CAMINHA´S LETTER

Analysis of Pero Vaz de Caminha´s letter

Pero Vaz de Caminha

Pero Vaz de Caminha, sometimes popularly called Pedro Vaz de Caminha, was a Portuguese writer who distinguished himself in the roles of Registrar of the fleet of Pedro Alvares Cabral. He was the son of Vasco Fernandes de Caminha, knight of the Duke of Braganza. His ancestors were the first settlers of Neiva at the time of the reign of D. Fernando (1367-1383). Literate, Pero Vaz was knight of the houses of D. Afonso V (1438-1481), of D. John II (1481-1495) and D. Manuel I (1495-1521). Father and son in order to better perform their duties needed to exercise and develop practical knowledge of writing, distinguishing themselves at the service of kings. He also participated in the battle of Toro (March 2 of 1475). In 1476 he inherited his father's position as master of the balance of the Currency, a position of responsibility in his time. In 1497 he was chosen to write, as Alderman, Chapters of the Porto City Council that were to be presented to the Cortes of Lisbon. It is stated that D. Manuel I, who appointed him to office in Porto had affection for him.

Letter of Pero Vaz de Caminha

History and analysis of the text

The famous "Letter from the Discovery of Brazil" was written by Pero Vaz de Caminha in Porto Seguro, between April 26 and May 2, 1500. The clerk just stopped work on the 29th, when he helped the Captain-General to reorganize the supply of the fleet. While the rest of the fleet went to India, the ship of Gaspar de Lemos was dispatched by Cabral to Lisbon at the end of their stay in Brazil, on May 2. Through him, the letter reached its addressee. The hands of Dom Manuel 1 went to Secretary of State as a secret document, because it wanted to avoid Spanish news realizing about the discovery.

Years later, the document was sent to the national archives, located in the Torre do Tombo in Lisbon from the castle ("fall" there is a sense of conservation, as when one speaks, for example, tipping in a historical city). In the file, the manuscript of walks - 27 pages of paper, format 29.6 cm x 29.9 cm - rested forgotten during the following centuries.

The document back to Brazil

Only in 1773, the director of the archive, José Seabra da Silva, ordered a new copy of the Charter of the discovery. Seabra had family connections with Brazil. It is assumed that through him the text of Caminha got here, possibly with his move to Rio de Janeiro when he accompanied the Portuguese royal family. This copy of the letter was found in the Archives of the Royal Navy of Rio de Janeiro by the priest Manuel Aires couple, who printed it in 1817, making it public for the first time. The document has become particularly important for Brazil since its independence in 1822. For the new country, it was the manuscript which contained the first record ...