“This extremely rare work is in some ways the most curious of the whole series… The Jornada is moreover unique of its kind, in that it was not written or edited by a missionary, nor does it deal with an ecclesiastical, scientific, or linguistic theme, as do all the other recorded productions of the early Sino-European xylographic press. Neither Pelliot nor Cordier had ever soon this book, and after an extensive search I am only able to record the following half-dozen copies… British Museum copy which lacks the frontispiece; and a sixth in my own collection, which has the last page supplied in facsimile…

The Jornada is not dated, but it was written by Albuquerque's chief-of-staff, the Algarvian Captain Joao Tavares de Voiles Guerreiro soon after the Governor's arrival in Macao at the end of May, 1718, judging from the wording of the concluding paragraphs. Since the Relacion Verdadera of 1712 is explicitly stated to have been printed xylographically at Heungshan (…) although written at Macao, it seems probable that the blocks for the Jornada were engraved there likewise, although the place of printing is usually given as Macao or Canton. Another possibility is that the Jornada was actually printed at Peking, through the medium of the Portuguese Jesuit Joao Mourao, who was a great admirer of Antonio de Albuquerque, and who was directly instrumental in bringing the Governor to the favourable notice of both the Emperor Kang-hsi and the Viceroy of Goa. Ponding clarification of this point, I have tentatively listed the work as being engraved at lleungshan in the belief that this is the most likely supposition.

This Chinese edition was reprinted at Lisbon in 1732, by a Spanish or Catalan printer rejoicing in, the name of Don Jayme La Te y Sagau… Captain Guerreiro has a lively styte and the Jornada makes good reading. Particularly interesting to English readers is the account of Albuquerque's stay at Johoro (October, 1717 April, 1718) where he became involved in the coup d'etat of the Sumatran adventurer Raja Kechil, supposed son of Sultan Mahmud, who was assassinated by his Prime Minister in 1699. Albuquerque's adventures at Johore, which form the second part of the Jornada, were translated by the late Mr. Trevor Hughes, of the Malayan Civil Service…”(Boxer, C. R. “Some Sino-European Xylographic Works, 1662-1718.” Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, no. 2 (1947): 199–215).

The work is divided in two parts:

Part I describes his adventurous route to Johore (modern day Malaysia). Having been appointed Governor of Macao, Albuquerque was deliberately left stranded in Goa. Not easily discouraged, he set off on horseback to Madras - a distance of over 900km, he was the first Westerner to ever undertake such a dangerous journey - and fitted out another boat which took him to Johore.

Part II deals with his sojourn in Malaysia (Oct. 1717-April 1718) and his unforeseen involvement in a coup instigated by the Sumatran Raja Kechil against Sultan Muda Mahmud. Albuquerque backed both parties successively and the Sultan was so impressed with his efforts that he gave the Portuguese a plot of land at Johore Lama and permission to build a church. Resuming his voyage in mid-April Albuquerque eventually reached the island of Saint John in the South China Sea, where he abandoned his ship due to the sickness of the crew and transferred to a Chinese junk. He reached Macao on the 30th of May 1718, a year to the day after leaving Goa.

Tavares de Vellez Guerreiro is credited with the authorship of the book. He was Albuquerque’s aide-de-camp, and it may be entirely possible that he was given the task of writing down the notes because Albuquerque had lost his right arm during an attempt on his life in order to prevent him from marrying the beautiful and rich orphan Maria. That story is beautifully told by Boxer in ‘A Fidalgo in the Far East, 1708-1726, Antonio de Albuquerque Coelho in Macao’ (Far Eastern Quarterly, 1946; I:4, 386-410).

This book does not carry the usual ‘license to print’ as is the case with other Portuguese books at the time.

Provenance: H.P. Kraus, his ticket; from the collection of Nicholas Ingleton, Australia.

Boxer: “Some Sino-European Xylographic Work, 1662-1718” in: Journal of the Royal Asiatic Soc. Dec. 1947, no. 11 (Boxer records only six copies of the work, two of which are incomplete); Cordier, Sinica III, 2319. C.f. Lowendahl, ‘China Illustrata Nova’, 377 (only citing the Lisbon printing of 1718). See also Braga, The Beginning of Printing in Macao, 12-13. Not in Chan.