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For all book lovers,
a piece of Oceanic History.
«Il libro è come il cucchiaio, il martello, la ruota, le forbici.
Una volta che li hai inventati non puoi fare di meglio.»
UMBERTO ECO
This site is an offshoot of the ERC Project «RUTTER: Making the Earth Global», led by HENRIQUE LEITÃO. Early modern nautical rutters (sailing directions) are the earliest Western documents that testify to the stable and regular lived experience of traversing the earth’s oceans on a global, planetary scale.
The virtual collection A Sea of Books was born —almost by chance— as a bibliographical resource of the RUTTER Project. It is a useful tool to begin a reflection on a sheer variety of literary genres produced from the Early Modern experience of voyaging in open sea.
The deep affinity shared between traveling long distances and writing kickstarted a colossal printing industry from the very beginning of the 16th century. The open sea influenced the imagination of generations of travelers, explorers, cosmographers, men of letters and common people in vastly different ways, engaging with concepts from marine ecology, science, oceanography, marine policy and environmental history.
In this website you will find a constellation of specialized virtual libraries on maritime literature, organized in various sections. Every section is continuously updated.
All the sources are open–access.
Portuguese printed rutters (17th–18th centuries)
Curated by Luana Giurgevich
In a context where knowledge was reported mostly by word of mouth, the action of writing itself assumes significant meaning. Over the years, the pilots’ routine task of remembering oceanic routes became a well–defined textual genre. The majority of these documents remained unpublished until the 19 century, but there is an important number of them which started to be printed in Europe for a larger audience from the 16 century. In this section, we gather all Portuguese editions of nautical rutters.
These digitized archival sources are a complementary resource of a recently published technical note. See RUTTER Technical Notes Series no. 1
MANUEL
DE FIGUEIREDO
Hydrographia (1608)
Not yet available online
MANUEL
DE FIGUEIREDO
Hydrographia, exame de pilotos... (1632)
Not yet available online
LUÍS SERRÃO PIMENTEL
Roteiro do Mar Mediterraneo... (1675)
Not yet available online
MANUEL
PIMENTEL
Arte de navegar, em que se ensinam as regras praticas (1712)
Source Archive.org / Original from John Carter Brown Library
JACINTO JOSÉ PAGANINO
Roteiro do Neptuno Oriental para uso das cartas (1783)
Not yet available online
JACINTO JOSÉ PAGANINO
Roteiro oriental para a navegação das costas do Grande Oceano (1783)
Not yet available online
JACINTO JOSÉ PAGANINO
Roteiro occidental para a navegação da costa e portos do Brasil (1784)
Not yet available online
Jan Huygen van Linschoten’s Itinerario
Editions & translations (1596–1668)
Curated by Nuno Vila–Santa
Linschoten’s Itinerario fascinated European readers of his times and continues to provide a wealth of details about Portuguese sea routes and trade to India. The book quickly turned into several editions (around 30) and became a 17th–century best–seller of maritime literature. Sailors used it as a navigation manual and this is the reason why it was shipped on board Dutch, English and French vessels.
Dutch Edition
(1604)
Not yet available online
Dutch Edition
Reys–gheschrift
(1604)
Not yet available online
Dutch Edition
Reys–gheschrift
(1614)
Not yet available online
German Edition
Vierder Theil der Orie[n]talischen Indien
(1617)
Not yet available online
Dutch Edition
Itinerarium
(1623)
Not yet available online
Dutch Edition
Reys–gheschrift van de navigatien der Portugaloysers in Orienten
(1623)
Not yet available online
Dutch Edition
Edition by Gillis Joosten Saeghman of Amsterdam
(1668)
Not yet available online
Jesuit travel reports concerning oceanic sailing
Curated by David Salomoni
This selection contains texts related to oceanic voyages made by members of religious orders, mainly Jesuits but also Franciscans and secular priests. Serial publications such as notices and annual reports (Notizie, Relazioni) from the missions have been excluded. Diaries and single reports of voyages which are not part of regular series have been included. These works contain information of scientific or devotional kind concerning the oceanic travel experience of religious people.
