ABSTRACT
Another letter which was sent to Dom Manuel before Cabral’s fleet left Brazil was one which, though brief, is important for its scientific significance. It was written by a Galician astronomer, Master John. The title of Master indicates that he had been a teacher, and the degrees which he adds to his signature imply that he was a scholar. As personal physician and surgeon of Dom Manuel, his duties involved those of an astrologer, and because of this he held the position of astronomer on the fleet.
