Paper short abstract:

An unpublished notebook of small size was discovered contain an account of a trip to the East, reserving some pages regarding navigations scales of the author in Madeira and Canary Islands in 1785.

Paper long abstract:

Friar Bonifácio António de Jesus, whose Christian name should be António Serrão, was born in Pedrogão Grande, in the centre of Portugal in 1760’s, entering in the convent of Our Lady of the Light in 28 February 1783. Then he Does the novitiate in the convent of Our Lady of Victory, in Batalha, where he professed January 6 of 1785. He departed to Lisbon in April and embarked at 30th May towards to The East, destined to Goa, India.

Of the several places that Friar went to and the stories that he lived we will explore the pages that he devoted towards Madeira and Canary Islands, where he stayed in 1785. In those he narrates experiential aspects that, even within a personal perspective, open us the windows of everyday experience. Fears, uses, punishments of runways, music, food, are described in his writings. Compared to the reference travel literature this testimony is poor, reflecting the lack of scholar preparation of the author. In the comparison between his believes and the realities with which he was being confronted, we have the testimony of the common Portuguese that is facing the grandeur of the world, which makes this a unique document.