................................
THE TEAM
CONTACT
His shortest published book on seamanship was the Livro de Marinharia de Pero Vaz Fragoso [Book of Seamanship of Pero Vaz Fragoso], to the extent that it was not published in book form like the others, but as an article, and then in a Separata. Paradoxically, this is the article that contains the best introduction in terms of the clarity with which he explains the basic concepts that became a reference in the discipline: and it was essential to clarify the confusing terminology with which many authors referred to these concepts, as in the case of the erroneously entitled Diário [Diary] or Jornal [Logbook], which is actually a Relação [Report] of Vasco da Gama's voyage. Let us recall how he defined Nautical Texts: "all the known nautical writings of those two centuries [16th and 17th] contain three types of information: a) passages related exclusively to the rules of nautical astronomy and piloting; b) descriptions of an itinerary nature, including courses, landmarks, harbour entrances, etc. ; and (c) 'navigation diaries' which, as the name suggests, record the daily observations of pilots during a given voyage: .... If a text contains only information of the first type, it is customary to refer to it as a nautical guide.... If a text contains only information of the second or third type, it is naturally called a logbook or diary, according to each case. But as a rule, the oldest manuscripts [of the 16th century] include teachings of all three kinds (although diaries are very rare) and it is in this case that they are referred to as seamanship books. .... A seamanship book is always a work of compilation in which the pilot, a sailor or a simple amateur has gathered texts deemed important for the exercise of his profession or of purely informative and documental interest" (O livro de marinharia de Pero Vaz Fragoso, 1977, pp.5-6).
Hundreds of colleagues and friends contributed to the tribute studies with scientific papers or testimonials. The latter left a clear image of the mark Luís de Albuquerque had left on those who had had the privilege to cross paths with him. Adjectives abounded, but instead of reproducing them or wishing to add more, were that even possible, it seems more appropriate to reproduce the testimony - simple, in the highest sense of the word, as simple, in the same sense, as he who was worthy of it - of one of his colleagues at the University: "The image I hold of this outstanding professor of the Universidade de Coimbra is that of a simple man, who did great things with the naturalness of higher spirits who work as if limited to fulfilling the sole obligation of being great" (Manuel de Oliveira Pulquério).
