's captains of the fleet. According to some sources he was sent back to Lisbon with important news and not Gaspar de Lemos ....
, the sources conflict). The armada left Brazil in the direction of the Cape of Good Hope
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
on May 3, 1500.
In his letter to the king, Mestre João Faras provided a rudimentary sketch of the stars of the southern hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
sky, in an attempt to identify the Southern Pole Star
Pole star
The term "Pole Star" usually refers to Polaris, which is the current northern pole star, also known as the North Star.In general, however, a pole star is a visible star, especially a prominent one, that is approximately aligned with the Earth's axis of rotation; that is, a star whose apparent...
, although he apologized to the king for not having taken their precise height measurements (he blamed it on his bad leg). He identified the five-star constellation now known as the Southern Cross, but he then called "las Guardas", as they were always bright and visible above the horizon. But he recognized they were not the elusive pole star
Pole star
The term "Pole Star" usually refers to Polaris, which is the current northern pole star, also known as the North Star.In general, however, a pole star is a visible star, especially a prominent one, that is approximately aligned with the Earth's axis of rotation; that is, a star whose apparent...
of the south. Instead, he tentatively pointed out two lower stars (small and bright, possibly Chi Octantis
Octans
Octans is a faint constellation the southern sky. Its name is Latin for the eighth part of a circle, but it is named after the octant, a navigational instrument. The constellation was devised by Nicolas Louis de Lacaille in the eighteenth century....
and Mu Hydri
Hydrus
Hydrus is a small constellation in the southern sky, created in the sixteenth century. Its name means "male water snake", and it should not be confused with Hydra, a much larger constellation which represents a female water snake.-History:...
as possible candidates for the southern pole star ("el polo antartyco"). He rounded off his letter in a pessimistic note, suggesting that it was probably better for ships to continue trying to navigate by the altitude of the sun (via the astrolabe
Astrolabe
An astrolabe is an elaborate inclinometer, historically used by astronomers, navigators, and astrologers. Its many uses include locating and predicting the positions of the Sun, Moon, planets, and stars, determining local time given local latitude and longitude, surveying, triangulation, and to...
), rather than hoping to find the Southern Pole Star with a quadrant.
Although historians generally credit Mestre João Faras as the "discoverer" of the Southern Cross constellation, some point out that the he might have been preceded by the Venetian navigatorAlvise Cadamosto, who, sailing at the mouth of the Gambia River
Gambia River
The Gambia River is a major river in West Africa, running from the Fouta Djallon plateau in north Guinea westward through Senegal and The Gambia to the Atlantic Ocean at the city of Banjul...
in 1455, drew a similar constellation which he called the carro dell'ostro (the "southern chariot"). However, Cadamosto's constellation has too many stars and is positioned incorrectly.
Nothing more is heard from or about Mestre João Faras after this letter.
According to one author, 'João da Paz' (one of the possible identities of João Faras) settled in Porto
Porto
Porto , also known as Oporto in English, is the second largest city in Portugal and one of the major urban areas in the Iberian Peninsula. Its administrative limits include a population of 237,559 inhabitants distributed within 15 civil parishes...
, Portugal. A search in the 1518 household roster of King Manuel I shows nobody by that name, suggesting he was probably already dead by that time.
See also
- :pt:Carta do Mestre João
- Carta de Pêro Vaz de CaminhaCarta de Pero Vaz de CaminhaIn his letter to Manuel I of Portugal, Pêro Vaz de Caminha gives what is considered by many today as being one of the most accurate accounts of what Brazil used to look like in 1500...
- 2nd Portuguese India Armada (Cabral, 1500)2nd Portuguese India Armada (Cabral, 1500)The Second Portuguese India Armada was assembled in 1500 on the order of King Manuel I of Portugal and placed under the command of Pedro Álvares Cabral. Cabral's armada famously discovered Brazil for the Portuguese crown along the way...
Sources
- [Mestre João Faras] "Carta do Mestre João, Physico d'El Rei, para o mesmo Senhor, de Vera Cruz, ao 1º de Maio de 1500", Revista do Instituto Histórico e Geográfico Brasileiro, Rio de Janeiro, 1843, tomo V nº 19, p. 342-44. online
- Albuquerque, Luís de (1970) "A navegação astronómica" in A. Cortesão, 1970, editor, História da Cartografia Portuguesa, Coimbra, vol. 2, p. 225-371. (Reprinted in 1975. Estudos de História, Vol. III, Coimbra)
- Couto, Jorge (1999) "A Gênese do Brasil" in C.G. Mota, editor, Viagem incompleta: a experiência brasileira São Paulo: Senac.
- Gil,Juan (2003) "El Maestre Juan Faraz: La clave de un enigma", in Mateus Ventura and Semedo Matos, editors,A Novidades do Mundo, Lisbon: Colibri
- Pereira, Moacir Soares (1979) "Capitães, naus e caravelas da armada de Cabral", Revista da Universidade de Coimbra, Vol. 27, p. 31-134. offprint
- Sousa Viterbo, Francisco M. de (1897) Trabalhos Náuticos dos Portuguezes nos Seculos XVI e XVII, Lisbon.
- Valentim, Carlos Manuel (2007) "Uma Família de Cristãos-Novos do Entre Douro e Minho: Os Paz", Master's dissertation, University of Lisbon.