1785. Carta não autógrafa de Rosa Maria para o seu marido, Luís António Viana, marinho.

Requests letter dictated by Rosa Maria, a working woman, to her husband, a sailor.

The author asks her husband to come back to Viana from Brazil because their daughter needs her father to look after her. She warns him that she can try having him excommunicated by the local priest.

Luís António Viana was already living in Brazil for thirteen years and married to Ana Francisca when his first wife sent him two letters from his local town in Portugal, Viana do Castelo. The letters carrier gave them to the wrong man, an Inquisition collaborator ("familiar") with the same name. When he was denounced, the defendant was not to be found since he was whaling at sea.

Viana, 16th October 1785 years

My brother Luís António,

I hope these two lines will find you in perfect health, since our daughter’s health and mine too is good, thank God. Luís, I ask you to take notice of a daughter you left here, who is thirteen, as you know. And you must also know that it is time you take care of her. Both my father and mother have died already and I was near death too, due to a serious illness. What would come of that girl who would be left helpless? Luís, please write me; you know very well I’m your wife! Everyone who knew you here is quite surprised that you haven’t written me a single letter for the past thirteen years, as you have no reason for that. Now I ask you, for the love of God, to answer my letter. If you don’t care about me, at least care about your daughter. However, if you were to have an honest confession, you wouldn’t have been away from your wife for thirteen years. People have told me to send an excommunication to the vicar of that land. And, if I agree with it, I shall do it, because, now that I have no father or mother, I want you back next to me. I bother you no longer. From your sister who wishes you well and hopes to see you.

Rosa Maria