Soares de Souza, Gabriel

Descriptive treatise on Brazil in 1587
book chapter 1851

Summary: Gabriel Soares de Sousa (1540–1591) was a Portuguese explorer and naturalist. A participant in Francisco Barretos Africa expeditions, he settled in the Portuguese colony of Brazil living there for seventeen years. He wrote Tratado Descritivo do Brasil, 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. Wikipedia
Gender or Sex: Male [1][3][4][5]; Unknown [2]
Born: 1540 [2][5]
Birth Place: Kingdom of Portugal [5]
Died: 1591 [2]; 1592 [5]
Death Place: Bahia, Brésil [3]; Bahia [5]
Country: Country unknown [2]
Language: Portuguese [3]
Occupation: explorer [5]; farmer [5]; historian [5]; writer [5]; botanist [5]

Sources: 1. VIAF; 2. Deutsche Nationalbibliothek (Germany); 3. Bibliothèque nationale de France; 4. Library of Congress; 5. Wikidata

Last updated Dec 23, 2025