<i>Philosophical voyages</i> of João da Silva Feijó (1760-1824) in Ceará

Abstract

João da Silva Feijó (1760-1824) was among some naturalists who were sponsored by the Portuguese crown in order to make an inventory of the natural resources in colonial Brazil in the transition from the 18th to the 19th centuries. Feijó – correspondent member of the Royal Academy of Sciences of Lisbon – carried out a philosophical voyage to the Cape Verde Island where he probably stayed from 1783 to 1797. After returning from this voyage, he spent some time in Portugal preparing for his philosophical voyage to Ceará, where he arrived in 1799. One of the greatest scientific enterprises in the 18th century in Portugal and the kingdom, the Philosophical voyages are also considered as being very relevant in the process of institutionalization of natural sciences in Brazil. The present paper should be dedicated to Feijó’s work in Ceará, emphasizing its aspects connected to mining, mineralogy and geology at that time.