A Voyage to Abyssinia by Jeronimo Lobo

Description

A Voyage to Abyssinia is a memoir and travel narrative by Jerónimo Lobo, a 17th-century Portuguese Jesuit missionary, translated into English by Samuel Johnson in 1735. It details Lobo’s journey through Ethiopia (Abyssinia), where he sought to convert the local population to Catholicism. His account provides insights into Ethiopian culture, geography, and religion, particularly the resistance of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church to Jesuit influence. Lobo vividly describes the region’s landscapes, customs, and political tensions, offering a rare European perspective on 17th-century Ethiopia. Though his mission ultimately failed - Jesuits were expelled in 1632 - his work remains a valuable historical record. Johnson’s translation made Lobo’s observations more accessible, cementing the book’s importance in early African travel literature.

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