Gabriel Soares de Souza
Encyclopedia
Gabriel Soares de Souza was a Portuguese
explorer and naturalist
.
A participant in Francisco Barreto
s Africa
expeditions he settled in Brazil
living there for
seventeen years.He wrote Tratado Descritivo do Brasil (A Descriptive Treatise of Brazil), published in 1587. This part encyclopaedia and part personal narrative describes flora
and cultivated plants, gives an account of the culture of cotton
, the medicinal qualities of tobacco
and the so called “trees reaes” or royal trees, trees of commercial value.It also covers native tribes. In 1591 he led an expedition along the São Francisco River
.
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
explorer and naturalist
Naturalist
Naturalist may refer to:* Practitioner of natural history* Conservationist* Advocate of naturalism * Naturalist , autobiography-See also:* The American Naturalist, periodical* Naturalism...
.
A participant in Francisco Barreto
Francisco Barreto
Francisco Barreto was a Portuguese soldier and explorer. An officer in Morocco during his early life, Barreto sailed to Portuguese India and was eventually appointed viceroy of the colony. After his return to Lisbon, he was tasked with an expedition to southeast Africa in search of legendary gold...
s Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
expeditions he settled in 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...
living there for
seventeen years.He wrote Tratado Descritivo do Brasil (A Descriptive Treatise of Brazil), published in 1587. This part encyclopaedia and part personal narrative describes flora
Flora
Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...
and cultivated plants, gives an account of the culture of cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
, the medicinal qualities of tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
and the so called “trees reaes” or royal trees, trees of commercial value.It also covers native tribes. In 1591 he led an expedition along the São Francisco River
São Francisco River
The São Francisco is a river in Brazil. With a length of , it is the longest river that runs entirely in Brazilian territory, and the fourth longest in South America and overall in Brazil...
.