These digitized archival sources are a complementary resource of a recently published technical note.
GUY TACHARD (SJ)
Second voyage du père Tachard et des Jesuites envoyez par le Roy au royaume du Syam contenant diverses remarques d’histoire, de physique, de geographie, & d’astronomie.
A Paris: Chez Daniel Horthemels, 1689.
Digitized by Google / Original from
Observations physiques et mathematiques pour servir a l’histoire naturelle & à la perfection de l’astronomie & de la geographie: envoyées des Indes et de la Chine à l’Academie Royale des Sciences à Paris par les Perés Jesuites...
A Paris: de l’Imprimerie Royale, 1692.
Digitized by Google / Original from Biblioteca Universidad Complutense Madrid
BALTHAZAR TELLES
The Travels of the Jesuits in Ethiopia.
London: Printed for J. Knapton, 1710.
Digitized by Google / Original from
ÉTIENNE SOUCIET (SJ)
Observations mathématiques, astronomiques, géographiques, chronologiques et physiques...
Tome II.
Paris: Rollin, 1732.
Digitized by Google / Original from Bayerische Staatsbibliothek
ÉTIENNE SOUCIET (SJ)
Observations mathématiques, astronomiques, géographiques, chronologiques et physiques...
Tome III.
Paris: Rollin, 1732.
Digitized by Google / Original from Bayerische Staatsbibliothek
PIERRE DE CHARLEVOIX (SJ)
Histoire et description generale de la Nouvelle France avec le Journal Historique d’un voyage fait par ordre du Roi dans l’Amérique Septentrionale...
Tome II.
Paris: chez Pierre François Giffart, 1744..
Digitized by Internet Archive / Original from University of Alberta / Available on HathiTrust Digital Library
Iberian nautical knowledge
Portuguese and Spanish Editions (16th–18th centuries)
Curated by Luana Giurgevich
This section includes a fundamental corpus of nautical knowledge (manuals, regiments, arts of navigation and treatises). All the editions of the famous Medina’s Arte de navegar constitute an independent section of this site.
JOÃO BAPTISTA LAVANHA
Regimento Nautico (Em Lisboa: por Antonio Alvarez, 1606)
Not yet available online
VALENTIM DE SÁ
Regimento da navegaçam
(Lisboa: Pedro Craesbeeck, 1624)
Not yet available online
MANUEL PIMENTEL
Arte de navegar, em que se ensinam as regras praticas (1712)
Digitized by Open Library / Internet Archive –Original from John Carter Brown Library
JOSÉ QUIROGA
Tratado de el arte verdadero de navegar pro circulo paralelo a la equinocial (1784)
Digitized by BNE
FRANCISCO
DE BARREDA
El marinero instruido en el arte de navegar especulativo y práctico que para la enseñanza de los colegiales del Real Seminario de San Telmo (1786)
Digitized by BNE
Pedro de Medina’s Arte de navegar
Editions & translations (1545–1634)
Curated by Luana Giurgevich
Some books moved the imagination of all Europe more than others. Pedro de Medina's Arte de navegar is one of them.
The book was translated at least 20 times. Originally published in 1545, it was quickly translated into Italian and French, but, curiously, not to Dutch and English until 1580–1581.
The arte of navigation. Translated by John Frampton (London 1581)
Not yet available online
The arte of navigation. Translated by John Frampton (London 1595)
Not yet available online
Der Zeeuaert, Oft Conste van ter Zee te varen (Amsterdam: 1598)
Not yet available online
L’art de naviguer. Traduction de Nicolas de Nicolay (Rouen: 1607)
Not yet available online
L’art de naviguer. Traduction de Nicolas de Nicolay (La Rochelle: 1615)
Not yet available online
L’art de naviguer. Traduction de Nicolas de Nicolay (La Rochelle: 1618)
Not yet available online
L’art de naviguer. Traduction de Nicolas de Nicolay (Rouen: 1634)
Not yet available online
Spanish printed rutters
Printed editions (16th–18th centuries)
Curated by Luana Giurgevich
BERNARDINO ESCALANTE
A discourse of the nauigation which the Portugales doe make (London: 1579) Transl. by John Frampton
Not yet available online
GABRIEL CHAVES DE OSORIO
Derrotero y relacion que su señoria el señor preste d. Gabriel de Chaves Osorio
(s.l., [1630])
Not yet available online
FRANCISCO DE SEIJAS Y LOBERA
Theatro Naval Hydrographico, de los fluxos, y refluxos (Madrid: 1688)
Not yet available online
William Bourne's books on navigation (1567–1631)
Curated by Luana Giurgevich
In this section we present the printed works from the pen of the English mathematician William Bourne, active from 1565 to 1582. The Regiment for the Sea had more than 10 English editions, 4 Dutch editions and an edition for Spanish readers printed in London.
LOST EDITION
An almanacke and prognostication for three yeares... now newlye added vnto my late rulles of nauigation, was pruued iiij yeres past.
London : by Thomas Purfoote, [1567].
An Almanac and Prognostication for Three Years... Lord. 1571. and 1572. & 1573...
[Colophon: Imprinted at London in Paules... by Thomas Purfoote, 1567] [1571].
Not yet available online
Regiment for the Sea.
London: By [Henry Bynneman for] Thomas Hacket, and are to be solde at his shop in the Royall Exchaunge, at the signe of the Greene Dragon, [1574].
Not yet available online
A Regiment for the Sea.
London: by Thomas Dawson and Thomas Gardyner for Iohn Wight, 1577.
Not yet available online
A booke called the treasure for traueilers : deuided into fiue bookes or partes, contaynyng very necessary matters, for all sortes of trauailers, eyther by sea or by lande
1578
Source Archive.org / Digitized by Associates of the Boston Public Library / Original from
LOST EDITION
[Inventions or Devises. Very necessary for all Gener–alles and Captaines, or Leaders of men, as wel by Sea as by Land]
[1578?–printed before 1580]
Listed by Bourne in his Almanacke of 1581
A Regiment for the Sea.
London: T. East, for Iohn Wight, 1580.
Not yet available online
A Regiment for the Sea.
London: T. East, for Iohn Wight, 1584.
Not yet available online
A Regiment for the Sea...
London: T. East, for Iohn Wight, 1587.
Not yet available online
A Regiment for the Sea... Newlie corrected and amended by Thomas Hood...
London: T. East, for Iohn Wight, 1592.
Not yet available online
DUTCH EDITION
Der Const der Zee–vaerdt...
Amstelredam: Cornelis Claesz...:1594.
Not yet available online
Regiment for the Sea.
1596
Not yet available online
DUTCH EDITION
Amstelredam: Cornelis Claesz: 1599.
Not yet available online
Regiment for the Sea.
1601
Not yet available online
Regiment for the Sea.
1606?
Not yet available online
DUTCH EDITION
Amstelredam: Cornelis Claesz: 1609.
Not yet available online
Regiment for the Sea.
London : Weaver, 1611.
Not yet available online
DUTCH EDITION
Amsterdam: Willem Jansz Blaeu, 1614.
Not yet available online
Regiment for the Sea.
1617?
Not yet available online
Regiment for the Sea.
London : Weaver, 1620.
Not yet available online
Regiment for the Sea.
At London: Printed by W. I[ones] for Thomas Weauer..., [1631].
Not yet available online
Treatises on Shipbuilding
Printed editions (16th–18th centuries)
Curated by Fabiano Bracht & Luana Giurgevich
Treatises on sea astrolabe and quadrant (16th–17th centuries)
Curated by Miguel C. Fernandes
Pedro Nunes’ works on navigation
(16th century)
Curated by Tiago Rocha e Mello
Presented on 27 November at the European Researchers’ Night 2020.
A Sea of Books. RUTTER Virtual Library (https://www.aseaofbooks.org/) is a site dedicated to the sheer variety of literary genres produced from the Early Modern experience of voyaging in open sea, considering especially, but not only, technical books like sailing directions.
© 2020 RUTTER Project | Luana Giurgevich